§ 551. — Establishment of Department; Secretary; seal.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 29USC551]
TITLE 29--LABOR
CHAPTER 12--DEPARTMENT OF LABOR
Sec. 551. Establishment of Department; Secretary; seal
There shall be an executive department in the Government to be
called the Department of Labor, with a Secretary of Labor, who shall be
the head thereof, to be appointed by the President, by and with the
advice and consent of the Senate, and whose tenure of office shall be
like that of the heads of the other executive departments. The
provisions of title 4 of the Revised Statutes, including all amendments
thereto, shall be applicable to said department. The purpose of the
Department of Labor shall be to foster, promote, and develop the welfare
of the wage earners of the United States, to improve their working
conditions, and to advance their opportunities for profitable
employment. The said Secretary shall cause a seal of office to be made
for the said department of such device as the President shall approve
and judicial notice shall be taken of the said seal.
(Mar. 4, 1913, ch. 141, Sec. 1, 37 Stat. 736; Mar. 4, 1925, ch. 549,
Sec. 4, 43 Stat. 1301.)
References in Text
Title 4 of the Revised Statutes, referred to in text, was entitled
``Provisions Applicable to All Executive Departments'', and consisted of
R.S. Secs. 158 to 198. For provisions of the Code derived from such
title 4, see sections 101, 301, 303, 304, 503, 2952, 3101, 3106, 3341,
3345 to 3349, 5535, 5536 of Title 5, Government Organization and
Employees; section 207 of Title 18, Crimes and Criminal Procedure;
sections 514, 520 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure; section
3321 of Title 31, Money and Finance.
Codification
Section was formerly classified to section 611 of Title 5 prior to
the general revision and enactment of Title 5, Government Organization
and Employees, by Pub. L. 89-554, Sec. 1, Sept. 1, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.
Short Title of 1986 Amendment
Pub. L. 99-619, Sec. 1, Nov. 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 3491, provided that:
``This Act [amending sections 552 and 553 of this title and sections
5313 to 5316 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees,
repealing section 3 of Reorganization Plan No. 6 of 1950, set out in the
Appendix to Title 5, and enacting provisions set out as notes under
sections 552 and 553 of this title and section 5316 of Title 5] may be
cited as the `Department of Labor Executive Level Conforming Amendments
of 1986'.''
Transfer of Functions
For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies
of Department of Labor, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of Labor,
with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 6, of 1950, Secs. 1, 2, 15
F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1263, set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government
Organization and Employees.
Emergency Preparedness Functions
For assignment of certain emergency preparedness functions to
Secretary of Labor, see Parts 1, 2, and 12 of Ex. Ord. No. 12656, Nov.
18, 1988, 53 F.R. 47491, set out as a note under section 5195 of Title
42, The Public Health and Welfare.
History of Department
A Department of Labor under the charge of a Commissioner of Labor
was first established by act June 13, 1888, ch. 389, 25 Stat. 182. That
Department was placed under the jurisdiction and made a part of a new
department, called the Department of Commerce and Labor, by act Feb. 14,
1903, ch. 552, Sec. 4, 32 Stat. 827. The name Department of Labor was
changed to Bureau of Labor by act Mar. 18, 1904, ch. 716, 33 Stat. 136.
The present Department of Labor was created by act Mar. 4, 1913. The
Bureau of Labor in the Department of Commerce and Labor was transferred
to the present Department of Labor by said act.
Order of Succession
For order of succession during any period when both Secretary and
Deputy Secretary of Labor are unable to perform functions and duties of
office of Secretary, see Ex. Ord. No. 13245, Dec. 18, 2001, 66 F.R.
66268, set out as a note under section 3345 of Title 5, Government
Organization and Employees.
Compensation of Secretary
Compensation of Secretary, see section 5312 of Title 5, Government
Organization and Employees.
