§ 8347. Administration; regulations
(a)
The Office of Personnel Management shall administer this subchapter. Except as otherwise specifically provided herein, the Office shall perform, or cause to be performed, such acts and prescribe such regulations as are necessary and proper to carry out this subchapter.
(b)
Applications under this subchapter shall be in such form as the Office prescribes. Agencies shall support the applications by such certificates as the Office considers necessary to the determination of the rights of applicants. The Office shall adjudicate all claims under this subchapter.
(c)
The Office shall determine questions of disability and dependency arising under this subchapter. Except to the extent provided under subsection (d) of this section, the decisions of the Office concerning these matters are final and conclusive and are not subject to review. The Office may direct at any time such medical or other examinations as it considers necessary to determine the facts concerning disability or dependency of an individual receiving or applying for annuity under this subchapter. The Office may suspend or deny annuity for failure to submit to examination.
(d)
(1)
Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, an administrative action or order affecting the rights or interests of an individual or of the United States under this subchapter may be appealed to the Merit Systems Protection Board under procedures prescribed by the Board.
(2)
In the case of any individual found by the Office to be disabled in whole or in part on the basis of the individual’s mental condition, and that finding was made pursuant to an application by an agency for purposes of disability retirement under section
8337
(a) of this title, the procedures under section
7701 of this title shall apply and the decision of the Board shall be subject to judicial review under section
7703 of this title.
(e)
The Office shall fix the fees for examinations made under this subchapter by physicians or surgeons who are not medical officers of the United States. The fees and reasonable traveling and other expenses incurred in connection with the examinations are paid from appropriations for the cost of administering this subchapter.
(f)
The Office shall select three actuaries, to be known as the Board of Actuaries of the Civil Service Retirement System. The Office shall fix the pay of the members of the Board, except members otherwise in the employ of the United States. The Board shall report annually on the actuarial status of the System and furnish its advice and opinion on matters referred to it by the Office. The Board may recommend to the Office and to Congress such changes as in the Board’s judgment are necessary to protect the public interest and maintain the System on a sound financial basis. The Office shall keep, or cause to be kept, such records as it considers necessary for making periodic actuarial valuations of the System. The Board shall make actuarial valuations every 5 years, or oftener if considered necessary by the Office.
(g)
The Office may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee or group of employees in or under an Executive agency whose employment is temporary or intermittent. However, the Office may not exclude any employee who occupies a position on a part-time career employment basis (as defined in section
3401
(2) of this title).
(h)
The Office, on recommendation by the Mayor of the District of Columbia, may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an individual or group of individuals employed by the government of the District of Columbia whose employment is temporary or intermittent.
(i)
The Architect of the Capitol may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee under the Office of the Architect of the Capitol whose employment is temporary or of uncertain duration.
(j)
The Librarian of Congress may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee under the Library of Congress whose employment is temporary or of uncertain duration.
(k)
The Secretary of Agriculture shall prescribe regulations to effect the application and operation of this subchapter to an individual named by section
8331
(1)(F) of this title.
(l)
The Director or Acting Director of the Botanic Garden may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee under the Botanic Garden whose employment is temporary or of uncertain duration.
(m)
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for the purpose of ensuring the accuracy of information used in the administration of this chapter, at the request of the Director of the Office of Personnel Management—
(1)
the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary’s designee shall provide information on retired or retainer pay provided under title 10;
(2)
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall provide information on pensions or compensation provided under title 38;
(3)
the Commissioner of Social Security or the Secretary’s [1] designee shall provide information contained in the records of the Social Security Administration; and
(4)
the Secretary of Labor or the Secretary’s designee shall provide information on benefits paid under subchapter
I of chapter
81 of this title.
The Director shall request only such information as the Director determines is necessary. The Director, in consultation with the officials from whom information is requested, shall establish, by regulation and otherwise, such safeguards as are necessary to ensure that information made available under this subsection is used only for the purpose authorized.
(n)
(1)
Notwithstanding any other provision of this subchapter, the Director of Central Intelligence shall, in a manner consistent with the administration of this subchapter by the Office, and to the extent considered appropriate by the Director of Central Intelligence—
(A)
determine entitlement to benefits under this subchapter based on the service of employees of the Central Intelligence Agency;
(2)
The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall furnish such information and, on a reimbursable basis, such services to the Director of Central Intelligence as the Director of Central Intelligence requests to carry out paragraph (1) of this subsection.
(3)
(A)
The Director of Central Intelligence, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, shall by regulation prescribe appropriate procedures to carry out this subsection.
(o)
Any provision of law outside of this subchapter which provides coverage, service credit, or any other benefit under this subchapter to any individuals who (based on their being employed by an entity other than the Government) would not otherwise be eligible for any such coverage, credit, or benefit, shall not apply with respect to any individual appointed, transferred, or otherwise commencing that type of employment on or after October 1, 1988.
(p)
The Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts may exclude from the operation of this subchapter an employee of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, the Federal Judicial Center, or a court named by section
610 of title
28, whose employment is temporary or of uncertain duration.
(q)
(1)
Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, an employee who—
(A)
has not previously made an election under this subsection or had an opportunity to make an election under this paragraph; and
(2)
Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, an employee of a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, described in section
2105
(c), who—
(A)
has not previously made an election under this subsection or had an opportunity to make an election under this paragraph;
(B)
is a participant in a retirement system established for employees described in section
2105
(c);
(C)
moves, without a break in service of more than 1 year, to a position that is not described in section
2105
(c); and
shall be given the opportunity to elect irrevocably, within 30 days after such move, to remain covered, during any subsequent employment as an employee as defined in section
2105
(a) or section
2105
(c), by the retirement system applicable to such employee’s current or most recent employment described in section
2105
(c) rather than be subject to this subchapter.
[1] So in original. Probably should be “Commissioner’s”.