Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 72 Part 1.djvu/448

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PUBLIC LAW 85-550-JULY 25, 1958

[72 S T A T.

obligations assumed by the Government of the United States under such item. DEFINITIONS

Post, p. 410.

SEC. 2. As used in the following provisions of this Act, the term— (1) "department" means a department, agency, or independent establishment in the executive branch of the Government of the United States (including a corporation wholly owned or controlled by the United States) which conducts operations in the Canal Zone; (2) "position" means those duties and responsibilities of a civilian nature under the jurisdiction of a department (A) which are performed in the Canal Zone or (B) with respect to which the exclusion of individuals from the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, is provided for by section 202 (21)(B) of such Act as amended by section 16(a) of this Act; (3) "employee" means any individual holding a position; and (4) "continental United States" means the several States of the United States of America existing on the date of enactment of this Act and the District of Columbia. GENERAL RULES FOR EMPLOYMENT A N D WAGE PRACTICES OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT I N THE C A N A L ZONE

SEC. 3. (a) The head of each department is authorized and directed to conduct the employment and wage practices in the Canal Zone of such department in accordance with— (1) the principles established in item 1 of the Memorandum of Understandings set forth in section 1(b) of this Act, (2) the provisions of this Act; (3) the regulations promulgated by, or under authority of, the President of the United States in accordance with this Act; and (4) provisions of applicable law. (b) The President is authorized, to the extent he deems appropriate— (1) to exclude any employee or position from this Act or from any provision of this Act, and (2) to extend to any employee, whether or not such employee is a citizen of the United States, the same rights and privileges as are provided by applicable laws and regulations for citizens of the United States employed in the competitive civil service of the Government of the United States. EMPLOYMENT

STANDARDS

SEC. 4. (a) The head of each department shall establish written standards, in conformity with this Act, the regulations promulgated under section 15(b) of this Act, and the Canal Zone Merit System established under section 10 of this Act, for— (1) the determination of the qualifications and fitness of employees and of individuals under consideration for appointment to positions, and (2) the selection of individuals for appointment, promotion, or transfer to positions. (b) Such standards shall be placed in effect on such date as the President shall prescribe but not later than the one hundred and eightieth day following the date of enactment of this Act.

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