§792. Federal Power Commission; creation; number; appointment; term; qualifications; vacancies; quorum; chairman; salary; place of holding sessions

A commission is created and established to be known as the Federal Power Commission (hereinafter referred to as the "commission") which shall be composed of five commissioners who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, one of whom shall be designated by the President as chairman and shall be the principal executive officer of the commission. Each chairman, when so designated, shall act as such until the expiration of his term of office.

The commissioners first appointed under this section, as amended, shall continue in office for terms of one, two, three, four, and five years, respectively, from June 23, 1930, the term of each to be designated by the President at the time of nomination. Their successors shall be appointed each for a term of five years from the date of the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed and until his successor is appointed and has qualified, except that he shall not so continue to serve beyond the expiration of the next session of Congress subsequent to the expiration of said fixed term of office, and except that any person appointed to fill a vacancy occurring prior to the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the unexpired term. Not more than three of the commissioners shall be appointed from the same political party. No person in the employ of or holding any official relation to any licensee or to any person, firm, association, or corporation engaged in the generation, transmission, distribution, or sale of power, or owning stock or bonds thereof, or who is in any manner pecuniarily interested therein, shall enter upon the duties of or hold the office of commissioners. Said commissioners shall not engage in any other business, vocation, or employment. No vacancy in the commission shall impair the right of the remaining commissioners to exercise all the powers of the commission. Three members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the commission shall have an official seal of which judicial notice shall be taken. The commission shall annually elect a vice chairman to act in case of the absence or disability of the chairman or in case of a vacancy in the office of chairman.

Each commissioner shall receive necessary traveling and subsistence expenses, or per diem allowance in lieu thereof, within the limitation prescribed by law, while away from the seat of government upon official business.

The principal office of the commission shall be in the District of Columbia, where its general sessions shall be held; but whenever the convenience of the public or of the parties may be promoted or delay or expense prevented thereby, the commission may hold special sessions in any part of the United States.

(June 10, 1920, ch. 285, pt. I, §1, 41 Stat. 1063 ; June 23, 1930, ch. 572, §1, 46 Stat. 797 ; renumbered pt. I, Aug. 26, 1935, ch. 687, title II, §212, 49 Stat. 847 ; 1950 Reorg. Plan No. 9, §3, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3175, 64 Stat. 1265; Pub. L. 86–619, §1, July 12, 1960, 74 Stat. 407 .)

Editorial Notes

Codification

Provisions which prescribed the compensation of commissioners were omitted as obsolete. Compensation of the Chairman and members of the Commission was prescribed by sections 5314 and 5315 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, prior to termination of the Commission. See Termination of Federal Power Commission; Transfer of Functions note below.

Amendments

1960-Pub. L. 86–619 provided for continuation in office of a commissioner upon termination of his term until a successor is appointed and has qualified, not beyond expiration of next session of Congress subsequent to the expiration of said fixed term of office.

1930-Act June 23, 1938, amended section generally. Prior to amendment section read as follows: "A commission is hereby created and established, to be known as the Federal Power Commission (hereinafter referred to as the commission), which shall be composed of the Secretary of War, the Secretary of the Interior, and the Secretary of Agriculture. Two members of the commission shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and the commission shall have an official seal, which shall be judicially noticed. The President shall designate the chairman of the commission."

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Repeals

Act Oct. 15, 1949, ch. 695, §5(a), 63 Stat. 880 , formerly cited as a credit to this section, was repealed by Pub. L. 89–554, §8(a), Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 655 .

Termination of Federal Power Commission; Transfer of Functions

The Federal Power Commission was terminated, and its functions, personnel, property, funds, etc., were transferred to the Secretary of Energy (except for certain functions which were transferred to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission) by sections 7151(b), 7171(a), 7172(a), 7291, and 7293 of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare.

Executive Documents

Transfer of Functions

Executive and administrative functions of Federal Power Commission, with certain reservations, transferred to Chairman of such Commission, with authority vested in him to authorize their performance by any officer, employee, or administrative unit under his jurisdiction, by Reorg. Plan No. 9 of 1950, set out below.

REORGANIZATION PLAN NO. 9 OF 1950

Eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3175, 64 Stat. 1265

Prepared by the President and transmitted to the Senate and the House of Representatives in Congress assembled, March 13, 1950, pursuant to the provisions of the Reorganization Act of 1949, approved June 20, 1949 [see 5 U.S.C. 901 et seq.].

FEDERAL POWER COMMISSION

Section 1. Transfer of Functions to the Chairman

(a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, there are hereby transferred from the Federal Power Commission, hereinafter referred to as the Commission, to the Chairman of the Commission, hereinafter referred to as the Chairman, the executive and administrative functions of the Commission, including functions of the Commission with respect to (1) the appointment and supervision of personnel employed under the Commission, (2) the distribution of business among such personnel and among administrative units of the Commission, and (3) the use and expenditure of funds.

(b)(1) In carrying out any of his functions under the provisions of this section the Chairman shall be governed by general policies of the Commission and by such regulatory decisions, findings, and determinations as the Commission may by law be authorized to make.

(2) The appointment by the Chairman of the heads of major administrative units under the Commission shall be subject to the approval of the Commission.

(3) Personnel employed regularly and full time in the immediate offices of Commissioners other than the Chairman shall not be affected by the provisions of this reorganization plan.

(4) There are hereby reserved to the Commission its functions with respect to revising budget estimates and with respect to determining upon the distribution of appropriated funds according to major programs and purposes.

Sec. 2. Performance of Transferred Functions

The Chairman may from time to time make such provisions as he shall deem appropriate authorizing the performance by any officer, employee, or administrative unit under his jurisdiction of any functions transferred to the Chairman by the provisions of this reorganization plan.

Sec. 3. Designation of Chairman

The functions of the Commission with respect to choosing a chairman from among the commissioners composing the Commission are hereby transferred to the President.