Office of Special Counsel in the United States

The Office of Special Counsel investigates allegations of certain activities prohibited
by civil service laws, rules, or regulations and litigates before the Merit Systems
Protection Board.

The Office of Special Counsel (OSC) was established on January 1, 1979, by
Reorganization Plan No. 2 of 1978 (5 U.S.C. app.). The Civil Service Reform
Act of 1978 (5 U.S.C. 1101 note), which became effective on January
11, 1979, enlarged its functions and powers. Pursuant to provisions of the
Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (5 U.S.C. 1211 et seq.), OSC functions as an independent investigative and prosecutorial agency within the executive
branch that litigates before the Merit Systems Protection Board.

Activities

The primary role of OSC is to protect employees, former employees, and
applicants for employment from prohibited personnel practices, especially
reprisal for whistleblowing. Its basic areas of statutory responsibility are
the following: receive and investigate allegations of prohibited personnel
practices and other activities prohibited by civil service law, rule, or regulation
and, if warranted, initiate corrective or disciplinary action; provide a secure
channel through which information substantiating a violation of any law, rule, or regulation, gross mismanagement, gross waste of funds, abuse of authority,
or substantial and speci?c danger to public health or safety may be disclosed
without fear of retaliation and without disclosure of identity, except with the
employee’s consent; and enforce the provisions of the Hatch Act and the
Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act.

For further information, contact the Office of Special Counsel, 1730 M Street NW., Suite 218, Washington, DC 20036–4505. Phone, 202–254–3600 or 800–872–9855. Fax, 202- 254–3711. Internet, http://www.osc.gov.

Office of Special Counsel

In Legislation

Office of Special Counsel in the U.S. Code: Title 5, Part II, Chapter 12, Subchapter II

The current, permanent, in-force federal laws regulating office of special counsel are compiled in the United States Code under Title 5, Part II, Chapter 12, Subchapter II. It constitutes “prima facie” evidence of statutes relating to Government Organization (including office of special counsel) of the United States. The reader can further narrow his/her legal research of the general topic (in this case, Civil Service Functions and Responsibilities of the US Code, including office of special counsel) by chapter and subchapter.