40 USC § 6501 - Definition

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t40/s6501"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_legal_evidence"
title: "40 USC § 6501 - Definition"
title_number: 40
title_name: "PUBLIC BUILDINGS, PROPERTY, AND WORKS"
section_number: "6501"
section_name: "Definition"
chapter_number: 65
chapter_name: "THURGOOD MARSHALL FEDERAL JUDICIARY BUILDING"
part_number: "C"
part_name: "FEDERAL BUILDING COMPLEXES"
positive_law: true
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1188.)"
---


# § 6501. Definition

In this chapter, the term “Chief Justice” means the Chief Justice of the United States or the designee of the Chief Justice, except that when there is a vacancy in the office of the Chief Justice, the most senior associate justice of the Supreme Court shall be deemed to be the Chief Justice for purposes of this chapter until the vacancy is filled.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 107–217, Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1188.)

| RevisedSection | Source (U.S. Code) | Source (Statutes at Large) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 6501 | 40:1208. | Pub. L. 100–480, § 10, Oct. 7, 1988, 102 Stat. 2335. |

The text of 40:1208(1) and (3) is omitted as unnecessary because the complete names of the Architect of the Capitol and the Commission for the Judiciary Office Building are used the first times the terms appear in a section.