2016 US Code
Title 15 - Commerce and Trade
Chapter 40 - Department of Commerce
Sec. 1505 - Additional Assistant Secretary; duties, rank of Assistant Secretaries

There shall be in the Department of Commerce one additional Assistant Secretary of Commerce, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. The Secretary of Commerce may assign to his Assistant Secretaries such duties, including the direction of the Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce, as he shall prescribe, or may be required by law. The Assistant Secretaries of Commerce shall be without numerical distinction of rank.

(July 15, 1947, ch. 251, 61 Stat. 326.)

Provisions of last sentence that fixed the compensation of the Assistant Secretaries of Commerce have been omitted as the positions are under the Executive Schedule under section 5315 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

Section was formerly classified to section 592a of Title 5 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 5 by Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.

Prior provisions for an additional Assistant Secretary of Commerce were contained in act May 20, 1926, ch. 344, §8 (1st sentence), 44 Stat. 573, as amended June 23, 1938, ch. 601, §1107(k), 52 Stat. 1029. Said position was terminated by section 592a–1 of former Title 5, Executive Departments and Government Officers and Employees. Section 8 of act May 20, 1926, was subsequently repealed by Pub. L. 85–726, title XIV, §1401(a), Aug. 23, 1958, 72 Stat. 806, and Pub. L. 97–195, §1(c)(2), June 16, 1982, 96 Stat. 115.

Pursuant to powers transferred to Secretary of Commerce under Reorg. Plan No. 5 of 1950, §§1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out as a note under section 1501 of this title, Secretary has reassigned functions of Bureau of Foreign and Domestic Commerce to other officers of Department.

For order of succession during any period when both Secretary and Deputy Secretary of Commerce are unable to perform functions and duties of office of Secretary, see Ex. Ord. No. 13242, Dec. 18, 2001, 66 F.R. 66260, listed in a table under section 3345 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.