5 USC § 7501 - Definitions

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t5/s7501"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "5 USC § 7501 - Definitions"
title_number: 5
title_name: "GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES"
section_number: "7501"
section_name: "Definitions"
chapter_number: 75
chapter_name: "ADVERSE ACTIONS"
subchapter_number: "I"
subchapter_name: "SUSPENSION FOR 14 DAYS OR LESS"
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. 95–454, title II, § 204(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1134; amended Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title XI, § 1105(c)(3), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1024; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XI, § 1106(b)(2)(C), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1950.)"
---


# § 7501. Definitions

For the purpose of this subchapter—

**(1)** “employee” means an individual in the competitive service who is not serving a probationary or trial period under an initial appointment or who has completed 1 year of current continuous employment in the same or similar positions under other than a temporary appointment limited to 1 year or less; and

**(2)** “suspension” means the placing of an employee, for disciplinary reasons, in a temporary status without duties and pay.

---

**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 95–454, title II, § 204(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1134; amended Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title XI, § 1105(c)(3), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1024; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XI, § 1106(b)(2)(C), Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1950.)

## Editorial Notes

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 7501, , , , related to removal or suspension without pay of an individual in the competitive service and procedures applicable to such removal or suspension, prior to repeal by .

### Amendments

2021—Par. (1).  struck out “, except as provided in ,” after “initial appointment or,”.

2015—Par. (1).  substituted “or, except as provided in , who” for “or who”.

## Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date of 2021 Amendment

Amendment by  applied as if effective , to correspond to the effective date of the repeal of , Armed Forces, to reflect the probable intent of Congress. See Effective Date of Repeal note under .

### Effective Date

Section effective 90 days after , see , set out as an Effective Date of 1978 Amendment note under .

### Short Title of 1990 Amendment

> “This Act [amending sections 4303, 7511, and 7701 of this title and enacting provisions set out as notes under
> 
> ] may be cited as the ‘Civil Service Due Process Amendments’.”

, , , provided that: