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There shall be an Executive Director of the Council who shall be appointed in the competitive service by the Chairman with the concurrence of the Council. The Executive Director shall report directly to the Council and perform such functions and duties as the Council may prescribe.

The Council shall have a General Counsel, who shall be appointed by the Executive Director. The General Counsel shall report directly to the Executive Director and serve as the Council’s legal advisor. The Executive Director shall appoint such other attorneys as may be necessary to assist the General Counsel, represent the Council in courts of law whenever appropriate, including enforcement of agreements with Federal agencies to which the Council is a party, assist the Department of Justice in handling litigation concerning the Council in courts of law, and perform such other legal duties and functions as the Executive Director and the Council may direct.

The Executive Director of the Council may appoint and fix the compensation of such officers and employees in the competitive service as are necessary to perform the functions of the Council at rates not to exceed that now or hereafter prescribed for the highest rate for grade 15 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5: Provided, however, That the Executive Director, with the concurrence of the Chairman, may appoint and fix the compensation of not to exceed five employees in the competitive service at rates not to exceed that now or hereafter prescribed for the highest rate of grade 17 of the General Schedule under section 5332 of title 5.

The Executive Director shall have power to appoint and fix the compensation of such additional personnel as may be necessary to carry out its duties, without regard to the provisions of the civil service laws and chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5.

The Executive Director of the Council is authorized to procure expert and consultant services in accordance with the provisions of section 3109 of title 5.

Financial and administrative services (including those related to budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, personnel and procurement) shall be provided the Council by the Department of the Interior or, at the discretion of the Council, such other agency or private entity that reaches an agreement with the Council, for which payments shall be made in advance or by reimbursement from funds of the Council in such amounts as may be agreed upon by the Chairman of the Council and the head of the agency or, in the case of a private entity, the authorized representative of the private entity that will provide the services. When a Federal agency affords such services, the regulations of that agency for the collection of indebtedness of personnel resulting from erroneous payments (5 U.S.C. 5514 (b)) shall apply to the collection of erroneous payments made to or on behalf of a Council employee and regulations of that agency for the administrative control of funds (31 U.S.C. 1513 (d), 1514) shall apply to appropriations of the Council. The Council shall not be required to prescribe such regulations.

Any Federal agency may provide the Council, with or without reimbursement as may be agreed upon by the Chairman and the agency, with such funds, personnel, facilities and services under its jurisdiction and control as may be needed by the Council to carry out its duties, to the extent that such funds, personnel, facilities, and services are requested by the Council and are otherwise available for that purpose. Any funds provided to the Council pursuant to this subsection must be expended by the end of the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which the funds are received by the Council. To the extent of available appropriations, the Council may obtain by purchase, rental, donation, or otherwise, such additional property ^[1] facilities, and services as may be needed to carry out its duties and may also receive donations of moneys for such purpose, and the Executive Director is authorized, in his discretion, to accept, hold, use, expend, and administer the same for the purposes of this subchapter.