§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, §1, 37 Stat. 736 ; Mar. 4, 1925, ch. 549, §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. §§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, §1, Sept. 1, 1966, 80 Stat. 378 .

Short Title of 1986 Amendment

Pub. L. 99–619, §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, §§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, §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 in case of absence, sickness, resignation, or death of Secretary and Under Secretary, see Ex. Ord. No. 10513, Jan. 19, 1954, 19 F.R. 369, 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.