31 U.S.C. § 751 — Organization

(a) The Government Accountability Office has a General Accounting Office Personnel Appeals Board. The Board has five members appointed by the Comptroller General. A person may be appointed only if the person: (1) is not a current or former officer or employee of the Office, the Architect of the Capitol, the Botanic Garden, or the Senate Restaurants; (2) has the ability, background, training, and experience needed to be specially qualified to serve on the Board; and (3) shows the ability and willingness to spend enough time to decide cases promptly. (b) The Comptroller General may appoint members only after: (1) considering candidates recommended, at the time and in the manner the Comptroller requires, by organizations mainly made up of people experienced in deciding or arbitrating personnel matters; and (2) consulting organizations representing Office employees and any member designated by the chair of each congressional committee with legislative jurisdiction over the personnel-management system maintained under section 732. (c)(1) Unless paragraph (2) applies, a member serves five years and may not be reappointed. A person filling a vacancy before a term ends serves the rest of that term. If less than one year remains, the Comptroller may appoint the person to a five-year term plus the unexpired part. After a term ends, the member may continue until a successor takes office or six months after expiration, whichever comes first. (2)(A) For members serving when the General Accounting Office Personnel Amendments Act of 1988 was enacted: (i) of the two appointed in 1985, one serves five years and the other six; (ii) of the two appointed in 1986, one serves six years and the other seven; and (iii) the member appointed in 1987 serves seven years. (B) Within 60 days after the date in (A), the Comptroller must decide which 1985 member gets five years and which gets six, and which 1986 member gets six and which gets seven. (C) A term under this paragraph is measured from the original appointment date, or, for someone serving the unexpired part of a term, from the appointment date of the person originally appointed for that term. (d) A majority of the Board, excluding the member being removed, may remove a member only for inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office. The member must receive notice and a chance for a Board hearing unless the member waives that chance in writing. (e) While performing Board duties, including travel, a member who is not a United States Government officer or employee receives basic pay at the daily GS–18 rate. Each member receives travel expenses and per diem under section 5703 of title 5. Footnote numbers and punctuation artifacts in the supplied text are ignored.