Skip to content
LexBuild

5 USC § 5402 - Definitions

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t5/s5402"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "5 USC § 5402 - Definitions"
title_number: 5
title_name: "GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES"
section_number: "5402"
section_name: "Definitions"
chapter_number: 54
chapter_name: "HUMAN CAPITAL PERFORMANCE FUND"
part_number: "III"
part_name: "EMPLOYEES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Added Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title XI, § 1129(a), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1642; amended Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)"
---

# § 5402. Definitions

For the purpose of this chapter—

**(1)** “agency” means an Executive agency under section 105, but does not include the Government Accountability Office;

**(2)** “employee” includes—

but does not include—

**(A)** an individual paid under a statutory pay system defined in section 5302(1);

**(B)** a prevailing rate employee, as defined in section 5342(a)(2); and

**(C)** a category of employees included by the Office of Personnel Management following the review of an agency plan under section 5403(b)(1);

**(i)** an individual paid at an annual rate of basic pay for a level of the Executive Schedule, under subchapter II of chapter 53, or at a rate provided for one of those levels under another provision of law;

**(ii)** a member of the Senior Executive Service paid under subchapter VIII of chapter 53, or an equivalent system;

**(iii)** an administrative law judge paid under section 5372;

**(iv)** a contract appeals board member paid under section 5372a;

**(v)** an administrative appeals judge paid under section 5372b; and

**(vi)** an individual in a position which is excepted from the competitive service because of its confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character; and

**(3)** “Office” means the Office of Personnel Management.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title XI, § 1129(a), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1642; amended Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 5402, added , , ; amended , , , related to applicability of chapter, prior to repeal by , (c), , , 983, eff. .

### Amendments

2004—Par. (1).  substituted “Government Accountability Office” for “General Accounting Office”.