42 U.S.C. § 902 (THE PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE)
§ 902. Commissioner; Deputy Commissioner; other officers
(a) Commissioner of Social Security
(1) There shall be in the Administration a Commissioner of Social Security (in this subchapter referred to as the “Commissioner”) who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(2) The Commissioner shall be compensated at the rate provided for level I of the Executive Schedule.
(3) The Commissioner shall be appointed for a term of 6 years, except that the initial term of office for Commissioner shall terminate January 19, 2001. In any case in which a successor does not take office at the end of a Commissioner’s term of office, such Commissioner may continue in office until the entry upon office of such a successor. A Commissioner appointed to a term of office after the commencement of such term may serve under such appointment only for the remainder of such term. An individual serving in the office of Commissioner may be removed from office only pursuant to a finding by the President of neglect of duty or malfeasance in office.
(4) The Commissioner shall be responsible for the exercise of all powers and the discharge of all duties of the Administration, and shall have authority and control over all personnel and activities thereof.
(5) The Commissioner may prescribe such rules and regulations as the Commissioner determines necessary or appropriate to carry out the functions of the Administration. The regulations prescribed by the Commissioner shall be subject to the rulemaking procedures established under section 553 of title 5.
(6) The Commissioner may establish, alter, consolidate, or discontinue such organizational units or components within the Administration as the Commissioner considers necessary or appropriate, except that this paragraph shall not apply with respect to any unit, component, or provision provided for by this chapter.
(7) The Commissioner may assign duties, and delegate, or authorize successive redelegations of, authority to act and to render decisions, to such officers and employees of the Administration as the Commissioner may find necessary. Within the limitations of such delegations, redelegations, or assignments, all official acts and decisions of such officers and employees shall have the same force and effect as though performed or rendered by the Commissioner.
(8) The Commissioner and the Secretary of Health and Human Services (in this subchapter referred to as the “Secretary”) shall consult, on an ongoing basis, to ensure—
(A) the coordination of the programs administered by the Commissioner, as described in section 901 of this title, with the programs administered by the Secretary under subchapters XVIII and XIX of this chapter; and
(B) that adequate information concerning benefits under such subchapters XVIII and XIX is available to the public.
(b) Deputy Commissioner of Social Security
(1) There shall be in the Administration a Deputy Commissioner of Social Security (in this subchapter referred to as the “Deputy Commissioner”) who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
(2) The Deputy Commissioner shall be appointed for a term of 6 years, except that the initial term of office for the Deputy Commissioner shall terminate January 19, 2001. In any case in which a successor does not take office at the end of a Deputy Commissioner’s term of office, such Deputy Commissioner may continue in office until the entry upon office of such a successor. A Deputy Commissioner appointed to a term of office after the commencement of such term may serve under such appointment only for the remainder of such term.
(3) The Deputy Commissioner shall be compensated at the rate provided for level II of the Executive Schedule.
(4) The Deputy Commissioner shall perform such duties and exercise such powers as the Commissioner shall from time to time assign or delegate. The Deputy Commissioner shall be Acting Commissioner of the Administration during the absence or disability of the Commissioner and, unless the President designates another officer of the Government as Acting Commissioner, in the event of a vacancy in the office of the Commissioner.
(c) Chief Actuary
(1) There shall be in the Administration a Chief Actuary, who shall be appointed by, and in direct line of authority to, the Commissioner. The Chief Actuary shall be appointed from individuals who have demonstrated, by their education and experience, superior expertise in the actuarial sciences. The Chief Actuary shall serve as the chief actuarial officer of the Administration, and shall exercise such duties as are appropriate for the office of the Chief Actuary and in accordance with professional standards of actuarial independence. The Chief Actuary may be removed only for cause.
(2) The Chief Actuary shall be compensated at the highest rate of basic pay for the Senior Executive Service under section 5382(b) of title 5.
(d) Chief Financial Officer
There shall be in the Administration a Chief Financial Officer appointed by the Commissioner in accordance with section 901(a)(2) of title 31.
(e) Inspector General
There shall be in the Administration an Inspector General appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, in accordance with section 403(a) of title 5.
(Aug. 14, 1935, ch. 531, title VII, § 702, 49 Stat. 636; Aug. 28, 1950, ch. 809, title III, pt. 6, § 361(c), (d), 64 Stat. 558; Pub. L. 98–369, div. B, title VI, § 2663(j)(2)(C)(i), (l)(1), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1170, 1171; Pub. L. 103–296, title I, § 102, Aug. 15, 1994, 108 Stat. 1465; Pub. L. 104–121, title I, § 103(e)(1), Mar. 29, 1996, 110 Stat. 851; Pub. L. 117–286, § 4(b)(76), Dec. 27, 2022, 136 Stat. 4351.)
heading: Editorial Notes
heading: References in Text
text: Levels I and II of the Executive Schedule, referred to in subsecs. (a)(2) and (b)(3), are set out in sections 5312 and 5313, respectively, of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
heading: Amendments
text: 2022—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 117–286 substituted “section 403(a) of title 5.” for “section 3(a) of the Inspector General Act of 1978.”
1996—Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 104–121 added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsecs. (c) and (d) as (d) and (e), respectively.
1994—Pub. L. 103–296 amended section generally. Prior to amendment, section read as follows: “The Secretary shall perform the duties imposed upon him by this chapter and shall also have the duty of studying and making recommendations as to the most effective methods of providing economic security through social insurance, and as to legislation and matters of administrative policy concerning old-age pensions, unemployment compensation, accident compensation, and related subjects.”
1984—Pub. L. 98–369, § 2663(l)(1), substituted “Secretary” for “Administrator”.
Pub. L. 98–369, § 2663(j)(2)(C)(i), which directed the substitution of “Health and Human Services” for “Health, Education, and Welfare”, could not be executed because “Health, Education, and Welfare” did not appear in text.
1950—Act Aug. 28, 1950, substituted “Administrator” for “Board” and “him” for “it”.
heading: Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
heading: Effective Date of 1996 Amendment
text: Pub. L. 104–121, title I, § 103(e)(2), Mar. 29, 1996, 110 Stat. 851, provided that: “The amendments made by this subsection [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Mar. 29, 1996].”
heading: Effective Date of 1994 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 103–296 effective Mar. 31, 1995, see section 110(a) of Pub. L. 103–296, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.
heading: Effective Date of 1984 Amendment
text: Amendment by Pub. L. 98–369 effective July 18, 1984, but not to be construed as changing or affecting any right, liability, status, or interpretation which existed (under the provisions of law involved) before that date, see section 2664(b) of Pub. L. 98–369, set out as a note under section 401 of this title.
heading: Issuance by Commissioner of Social Security of Receipts To Acknowledge Submission of Reports of Changes in Work or Earnings Status of Disabled Beneficiaries
text: Pub. L. 108–203, title II, § 202, Mar. 2, 2004, 118 Stat. 509, provided that: “Effective as soon as possible, but not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act [Mar. 2, 2004], until such time as the Commissioner of Social Security implements a centralized computer file recording the date of the submission of information by a disabled beneficiary (or representative) regarding a change in the beneficiary’s work or earnings status, the Commissioner shall issue a receipt to the disabled beneficiary (or representative) each time he or she submits documentation, or otherwise reports to the Commissioner, on a change in such status.”
heading: Demonstration Projects Relating to Accountability for Telephone Service Center Communications
text: Pub. L. 101–508, title V, § 5108, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–269, directed Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop and carry out demonstration projects designed to implement certain accountability procedures in not fewer than 3 telephone service centers operated by the Social Security Administration, provided that such projects commence not later than 180 days after Nov. 5, 1990, and remain in operation for not less than 1 year and not more than 3 years, and directed Secretary to submit to Congress a written report on the progress of the demonstration projects not later than 90 days after the termination of the project.
heading: Telephone Access to Social Security Administration
text: Pub. L. 103–296, title III, § 302, Aug. 15, 1994, 108 Stat. 1518, directed Comptroller General of the United States to submit to Congress, not later than Jan. 31, 1996, report and study of telephone access to local offices of the Social Security Administration, based on independent assessment of Social Security Administration’s use of innovative technology (including attendant call and voice mail) to increase public telephone access to local offices of the Administration.
Pub. L. 101–508, title V, § 5110, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–272, provided that:
“(a) Required Minimum Level of Access to Local Offices.—
In addition to such other access by telephone to offices of the Social Security Administration as the Secretary of Health and Human Services may consider appropriate, the Secretary shall maintain access by telephone to local offices of the Social Security Administration at the level of access generally available as of September 30, 1989.
“(b) Telephone Listings.—
The Secretary shall make such requests of local telephone utilities in the United States as are necessary to ensure that the listings subsequently maintained and published by such utilities for each locality include the address and telephone number for each local office of the Social Security Administration to which direct telephone access is maintained under subsection (a) in such locality. Such listing may also include information concerning the availability of a toll-free number which may be called for general information.
“(c) Report by Secretary.—
Not later than January 1, 1993, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate a report which—
“(1) assesses the impact of the requirements established by this section on the Social Security Administration’s allocation of resources, workload levels, and service to the public, and
“(2) presents a plan for using new, innovative technologies to enhance access to the Social Security Administration, including access to local offices.
“(d) GAO Report.—
The Comptroller General of the United States shall review the level of telephone access by the public to the local offices of the Social Security Administration. The Comptroller General shall file an interim report with the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate describing such level of telephone access not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [Nov. 5, 1990] and shall file a final report with such Committees describing such level of access not later than 210 days after such date.
“(e) Effective Date.—
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall meet the requirements of subsections (a) and (b) as soon as possible after the date of the enactment of this Act but not later [than] 180 days after such date.”
heading: Report Regarding Notices in Languages Other Than English
text: Pub. L. 101–239, title X, § 10306(b), Dec. 19, 1989, 103 Stat. 2484, directed Secretary of Health and Human Resources, not later than Jan. 1, 1991, to submit a report to Congress relating to procedures of Social Security Administration for issuing notices in languages other than English.
heading: Study Concerning Establishment of Social Security Administration as an Independent Agency
text: Pub. L. 98–21, title III, § 338, Apr. 20, 1983, 97 Stat. 132, as amended by Pub. L. 98–369, div. B, title VI, § 2662(h)(1), July 18, 1984, 98 Stat. 1160, established, under authority of Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and Committee on Finance of the Senate, a Joint Study Panel on the Social Security Administration to undertake a study of removing Social Security Administration from Department of Health and Human Services and establishing it as an independent agency in the executive branch with its own independent administrative structure, including possibility of such a structure headed by a board appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and to submit, not later than Apr. 1, 1984, a report of the findings of the study, and provided that the Panel would expire 30 days after the date of the submission of the report.
heading: Earnings Sharing Implementation Report
text: Pub. L. 98–21, title III, § 343, Apr. 20, 1983, 97 Stat. 136, directed Secretary of Health and Human Services to develop, in consultation with Committee on Finance of the Senate and Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives, proposals for earnings sharing legislation (i.e., proposals that combined earnings of a husband and wife during period of their marriage be divided equally and shared between them for social security benefit purposes) and report such proposals to such committees not later than July 1, 1984.
heading: Universal Coverage of Social Security Programs; Study and Report to President and Congress Respecting Scope, Alternatives, etc.; Consultation by Secretary
text: Pub. L. 95–216, title III, § 311, Dec. 20, 1977, 91 Stat. 1531, as amended by 1978 Reorg. Plan No. 2, § 102, eff. Jan. 1, 1979, 43 F.R. 36037, 92 Stat. 3783, directed Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare to undertake as soon as possible after Dec. 20, 1977, a thorough study with respect to extent of coverage under old-age, survivors, and disability insurance programs and under programs established by subchapter XVIII of this chapter and submit a report on findings of such study not later than 2 years after Dec. 20, 1977.
heading: Proposals for Elimination of Dependency and Sex Discrimination Under Social Security Program; Study and Report to Congress
text: Pub. L. 95–216, title III, § 341, Dec. 20, 1977, 91 Stat. 1548, directed Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare, in consultation with the Task Force on Sex Discrimination, to make a detailed study of proposals to eliminate dependency as a factor in the determination of entitlement to spouse’s benefits under the program established under subchapter II of this chapter and of proposals to bring about equal treatment for men and women in any and all respects under such program and submit a report to Congress within 6 months of Dec. 20, 1977.