Officers, staff, and other personnel

The Chair, subject to the approval of the Board, shall appoint and may remove an Executive Director. Selection and appointment of the Executive Director shall be without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the Office. The first Executive Director shall be appointed no later than 90 days after the initial appointment of the Board of Directors. The Executive Director shall be an individual with training or expertise in the application of laws referred to in section 1302(a) of this title. The disqualifications in section 1381(d)(2) of this title shall apply to the appointment of the Executive Director. The Chair may fix the compensation of the Executive Director. The rate of pay for the Executive Director may not exceed the maximum rate of pay in effect under section 4575(f) of this title. The term of office of the Executive Director shall be not more than 2 terms of 5 years, except that the first Executive Director shall have a single term of 7 years. The Executive Director shall serve as the chief operating officer of the Office. Except as otherwise specified in this chapter, the Executive Director shall carry out all of the responsibilities of the Office under this chapter. The Chair, subject to the approval of the Board, shall appoint and may remove a Deputy Executive Director for the Senate and a Deputy Executive Director for the House of Representatives. Selection and appointment of a Deputy Executive Director shall be without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the office. The disqualifications in section 1381(d)(2) of this title shall apply to the appointment of a Deputy Executive Director. The term of office of a Deputy Executive Director shall be not more than 2 terms of 5 years, except that the first Deputy Executive Directors shall have a single term of 6 years. The Chair may fix the compensation of the Deputy Executive Directors. The rate of pay for a Deputy Executive Director may not exceed 96 percent of the lesser of— The Deputy Executive Director for the Senate shall recommend to the Board regulations under section 1384(a)(2)(B)(i) of this title, maintain the regulations and all records pertaining to the regulations, and shall assume such other responsibilities as may be delegated by the Executive Director. The Deputy Executive Director for the House of Representatives shall recommend to the Board the regulations under section 1384(a)(2)(B)(ii) of this title, maintain the regulations and all records pertaining to the regulations, and shall assume such other responsibilities as may be delegated by the Executive Director. The Chair, subject to the approval of the Board, shall appoint a General Counsel. Selection and appointment of the General Counsel shall be without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of fitness to perform the duties of the Office. The disqualifications in section 1381(d)(2) of this title shall apply to the appointment of a General Counsel. The Chair may fix the compensation of the General Counsel. The rate of pay for the General Counsel may not exceed the lesser of— The General Counsel shall— The General Counsel shall appoint, and fix the compensation of, and may remove, such additional attorneys as may be necessary to enable the General Counsel to perform the General Counsel’s duties. The term of office of the General Counsel shall be not more than 2 terms of 5 years. The General Counsel may be removed from office by the Chair but only for— In removing the General Counsel, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President pro tempore of the Senate shall state in writing to the General Counsel the specific reasons for the removal. The Executive Director shall— A confidential advisor appointed or designated under paragraph (1) shall offer to provide to covered employees described in paragraph (4) the services described in subparagraph (B), which a covered employee may accept or decline. The services referred to in subparagraph (A) are— consulting, on a privileged and confidential basis, with a covered employee who has been subject to a practice that may be a violation of part A of subchapter II regarding— assisting, on a privileged and confidential basis, a covered employee who seeks consideration under title IV of an allegation of a violation of part A of subchapter II in understanding the procedures, and the significance of the procedures, described in subchapter IV, including— Once a covered employee has accepted and received any services offered under this section from a confidential advisor appointed or designated under paragraph (1), any other services requested under this subsection by the covered employee shall be provided, to the extent practicable, by the same confidential advisor. A confidential advisor appointed or designated under paragraph (1) shall be a lawyer who— The services described in paragraph (2) are available to any covered employee (which, for purposes of this subsection, shall include any staff member described in section 1311(d) of this title and any former covered employee (including any such former staff member)), except that— A confidential advisor appointed or designated under paragraph (1)— The Executive Director shall appoint, and fix the compensation of, and may remove, such other additional staff, including hearing officers, but not including attorneys employed in the office of the General Counsel, as may be necessary to enable the Office to perform its duties. The Executive Director may, with the prior consent of the department or agency of the Federal Government concerned, use on a reimbursable or nonreimbursable basis the services of personnel of any such department or agency, including the services of members or personnel of the Government Accountability Office Personnel Appeals Board. In carrying out the functions of the Office, the Executive Director may procure the temporary (not to exceed 1 year) or intermittent services of consultants.