1. (a) Discriminatory Practices Prohibited.— All personnel actions affecting covered employees shall be made free from any discrimination based on—

   1. (1) race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, within the meaning of section 703 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964;
   2. (2) age, within the meaning of section 15 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; or
   3. (3) disability, within the meaning of section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and sections 102 through 104 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

2. (b) Remedy.—

   1. (1) Civil rights.— The remedy for a violation of subsection (a)(1) shall be—

      1. (A) such damages as would be appropriate if awarded under section 706(g) of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; and
      2. (B) such compensatory damages as would be appropriate if awarded under section 1977 of the Revised Statutes, or as would be appropriate if awarded under sections 1977A(a)(1), 1977A(b)(2), and, irrespective of the size of the employing office, 1977A(b)(3)(D) of the Revised Statutes.

   2. (2) Age discrimination.— The remedy for a violation of subsection (a)(2) shall be—

      1. (A) such damages as would be appropriate if awarded under section 15(c) of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967; and
      2. (B) such liquidated damages as would be appropriate if awarded under section 7(b) of such Act.

      In addition, the waiver provisions of section 7(f) of such Act shall apply to covered employees.

   3. (3) Disabilities discrimination.— The remedy for a violation of subsection (a)(3) shall be—

      1. (A) such damages as would be appropriate if awarded under section 505(a)(1) of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 or section 107(a) of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; and
      2. (B) such compensatory damages as would be appropriate if awarded under sections 1977A(a)(2), 1977A(a)(3), 1977A(b)(2), and, irrespective of the size of the employing office, 1977A(b)(3)(D) of the Revised Statutes.

3. (c) Definitions.— Except as otherwise specifically provided in this section, as used in this section:

   1. (1) Covered employee.— The term “covered employee” means any employee of a unit of the executive branch, including the Executive Office of the President, whether appointed by the President or by any other appointing authority in the executive branch, who is not otherwise entitled to bring an action under any of the statutes referred to in subsection (a), but does not include any individual—

      1. (A) whose appointment is made by and with the advice and consent of the Senate;
      2. (B) who is appointed to an advisory committee, as defined in section 1001 of title 5; or
      3. (C) who is a member of the uniformed services.
   2. (2) Employing office.— The term “employing office”, with respect to a covered employee, means the office, agency, or other entity in which the covered employee is employed (or sought employment or was employed in the case of an applicant or former employee, respectively).

4. (d) Regulations To Implement Section.—

   1. (1) In general.— The President, or the designee of the President, shall issue regulations to implement paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (a) and paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (b).

   2. (2) Agency regulations.— The regulations issued under paragraph (1) shall be the same as substantive regulations promulgated by the appropriate officer of an executive agency to implement the statutory provisions referred to in paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (a) and paragraphs (1) and (3) of subsection (b)—

      1. (A) except to the extent that the President or designee may determine, for good cause shown and stated together with the regulation, that a modification of such regulations would be more effective for the implementation of the rights and protections under this section; and

      2. (B) except that the President or designee may, at the discretion of the President or designee, issue regulations to implement a provision of section 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 or section 501 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 that applies to employees in the executive branch of the Federal Government in lieu of an analogous statutory provision referred to in paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection (a) or paragraph (1) or (3) of subsection (b), if the issuance of such regulations—

         1. (i) would be equally effective for the implementation of the rights and protections under this section; and
         2. (ii) would promote uniformity in the application of Federal law to employees in the executive branch of the Federal Government.
5. (e) Applicability.— Subsections (a) through (c), and section 417 (to the extent that it relates to any matter under this section), shall apply with respect to violations occurring on or after the effective date of this chapter.
6. (f) Effective Date.— This section shall take effect on October 1, 1997.

(Added Pub. L. 104–331, § 2(a), Oct. 26, 1996, 110 Stat. 4055; amended Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(a)(3), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4305.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Sections 703, 706, and 717 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1), (b)(1)(A), and (d)(2)(B), are classified to sections 2000e–2, 2000e–5, and 2000e–16, respectively, of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Sections 7 and 15 of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967, referred to in subsecs. (a)(1) and (b)(2), are classified to sections 626 and 633a, respectively, of Title 29, Labor.

Sections 501 and 505 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, referred to in subsecs. (a)(3), (b)(3)(A), and (d)(2)(B), are classified to sections 791 and 794a, respectively, of Title 29.

Sections 102 to 104 and 107 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, referred to in subsecs. (a)(3) and (b)(3)(A), are classified to sections 12112 to 12114 and 12117, respectively, of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Sections 1977 and 1977A of the Revised Statutes, referred to in subsec. (b)(1)(B), (3)(B), are classified to sections 1981 and 1981a, respectively, of Title 42.

The effective date of this chapter, referred to in subsec. (e), is Oct. 1, 1997, unless otherwise provided, see section 471 of this title.

Amendments

2022—Subsec. (c)(1)(B). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “section 1001 of title 5;” for “section 3(2) of the Federal Advisory Committee Act;”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Subsec. (d) of this section effective Oct. 26, 1996, see section 471(b) of this title.

Regulations

For provisions requiring that appropriate measures be taken to ensure that any regulations required to implement this section be in effect by Oct. 1, 1997, see section 2(b)(1) of Pub. L. 104–331, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.