(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, a career appointee may be removed from the Senior Executive Service to a civil service position outside of the Senior Executive Service—
(1) during the 1-year period of probation under section 3393(d) of this title,
(2) at any time for less than fully successful executive performance as determined under subchapter II of chapter 43 of this title, or
(3) if the career appointee is not recertified as a senior executive under section 3393a,
except that in the case of a removal under paragraph (2) of this subsection the career appointee shall, at least 15 days before the removal, be entitled, upon request, to an informal hearing before an official designated by the Merit Systems Protection Board at which the career appointee may appear and present arguments, but such hearing shall not give the career appointee the right to initiate an action with the Board under section 7701 of this title, nor need the removal action be delayed as a result of the granting of such hearing. In the case of a removal under paragraph (3) of this subsection, the career appointee shall have the right to appeal the removal from the Senior Executive Service to the Merit Systems Protection Board under section 7701.
(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, a career appointee in an agency may not be involuntarily removed—
(A) within 120 days after an appointment of the head of the agency; or
(B) within 120 days after the appointment in the agency of the career appointee's most immediate supervisor who—
(i) is a noncareer appointee; and
(ii) has the authority to remove the career appointee.
(2) Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not apply with respect to—
(A) any removal under section 4314(b)(3) of this title; or
(B) any disciplinary action initiated before an appointment referred to in paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(c) A limited emergency appointee, limited term appointee, or noncareer appointee may be removed from the service at any time.
(Added Pub. L. 95–454, title IV, §404(b), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1165; amended Pub. L. 101–194, title V, §506(b)(3), Nov. 30, 1989, 103 Stat. 1758.)
1989—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–194, §506(b)(3)(D), inserted at end “In the case of a removal under paragraph (3) of this subsection, the career appointee shall have the right to appeal the removal from the Senior Executive Service to the Merit Systems Protection Board under section 7701.”
Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 101–194, §506(b)(3)(A)–(C), added par. (3).
Amendment by Pub. L. 101–194 effective Jan. 1, 1991, see section 506(d) of Pub. L. 101–194, set out as a note under section 3151 of this title.
This section is referred to in sections 3151, 3393, 3393a, 7542 of this title; title 10 section 1606; title 31 section 733.