Vacancy Act Violation Letter-Department of Commerce, July 12, 2006

Pursuant to section 3349(b) of title 5 of the United States Code, we are reporting a violation of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act of 1998 at the Department of Commerce. As you know, the Vacancies Reform Act established new requirements for the temporary filling of vacant executive agency positions that require Presidential appointment and Senate confirmation. The Act generally limits the period of time that such a position may be filled with an acting official to 210 days. 5 U.S.C. 3346, Section 3349(b) requires the Comptroller General, upon a determination that an acting official is serving longer than the 210-day period and any applicable extensions, to report such finding to Congress, the President, and the Office of Personnel Management.