(a) Personal services, rent, printing, etc.The Secretary is authorized to make such expenditures out of any money appropriated therefor (including expenditures for personal services and rent at the seat of government and elsewhere, books of reference and periodicals, for printing and binding, and for traveling expenses) as he may deem necessary to carry out the provisions of this chapter.
(b) Preference to blind persons in employmentThe Secretary shall, in employing such additional personnel as may be necessary, give preference to blind persons who are capable of discharging the required duties.
(June 20, 1936, ch. 638, § 4, formerly § 5, 49 Stat. 1560; 1946 Reorg. Plan No. 2, § 6, eff. July 16, 1946, 11 F.R. 7873, 60 Stat. 1095; 1953 Reorg. Plan No. 1, §§ 5, 8, eff. Apr. 11, 1953, 18 F.R. 2053, 67 Stat. 631; renumbered § 4 and amended Pub. L. 93–516, title II, §§ 206, 208(d), Dec. 7, 1974, 88 Stat. 1626, 1629; Pub. L. 93–651, title II, §§ 206, 208(d), Nov. 21, 1974, 89 Stat. 2–11, 2–14.)
Editorial Notes
Codification
The content of Pub. L. 93–516, including provisions of sections 206 and 208(d) thereof which amended and renumbered this section, were originally contained in H.R. 14225, 93rd Congress, Second Session, which was pocket-vetoed during the 31-day intrasession adjournment of the 93rd Congress for the Congressional elections in November, 1974. See 1974 Amendment note below.
Pursuant to an order of the United States District Court for the District of Columbia (Kennedy v. Jones, D.C.D.C. 1976, 412 F.Supp. 353) H.R. 14225 was deemed to have become law without the approval of the President on Nov. 21, 1974, and was given the designation Pub. L. 93–651. Therefore, for purposes of codification, this section should be deemed to have been amended and renumbered by Pub. L. 93–651, title II, §§ 206, 208(d), Nov. 21, 1974, 89 Stat. 2–11, 2–14, in exactly the same manner as it was amended and renumbered by Pub. L. 93–516.
Amendments1974—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 93–516, § 208(d), struck out requirement that at least 50 percent of the additional personnel be blind persons. An identical amendment was made by Pub. L. 93–651. See Codification note above.
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Transfer of Functions
For transfer of functions, see note set out under section 107a of this title.