Subchapter I General Provisions
Subchapter II Management of Service
Subchapter III Appointments
Subchapter IV Compensation
Subchapter V Classification of Positions and Assignments
Subchapter VI Promotion and Retention
Subchapter VII Career Development, Training, and Orientation
Subchapter VIII Foreign Service Retirement and Disability
Subchapter IX Travel, Leave, and Other Benefits
Subchapter X Labor-Management Relations
Subchapter XI Grievances
Subchapter XI-A Foreign Service Internship Program
Subchapter XII Transition
Subchapter XIII Miscellaneous
Subchapter XIV Powers, Duties and Liabilities of Consular Officers Generally
lawyer at desk

Ask a legal question, get an answer ASAP!
Click here to chat with a lawyer about your rights.

Terms Used In U.S. Code > Title 22 > Chapter 52 - Foreign Service

  • abroad: means all areas not included within the United States. See 22 USC 3902
  • Acquittal:
    1. Judgement that a criminal defendant has not been proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
    2. A verdict of "not guilty."
     
  • Adjournment sine die: The end of a legislative session "without day." These adjournments are used to indicate the final adjournment of an annual or the two-year session of legislature.
  • Advice and consent: Under the Constitution, presidential nominations for executive and judicial posts take effect only when confirmed by the Senate, and international treaties become effective only when the Senate approves them by a two-thirds vote.
  • Advisory board: means a board, whether elected or appointed, which is distinct from the board of directors or board of trustees, of an investment company, and which is composed solely of persons who do not serve such company in any other capacity, whether or not the functions of such board are such as to render its members "directors" within the definition of that term, which board has advisory functions as to investments but has no power to determine that any security or other investment shall be purchased or sold by such company. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Affidavit: A written statement of facts confirmed by the oath of the party making it, before a notary or officer having authority to administer oaths.
  • affiliate: shall include any corporation, business trust, association, or other similar organization&mdash. See 12 USC 221a
  • Affiliated company: means a company which is an affiliated person. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Affirmed: In the practice of the appellate courts, the decree or order is declared valid and will stand as rendered in the lower court.
  • agency: means an agency as defined in section 552(e) 1 of title 5. See 22 USC 3902
  • Alaska natural gas: means natural gas derived from the area of the State of Alaska generally known as the North Slope of Alaska, including the Continental Shelf thereof. See 15 USC 719b
  • Allegation: something that someone says happened.
  • Amortization: Paying off a loan by regular installments.
  • annuitant: means any individual, including a former participant or survivor, who meets all requirements for an annuity from the Fund under this chapter or any other Act and who has filed a claim for such annuity. See 22 USC 4044
  • Annuity: A periodic (usually annual) payment of a fixed sum of money for either the life of the recipient or for a fixed number of years. A series of payments under a contract from an insurance company, a trust company, or an individual. Annuity payments are made at regular intervals over a period of more than one full year.
  • Appeal: A request made after a trial, asking another court (usually the court of appeals) to decide whether the trial was conducted properly. To make such a request is "to appeal" or "to take an appeal." One who appeals is called the appellant.
  • application for qualification: means the application provided for in section 77eee of this title or section 77ggg of this title, and includes any amendment thereto and any report, document, or memorandum accompanying such application or incorporated therein by reference. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • Appraisal: A determination of property value.
  • approved transportation system: means the system for the transportation of Alaska natural gas designated by the President pursuant to section 719e(a) or 719f(b) of this title and approved by joint resolution of the Congress pursuant to section 719f of this title. See 15 USC 719b
  • Assignment: includes any direct or indirect transfer or hypothecation of a contract or chose in action by the assignor, or of a controlling block of the assignor's outstanding voting securities by a security holder of the assignor. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Attorney General: means the Attorney General of the United States. See 26 USC 7701
  • Authority: means the Federal Labor Relations Authority, described in section 7104(a) of title 5. See 22 USC 4102
  • auxiliary aids and services: includes &mdash. See 42 USC 12103
  • Bail: Security given for the release of a criminal defendant or witness from legal custody (usually in the form of money) to secure his/her appearance on the day and time appointed.
  • Balanced budget: A budget in which receipts equal outlays.
  • Bank: means (A) a depository institution (as defined in section 1813 of title 12) or a branch or agency of a foreign bank (as such terms are defined in section 3101 of title 12), (B) a member bank of the Federal Reserve System, (C) any other banking institution or trust company, whether incorporated or not, doing business under the laws of any State or of the United States, a substantial portion of the business of which consists of receiving deposits or exercising fiduciary powers similar to those permitted to national banks under the authority of the Comptroller of the Currency, and which is supervised and examined by State or Federal authority having supervision over banks, and which is not operated for the purpose of evading the provisions of this subchapter, and (D) a receiver, conservator, or other liquidating agent of any institution or firm included in clauses (A), (B), or (C) of this paragraph. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Bankruptcy Act: means the Bankruptcy Act or title 11. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • Beneficiary: A person who is entitled to receive the benefits or proceeds of a will, trust, insurance policy, retirement plan, annuity, or other contract. Source: OCC
  • Bequest: Property gifted by will.
  • Board: means the Board of Directors of the Institute. See 42 USC 10701
  • Board: means the Foreign Service Labor Relations Board, established by section 4106(a) of this title. See 22 USC 4102
  • borrow: includes a sale coupled with a similar agreement. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Budget authority: Authority provided by law to enter into obligations that will result in outlays of Federal funds. Budget authority may be classified by the period of availability (one-year, multiyear, no-year), by the timing of congressional action (current or permanent), or by the manner of determining the amount available (definite or indefinite).
  • Business development company: means any closed-end company which&mdash. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • certification: means a written assertion, based on supporting evidence, which shall be kept available for inspection by the Secretary, the Inspector General and the public, which assertion shall be deemed to be accurate for purposes of this Act, unless the Secretary determines otherwise after inspecting the evidence and providing due notice and opportunity for comment. See 42 USC 12704
  • Chairman: means the Chairman of the National Advisory Council on International Monetary and Financial Policies. See 22 USC 262r
  • charitable lead trust: means a trust described in section 170(f)(2)(B), 2055(e)(2)(B), or 2522(c)(2)(B) of title 26. See 15 USC 80a-3
  • charitable organization: means an organization described in paragraphs (1) through (5) of section 170(c) or section 501(c)(3) of title 26. See 15 USC 80a-3
  • Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
  • chief of mission: means the principal officer in charge of a diplomatic mission of the United States or of a United States office abroad which is designated by the Secretary of State as diplomatic in nature, including any individual assigned under section 3982(c) of this title to be temporarily in charge of such a mission or office. See 22 USC 3902
  • child: means an individual&mdash. See 22 USC 4044
  • collective bargaining: means the performance of the mutual obligation of the management representative of the Department and of the exclusive representative of employees to meet at reasonable times and to consult and bargain in a good-faith effort to reach agreement with respect to the conditions of employment affecting employees, and to execute, if requested by either party, a written document incorporating any collective bargaining agreement reached, but this obligation does not compel either party to agree to a proposal or to make a concession. See 22 USC 4102
  • collective bargaining agreement: means an agreement entered into as a result of collective bargaining under the provisions of this subchapter. See 22 USC 4102
  • commerce: means travel, trade, traffic, commerce, transportation, or communication&mdash. See 42 USC 12181
  • commercial facilities: means facilities&mdash. See 42 USC 12181
  • Commission: means the Federal Power Commission. See 15 USC 719b
  • Commission: means the Securities and Exchange Commission. See 15 USC 77b
  • Commission: means the Securities and Exchange Commission. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • Commission: means the Securities and Exchange Commission. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Commission: means the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission established by section 2000e-4 of this title. See 42 USC 12111
  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families, as established under section 12311 of this title. See 42 USC 12302
  • Commissioner: means the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. See 26 USC 7701
  • Committee membership: Legislators are assigned to specific committees by their party. Seniority, regional balance, and political philosophy are the most prominent factors in the committee assignment process.
  • Committee print: A publication used by committees for various purposes. For example, the rules of each standing committee may be published as a committee print, and drafts of bills or committee reports may be produced as committee prints.
  • Common law: The legal system that originated in England and is now in use in the United States. It is based on judicial decisions rather than legislative action.
  • community housing development organization: means a nonprofit organization as defined in paragraph (5), that&mdash. See 42 USC 12704
  • Company: means a corporation, a partnership, an association, a joint-stock company, a trust, a fund, or any organized group of persons whether incorporated or not. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • conditions of employment: means personnel policies, practices, and matters, whether established by regulation or otherwise, affecting working conditions, but does not include policies, practices, and matters&mdash. See 22 USC 4102
  • confidential employee: means an employee who acts in a confidential capacity with respect to an individual who formulates or effectuates management policies in the field of labor-management relations. See 22 USC 4102
  • Congressional Record: The substantially verbatim account of daily proceedings in Congress. It is printed for each day Congress is in session. At the back of each daily issue is the "Daily Digest," which summarizes the day's floor and committee activities.
  • continental United States: means the States of the United States and the District of Columbia. See 12 USC 221
  • Control: means the power to exercise a controlling influence over the management or policies of a company, unless such power is solely the result of an official position with such company. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Convicted: includes a verdict, judgment, or plea of guilty, or a finding of guilt on a plea of nolo contendere, if such verdict, judgment, plea, or finding has not been reversed, set aside, or withdrawn, whether or not sentence has been imposed. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • corporation: includes associations, joint-stock companies, and insurance companies. See 26 USC 7701
  • Council: means the Federal Council on Children, Youth, and Families, as established under section 12314(a) of this title. See 42 USC 12302
  • court: means any court of any State, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, or the Virgin Islands, and any Indian court as defined by section 1301(3) of title 25. See 22 USC 4044
  • court order: means any court decree of divorce or annulment, or any court order or court approved property settlement agreement incident to any court decree of divorce or annulment. See 22 USC 4044
  • covered entity: means an employer, employment agency, labor organization, or joint labor-management committee. See 42 USC 12111
  • Credit Score: A number, roughly between 300 and 800, that measures an individual's credit worthiness. The most well-known type of credit score is the FICO score. This score represents the answer from a mathematical formula that assigns numerical values to various pieces of information in your credit report. Source: OCC
  • Damages: Money paid by defendants to successful plaintiffs in civil cases to compensate the plaintiffs for their injuries.
  • dealer: means any person who engages either for all or part of his time, directly or indirectly, as agent, broker, or principal, in the business of offering, buying, selling, or otherwise dealing or trading in securities issued by another person. See 15 USC 77b
  • Decedent: A deceased person.
  • Deed: The legal instrument used to transfer title in real property from one person to another.
  • demand responsive system: means any system of providing transportation of individuals by a vehicle, other than a system which is a fixed route system. See 42 USC 12181
  • Department: means the Department of Energy. See 42 USC 12401
  • Department: means the Department of State, except that with reference to the exercise of functions under this chapter with respect to another agency authorized by law to utilize the Foreign Service personnel system, such term means that other agency. See 22 USC 3902
  • Dependent: A person dependent for support upon another.
  • Devise: To gift property by will.
  • direct threat: means a significant risk to the health or safety of others that cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation. See 42 USC 12111
  • Director: means the Executive Director of the Institute. See 42 USC 10701
  • director: means any director of a corporation, or any individual performing similar functions with respect to any organization whether incorporated or unincorporated. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • Director: means any director of a corporation or any person performing similar functions with respect to any organization, whether incorporated or unincorporated, including any natural person who is a member of a board of trustees of a management company created as a common-law trust. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • disability: means , with respect to an individual&mdash. See 42 USC 12102
  • Discovery: Lawyers' examination, before trial, of facts and documents in possession of the opponents to help the lawyers prepare for trial.
  • displaced homemaker: means an individual who&mdash. See 42 USC 12704
  • domestic violence: means &mdash. See 42 USC 10701
  • Donee: The recipient of a gift.
  • drinking water cooler: means any mechanical device affixed to drinking water supply plumbing which actively cools water for human consumption. See 42 USC 300j-21
  • drug: means a controlled substance, as defined in schedules I through V of section 202 of the Controlled Substances Act [21 U. See 42 USC 12111
  • dues: means dues, fees, and assessments. See 22 USC 4102
  • Eligible portfolio company: means any issuer which&mdash. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Embezzlement: In most states, embezzlement is defined as theft/larceny of assets (money or property) by a person in a position of trust or responsibility over those assets. Embezzlement typically occurs in the employment and corporate settings. Source: OCC
  • employee: shall include a full-time life insurance salesman who is considered an employee for the purpose of chapter 21. See 26 USC 7701
  • employee: means &mdash. See 22 USC 4102
  • employee: means an individual employed by an employer. See 42 USC 12111
  • employer: means a person engaged in an industry affecting commerce who has 15 or more employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding calendar year, and any agent of such person, except that, for two years following the effective date of this subchapter, an employer means a person engaged in an industry affecting commerce who has 25 or more employees for each working day in each of 20 or more calendar weeks in the current or preceding year, and any agent of such person. See 42 USC 12111
  • Escheat: Reversion of real or personal property to the state when 1) a person dies without leaving a will and has no heirs, or 2) when the property (such as a bank account) has been inactive for a certain period of time. Source: OCC
  • Escrow: Money given to a third party to be held for payment until certain conditions are met.
  • Ex officio: Literally, by virtue of one's office.
  • Exchange: means any organization, association, or group of persons, whether incorporated or unincorporated, which constitutes, maintains, or provides a market place or facilities for bringing together purchasers and sellers of securities or for otherwise performing with respect to securities the functions commonly performed by a stock exchange as that term is generally understood, and includes the market place and the market facilities maintained by such exchange. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • exclusive representative: means any labor organization which is certified as the exclusive representative of employees under section 4111 of this title. See 22 USC 4102
  • executive officer: means the president, every vice president, every trust officer, the cashier, the secretary, and the treasurer of a corporation, and any individual customarily performing similar functions with respect to any organization whether incorporated or unincorporated, but shall not include the chairman of the board of directors. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • Executor: A male person named in a will to carry out the decedent
  • Face-amount certificate: means any certificate, investment contract, or other security which represents an obligation on the part of its issuer to pay a stated or determinable sum or sums at a fixed or determinable date or dates more than twenty-four months after the date of issuance, in consideration of the payment of periodic installments of a stated or determinable amount (which security shall be known as a face-amount certificate of the "installment type"). See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation: A government corporation that insures the deposits of all national and state banks that are members of the Federal Reserve System. Source: OCC
  • Federal Reserve System: The central bank of the United States. The Fed, as it is commonly called, regulates the U.S. monetary and financial system. The Federal Reserve System is composed of a central governmental agency in Washington, D.C. (the Board of Governors) and twelve regional Federal Reserve Banks in major cities throughout the United States. Source: OCC
  • Fee simple: Absolute title to property with no limitations or restrictions regarding the person who may inherit it.
  • fiduciary: means a guardian, trustee, executor, administrator, receiver, conservator, or any person acting in any fiduciary capacity for any person. See 26 USC 7701
  • first-time homebuyer: means an individual and his or her spouse who have not owned a home during the 3-year period prior to purchase of a home with assistance under subchapter II, except that&mdash. See 42 USC 12704
  • fiscal year: means an accounting period of 12 months ending on the last day of any month other than December. See 26 USC 7701
  • Fixed Rate: Having a "fixed" rate means that the APR doesn't change based on fluctuations of some external rate (such as the "Prime Rate"). In other words, a fixed rate is a rate that is not a variable rate. A fixed APR can change over time, in several circumstances:
    • You are late making a payment or commit some other default, triggering an increase to a penalty rate
    • The bank changes the terms of your account and you do not reject the change.
    • The rate expires (if the rate was fixed for only a certain period of time).
  • fixed route system: means a system of providing transportation of individuals (other than by aircraft) on which a vehicle is operated along a prescribed route according to a fixed schedule. See 42 USC 12181
  • Foreclosure: A legal process in which property that is collateral or security for a loan may be sold to help repay the loan when the loan is in default. Source: OCC
  • foreign: when applied to a corporation or partnership means a corporation or partnership which is not domestic. See 26 USC 7701
  • Foreign financial regulatory authority: means any (A) foreign securities authority, (B) other governmental body or foreign equivalent of a self-regulatory organization empowered by a foreign government to administer or enforce its laws relating to the regulation of fiduciaries, trusts, commercial lending, insurance, trading in contracts of sale of a commodity for future delivery, or other instruments traded on or subject to the rules of a contract market, board of trade or foreign equivalent, or other financial activities, or (C) membership organization a function of which is to regulate the participation of its members in activities listed above. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Foreign securities authority: means any foreign government or any governmental body or regulatory organization empowered by a foreign government to administer or enforce its laws as they relate to securities matters. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Foreign Service: means the Foreign Service of the United States. See 22 USC 3902
  • foreign trust: means any trust other than a trust described in subparagraph (E) of paragraph (30). See 26 USC 7701
  • forest plan: means the land and resource management plan for the Six Rivers National Forest prepared pursuant to section 1604 of this title. See 16 USC 460bbb-1
  • former spouse: means a former wife or husband of a participant or former participant who was married to such participant for not less than 10 years during periods of service by that participant which are creditable under section 4056 of this title. See 22 USC 4044
  • function: includes any duty, obligation, power, authority, responsibility, right, privilege, discretion, or activity. See 22 USC 3902
  • Fund: means the Foreign Service Retirement and Disability Fund maintained by the Secretary of the Treasury pursuant to section 4042 of this title. See 22 USC 4071a
  • Fund balance: means the sum of&mdash. See 22 USC 4044
  • further revised annuity participant: means any individual who&mdash. See 22 USC 4071a
  • Garnishment: Generally, garnishment is a court proceeding in which a creditor asks a court to order a third party who owes money to the debtor or otherwise holds assets belonging to the debtor to turn over to the creditor any of the debtor
  • General Counsel: means the General Counsel of the Authority. See 22 USC 4102
  • Gift: A voluntary transfer or conveyance of property without consideration, or for less than full and adequate consideration based on fair market value.
  • Government: means the Government of the United States. See 22 USC 3902
  • Grand jury: agreement providing that a lender will delay exercising its rights (in the case of a mortgage,
  • Grantor: The person who establishes a trust and places property into it.
  • group: include any committee, subgroup, or representative of such entities. See 15 USC 77s
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • housing: includes manufactured housing and manufactured housing lots and elder cottage housing opportunity units that are small, free-standing, barrier-free, energy-efficient, removable, and designed to be installed adjacent to existing 1- to 4-family dwellings. See 42 USC 12704
  • illegal use of drugs: means the use of drugs, the possession or distribution of which is unlawful under the Controlled Substances Act [21 U. See 42 USC 12111
  • including: when used in a definition contained in this title shall not be deemed to exclude other things otherwise within the meaning of the term defined. See 26 USC 7701
  • indenture: means any mortgage, deed of trust, trust or other indenture, or similar instrument or agreement (including any supplement or amendment to any of the foregoing), under which securities are outstanding or are to be issued, whether or not any property, real or personal, is, or is to be, pledged, mortgaged, assigned, or conveyed thereunder. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • indenture security: means any security issued or issuable under the indenture to be qualified. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • indenture to be qualified: means (A) the indenture under which there has been or is to be issued a security in respect of which a particular registration statement has been filed, or (B) the indenture in respect of which a particular application has been filed. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • indenture trustee: means each trustee under the indenture to be qualified, and each successor trustee. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • Injunction: An order of the court prohibiting (or compelling) the performance of a specific act to prevent irreparable damage or injury.
  • inner gorge: means the inherently unstable steep slope (65 percent gradient or more) immediately adjacent to the stream or river channel, extending from the channel or recent floodplain to the first significant break in slope (usually 15 percent or more). See 16 USC 460bbb-1
  • Institute: means the State Justice Institute. See 42 USC 10701
  • Insurance company: means a company which is organized as an insurance company, whose primary and predominant business activity is the writing of insurance or the reinsuring of risks underwritten by insurance companies, and which is subject to supervision by the insurance commissioner or a similar official or agency of a State. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Inter vivos: Transfer of property from one living person to another living person.
  • Interest rate: The amount paid by a borrower to a lender in exchange for the use of the lender's money for a certain period of time. Interest is paid on loans or on debt instruments, such as notes or bonds, either at regular intervals or as part of a lump sum payment when the issue matures. Source: OCC
  • Interrogatories: Written questions asked by one party of an opposing party, who must answer them in writing under oath; a discovery device in a lawsuit.
  • Interstate commerce: means commerce between any point in a State and any point outside thereof, or between points within the same State but through any place outside thereof, but only insofar as such commerce takes place within the United States. See 15 USC 717a
  • interstate commerce: means trade or commerce in securities or any transportation or communication relating thereto among the several States or between the District of Columbia or any Territory of the United States and any State or other Territory, or between any foreign country and any State, Territory, or the District of Columbia, or within the District of Columbia. See 15 USC 77b
  • Interstate commerce: means trade, commerce, transportation, or communication among the several States, or between any foreign country and any State, or between any State and any place or ship outside thereof. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • invention: means an invention or discovery that is patented or for which a patent may be obtained under title 35, or any novel variety of plant that is protected or for which plant variety protection may be obtained under the Plant Variety Protection Act (7 U. See 42 USC 12002
  • Investment banker: means any person engaged in the business of underwriting securities issued by other persons, but does not include an investment company, any person who acts as an underwriter in isolated transactions but not as a part of a regular business, or any person solely by reason of the fact that such person is an underwriter for one or more investment companies. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • investment company: means any issuer which&mdash. See 15 USC 80a-3
  • investment securities: includes all securities except (A) Government securities, (B) securities issued by employees' securities companies, and (C) securities issued by majority-owned subsidiaries of the owner which (i) are not investment companies, and (ii) are not relying on the exception from the definition of investment company in paragraph (1) or (7) of subsection (c). See 15 USC 80a-3
  • issuer: means every person who issues or proposes to issue any security. See 15 USC 77b
  • Issuer: means every person who issues or proposes to issue any security, or has outstanding any security which it has issued. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Joint committee: Committees including membership from both houses of teh legislature. Joint committees are usually established with narrow jurisdictions and normally lack authority to report legislation.
  • Judgement: The official decision of a court finally determining the respective rights and claims of the parties to a suit.
  • jurisdiction: means a State or unit of general local government. See 42 USC 12704
  • Juror: A person who is on the jury.
  • labor organization: means an organization composed in whole or in part of employees, in which employees participate and pay dues, and which has as a purpose dealing with the Department concerning grievances (as defined in section 4131 of this title) and conditions of employment, but does not include&mdash. See 22 USC 4102
  • Law clerk: Assist judges with research and drafting of opinions.
  • Lawsuit: A legal action started by a plaintiff against a defendant based on a complaint that the defendant failed to perform a legal duty, resulting in harm to the plaintiff.
  • lead free: means , with respect to a drinking water cooler, that each part or component of the cooler which may come in contact with drinking water contains not more than 8 percent lead, except that no drinking water cooler which contains any solder, flux, or storage tank interior surface which may come in contact with drinking water shall be considered lead free if the solder, flux, or storage tank interior surface contains more than 0. See 42 USC 300j-21
  • lead-lined tank: means a water reservoir container in a drinking water cooler which container is constructed of lead or which has an interior surface which is not lead free. See 42 USC 300j-21
  • Lease: A contract transferring the use of property or occupancy of land, space, structures, or equipment in consideration of a payment (e.g., rent). Source: OCC
  • Legacy: A gift of property made by will.
  • levy: includes the power of distraint and seizure by any means. See 26 USC 7701
  • Liabilities: The aggregate of all debts and other legal obligations of a particular person or legal entity.
  • Litigation: A case, controversy, or lawsuit. Participants (plaintiffs and defendants) in lawsuits are called litigants.
  • local educational agency: means &mdash. See 42 USC 300j-21
  • low-income families: means families whose incomes do not exceed 80 percent of the median income for the area, as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that the Secretary may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 80 percent of the median for the area on the basis of the Secretary's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes. See 42 USC 12704
  • low-vision devices: means devices that magnify, enhance, or otherwise augment a visual image. See 42 USC 12102
  • lump-sum credit: means the compulsory and special contributions to the credit of a participant or former participant in the Fund plus interest on such contributions at 4 percent a year compounded annually to December 31, 1976, and after such date, for a participant who separates from the Service after completing at least 1 year of civilian service and before completing 5 years of such service, at the rate of 3 percent per year to the date of separation (except that interest shall not be paid for a fractional part of a month in the total service or on compulsory and special contributions from an annuitant for recall service or other service performed after the date of separation which forms the basis for annuity). See 22 USC 4044
  • Magistrate judges: Judicial officers who assist U.S. district judges in getting cases ready for trial, who may decide some criminal and civil trials when both parties agree to have the case heard by a magistrate judge instead of a judge.
  • management official: means an individual who&mdash. See 22 USC 4102
  • market intermediary: means any person that regularly holds itself out as being willing contemporaneously to engage in, and that is regularly engaged in, the business of entering into transactions on both sides of the market for a financial contract or one or more such financial contracts. See 15 USC 80a-3
  • Means or instrumentality of interstate commerce: includes any facility of a national securities exchange. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • member of the immediate family: means any parent, spouse of a parent, child, spouse of a child, spouse, brother, or sister, and includes step and adoptive relationships. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • merit principles: means the principles set out in section 2301(b) of title 5. See 22 USC 3902
  • military and naval service: means honorable active service&mdash. See 22 USC 4044
  • Mortgage: The written agreement pledging property to a creditor as collateral for a loan.
  • Mortgagee: The person to whom property is mortgaged and who has loaned the money.
  • Mortgagor: The person who pledges property to a creditor as collateral for a loan and who receives the money.
  • Municipality: means a city, county, or other political subdivision or agency of a State. See 15 USC 717a
  • National Bank: A bank that is subject to the supervision of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency is a bureau of the U.S. Treasury Department. A national bank can be recognized because it must have "national" or "national association" in its name. Source: OCC
  • National Credit Union Administration: The federal regulatory agency that charters and supervises federal credit unions. (NCUA also administers the National Credit Union Share Insurance Fund, which insures the deposits of federal credit unions.) Source: OCC
  • National securities exchange: means an exchange registered under section 6 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 [15 U. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Natural gas: means either natural gas unmixed, or any mixture of natural and artificial gas. See 15 USC 717a
  • Natural-gas company: means a person engaged in the transportation of natural gas in interstate commerce, or the sale in interstate commerce of such gas for resale. See 15 USC 717a
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • nonprofit organization: means any private, nonprofit organization (including a State or locally chartered, nonprofit organization) that&mdash. See 42 USC 12704
  • normal cost: means the entry-age normal cost of the provisions of the System which relate to the Fund, computed by the Secretary of State in accordance with generally accepted actuarial practice and standards (using dynamic assumptions) and expressed as a level percentage of aggregate basic pay. See 22 USC 4071a
  • obligor: when used with respect to any such indenture security, means every person (including a guarantor) who is liable thereon, and, if such security is a certificate of interest or participation, such term means also every person (including a guarantor) who is liable upon the security or securities in which such certificate evidences an interest or participation. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • offer: shall include every attempt or offer to dispose of, or solicitation of an offer to buy, a security or interest in a security, for value. See 15 USC 77b
  • offer: shall include all transactions included in such terms as provided in paragraph (3) of section 2(a) of the Securities Act of 1933 [15 U. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • offer for sale: includes every contract of sale or disposition of, attempt or offer to dispose of, or solicitation of an offer to buy, a security or interest in a security, for value. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Oral argument: An opportunity for lawyers to summarize their position before the court and also to answer the judges' questions.
  • ordinary eyeglasses or contact lenses: means lenses that are intended to fully correct visual acuity or eliminate refractive error. See 42 USC 12102
  • Outlays: Outlays are payments made (generally through the issuance of checks or disbursement of cash) to liquidate obligations. Outlays during a fiscal year may be for payment of obligations incurred in prior years or in the same year.
  • over-the-road bus: means a bus characterized by an elevated passenger deck located over a baggage compartment. See 42 USC 12181
  • Panel: means the Foreign Service Impasse Disputes Panel, established by section 4110(a) of this title. See 22 USC 4102
  • participant: means a person who participates in the Foreign Service Pension System. See 22 USC 4071a
  • participating jurisdiction: means any State or unit of general local government that has been so designated in accordance with section 12746 of this title. See 42 USC 12704
  • paying agent: when used with respect to any such indenture security, means any person authorized by an obligor thereon (A) to pay the principal of or interest on such security on behalf of such obligor, or (B) if such security is a certificate of interest or participation, equipment trust certificate, or like security, to make such payment on behalf of the trustee. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • Periodic payment plan certificate: means (A) any certificate, investment contract, or other security providing for a series of periodic payments by the holder, and representing an undivided interest in certain specified securities or in a unit or fund of securities purchased wholly or partly with the proceeds of such payments, and (B) any security the issuer of which is also issuing securities of the character described in clause (A) of this paragraph and the holder of which has substantially the same rights and privileges as those which holders of securities of the character described in said clause (A) have upon completing the periodic payments for which such securities provide. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Person: includes an individual or a corporation. See 15 USC 717a
  • person: shall be construed to mean and include an individual, a trust, estate, partnership, association, company or corporation. See 26 USC 7701
  • person: means an individual, a corporation, a partnership, an association, a joint-stock company, a trust, any unincorporated organization, or a government or political subdivision thereof. See 15 USC 77b
  • Person: means a natural person or a company. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • person: means an individual, a labor organization, or an agency to which this subchapter applies. See 22 USC 4102
  • Plaintiff: The person who files the complaint in a civil lawsuit.
  • Pleadings: Written statements of the parties in a civil case of their positions. In the federal courts, the principal pleadings are the complaint and the answer.
  • possession: includes , among other possessions, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. See 42 USC 201
  • Power of attorney: A written instrument which authorizes one person to act as another's agent or attorney. The power of attorney may be for a definite, specific act, or it may be general in nature. The terms of the written power of attorney may specify when it will expire. If not, the power of attorney usually expires when the person granting it dies. Source: OCC
  • Precedent: A court decision in an earlier case with facts and law similar to a dispute currently before a court. Precedent will ordinarily govern the decision of a later similar case, unless a party can show that it was wrongly decided or that it differed in some significant way.
  • President pro tempore: A constitutionally recognized officer of the Senate who presides over the chamber in the absence of the Vice President. The President Pro Tempore (or, "president for a time") is elected by the Senate and is, by custom, the Senator of the majority party with the longest record of continuous service.
  • principal officer: means the officer in charge of a diplomatic mission, consular mission (other than a consular agency), or other Foreign Service post. See 22 USC 3902
  • private entity: means any entity other than a public entity (as defined in section 12131(1) of this title). See 42 USC 12181
  • Pro se: A Latin term meaning "on one's own behalf"; in courts, it refers to persons who present their own cases without lawyers.
  • Probation: A sentencing alternative to imprisonment in which the court releases convicted defendants under supervision as long as certain conditions are observed.
  • prospectus: means any prospectus, notice, circular, advertisement, letter, or communication, written or by radio or television, which offers any security for sale or confirms the sale of any security. See 15 USC 77b
  • prospectus: means a prospectus as defined in the Securities Act of 1933 [15 U. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • provision of law: means any provision of a Federal statute or rule, regulation, or order issued thereunder. See 15 USC 719b
  • Public debt: Cumulative amounts borrowed by the Treasury Department or the Federal Financing Bank from the public or from another fund or account. The public debt does not include agency debt (amounts borrowed by other agencies of the Federal Government). The total public debt is subject to a statutory limit.
  • public housing agency: has the meaning given the term in section 1437a(b) of this title. See 42 USC 12704
  • qualified individual: means an individual who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the essential functions of the employment position that such individual holds or desires. See 42 USC 12111
  • Qualified purchaser: means &mdash. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Quorum: The number of legislators that must be present to do business.
  • Ranking minority member: The highest ranking (and usually longest serving) minority member of a committee or subcommittee.
  • readily achievable: means easily accomplishable and able to be carried out without much difficulty or expense. See 42 USC 12181
  • Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act: Federal law that, among other things, requires lenders to provide "good faith" estimates of settlement costs and make other disclosures regarding the mortgage loan. RESPA also limits the amount of funds held in escrow for real estate taxes and insurance. Source: OCC
  • Real property: Land, and all immovable fixtures erected on, growing on, or affixed to the land.
  • Recess: A temporary interruption of the legislative business.
  • recipient: means any grantee, contractor, or recipient of financial assistance under this chapter. See 42 USC 10701
  • Recourse: An arrangement in which a bank retains, in form or in substance, any credit risk directly or indirectly associated with an asset it has sold (in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles) that exceeds a pro rata share of the bank's claim on the asset. If a bank has no claim on an asset it has sold, then the retention of any credit risk is recourse. Source: FDIC
  • recreation area: means the Smith River National Recreation Area established by section 460bbb-2 of this title. See 16 USC 460bbb-1
  • Redeemable security: means any security, other than short-term paper, under the terms of which the holder, upon its presentation to the issuer or to a person designated by the issuer, is entitled (whether absolutely or only out of surplus) to receive approximately his proportionate share of the issuer's current net assets, or the cash equivalent thereof. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • registration statement: means the statement provided for in section 77f of this title, and includes any amendment thereto and any report, document, or memorandum filed as part of such statement or incorporated therein by reference. See 15 USC 77b
  • Remand: When an appellate court sends a case back to a lower court for further proceedings.
  • Reorganization: means (A) a reorganization under the supervision of a court of competent jurisdiction. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • repair: means , with respect to a drinking water cooler, to take such corrective action as is necessary to ensure that water cooler is lead free. See 42 USC 300j-21
  • replacement: when used with respect to a drinking water cooler or drinking water fountain, means the permanent removal of the water cooler or drinking water fountain and the installation of a lead free water cooler or drinking water fountain. See 42 USC 300j-21
  • Rescission: The cancellation of budget authority previously provided by Congress. The Impoundment Control Act of 1974 specifies that the President may propose to Congress that funds be rescinded. If both Houses have not approved a rescission proposal (by passing legislation) within 45 days of continuous session, any funds being withheld must be made available for obligation.
  • Restitution: The court-ordered payment of money by the defendant to the victim for damages caused by the criminal action.
  • revised annuity participant: means any individual who&mdash. See 22 USC 4071a
  • Revocable trust: A trust agreement that can be canceled, rescinded, revoked, or repealed by the grantor (person who establishes the trust).
  • sales load: includes the sales load on any investment company securities in which the payments made on such certificate are invested, as well as the sales load on the certificate itself. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Savings and loan association: means a savings and loan association, building and loan association, cooperative bank, homestead association, or similar institution, which is supervised and examined by State or Federal authority having supervision over any such institution, and a receiver, conservator, or other liquidating agent of any such institution. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • school: means any elementary school or secondary school as defined in section 7801 of title 20 and any kindergarten or day care facility. See 42 USC 300j-21
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of the Interior. See 15 USC 719b
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Energy. See 42 USC 12002
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. See 42 USC 12302
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Energy. See 42 USC 12401
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of the Treasury or his delegate. See 26 USC 7701
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of State, except that (subject to section 3921 of this title) with reference to the exercise of functions under this Act with respect to any agency authorized by law to utilize the Foreign Service personnel system, such term means the head of that agency. See 22 USC 3902
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Health and Human Services. See 42 USC 201
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Agriculture. See 16 USC 460bbb-1
  • Secretary: means the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, unless otherwise specified in this Act. See 42 USC 12704
  • Secretary of the Treasury: means the Secretary of the Treasury, personally, and shall not include any delegate of his. See 26 USC 7701
  • security: means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, security-based swap, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security, certificate of deposit, or group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security" or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. See 15 USC 77b
  • Security: means any note, stock, treasury stock, security future, bond, debenture, evidence of indebtedness, certificate of interest or participation in any profit-sharing agreement, collateral-trust certificate, preorganization certificate or subscription, transferable share, investment contract, voting-trust certificate, certificate of deposit for a security, fractional undivided interest in oil, gas, or other mineral rights, any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege on any security (including a certificate of deposit) or on any group or index of securities (including any interest therein or based on the value thereof), or any put, call, straddle, option, or privilege entered into on a national securities exchange relating to foreign currency, or, in general, any interest or instrument commonly known as a "security" or any certificate of interest or participation in, temporary or interim certificate for, receipt for, guarantee of, or warrant or right to subscribe to or purchase, any of the foregoing. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Separate account: means an account established and maintained by an insurance company pursuant to the laws of any State or territory of the United States, or of Canada or any province thereof, under which income, gains and losses, whether or not realized, from assets allocated to such account, are, in accordance with the applicable contract, credited to or charged against such account without regard to other income, gains, or losses of the insurance company. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • Service: means the Public Health Service. See 42 USC 201
  • Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
  • Short-term paper: means any note, draft, bill of exchange, or banker's acceptance payable on demand or having a maturity at the time of issuance of not exceeding nine months, exclusive of days of grace, or any renewal thereof payable on demand or having a maturity likewise limited. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • single parent: means an individual who&mdash. See 42 USC 12704
  • special agent: means an employee of the Department of State with a primary skill code of 2501&mdash. See 22 USC 4044
  • specified public transportation: means transportation by bus, rail, or any other conveyance (other than by aircraft) that provides the general public with general or special service (including charter service) on a regular and continuing basis. See 42 USC 12181
  • spousal agreement: means any written agreement between&mdash. See 22 USC 4044
  • State: means a State admitted to the Union, the District of Columbia, and any organized Territory of the United States. See 15 USC 717a
  • State: means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and any other territory or possession of the United States. See 42 USC 10701
  • State: means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Virgin Islands of the United States, the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. See 42 USC 12103
  • State: includes the District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. See 42 USC 12302
  • State: shall be construed to include the District of Columbia, where such construction is necessary to carry out provisions of this title. See 26 USC 7701
  • State: includes , in addition to the several States, only the District of Columbia, Guam, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and the Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands. See 42 USC 201
  • State: means any State of the United States. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • State: means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, or any other possession of the United States. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • State: means any State of the United States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, or any agency or instrumentality thereof that is established pursuant to legislation and designated by the chief executive officer to act on behalf of the State with regard to the provisions of this Act. See 42 USC 12704
  • State commission: means the regulatory body of the State or municipality having jurisdiction to regulate rates and charges for the sale of natural gas to consumers within the State or municipality. See 15 USC 717a
  • stock: includes shares in an association, joint-stock company, or insurance company. See 26 USC 7701
  • student: means a child regularly pursuing a full-time course of study or training in residence in a high school, trade school, technical or vocational institute, junior college, college, university, or comparable recognized educational institution (for purposes of this paragraph, a child who is a student shall not be deemed to have ceased to be a student during any period between school years, semesters, or terms if the period of nonattendance does not exceed 5 calendar months and if the child shows to the satisfaction of the Secretary of State that he or she has a bona fide intention of continuing to pursue his or her course of study during the school year, semester, or term immediately following such period). See 22 USC 4044
  • subscription: includes a mark when the person making the same intended it as such. See 1 USC 1
  • Summons: Another word for subpoena used by the criminal justice system.
  • supplemental liability: means the estimated excess of&mdash. See 22 USC 4071a
  • Supreme Court: means the highest appellate court within a State unless, for the purposes of this chapter, a constitutionally or legislatively established judicial council acts in place of that court. See 42 USC 10701
  • surviving spouse: means the surviving wife or husband of a participant or annuitant who was married to the participant or annuitant for at least 9 months immediately preceding his or her death or is a parent of a child born of the marriage, except that the requirement for at least 9 months of marriage shall be deemed satisfied in any case in which the participant or annuitant dies within the applicable 9-month period, if&mdash. See 22 USC 4044
  • System: means the Foreign Service Pension System. See 22 USC 4071a
  • Tax Court: means the United States Tax Court. See 26 USC 7701
  • taxable year: means the calendar year, or the fiscal year ending during such calendar year, upon the basis of which the taxable income is computed under subtitle A. See 26 USC 7701
  • taxpayer: means any person subject to any internal revenue tax. See 26 USC 7701
  • Temporary restraining order: Prohibits a person from an action that is likely to cause irreparable harm. This differs from an injunction in that it may be granted immediately, without notice to the opposing party, and without a hearing. It is intended to last only until a hearing can be held.
  • Territory: means Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the insular possessions of the United States. See 15 USC 77b
  • Tort: A civil wrong or breach of a duty to another person, as outlined by law. A very common tort is negligent operation of a motor vehicle that results in property damage and personal injury in an automobile accident.
  • transaction: includes a series of transactions. See 26 USC 7701
  • Transcript: A written, word-for-word record of what was said, either in a proceeding such as a trial or during some other conversation, as in a transcript of a hearing or oral deposition.
  • trust: shall include only a trust where the interest or interests of the beneficiary or beneficiaries are evidenced by a security. See 15 USC 77b
  • Trustee: A person or institution holding and administering property in trust.
  • Truth in Lending Act: The Truth in Lending Act is a federal law that requires lenders to provide standardized information so that borrowers can compare loan terms. In general, lenders must provide information on Source: OCC
  • underwriter: means any person who has purchased from an issuer with a view to, or offers or sells for an issuer in connection with, the distribution of any security, or participates or has a direct or indirect participation in any such undertaking, or participates or has a participation in the direct or indirect underwriting of any such undertaking. See 15 USC 77b
  • underwriter: means any person who has purchased from an issuer with a view to, or offers or sells for an issuer in connection with, the distribution of any security, or participates or has a direct or indirect participation in any such undertaking, or participates or has a participation in the direct or indirect underwriting of any such undertaking. See 15 USC 77ccc
  • Underwriter: means any person who has purchased from an issuer with a view to, or sells for an issuer in connection with, the distribution of any security, or participates or has a direct or indirect participation in any such undertaking, or participates or has a participation in the direct or indirect underwriting of any such undertaking. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • undue hardship: means an action requiring significant difficulty or expense, when considered in light of the factors set forth in subparagraph (B). See 42 USC 12111
  • unfunded liability: means the estimated excess of the present value of all benefits payable from the Fund under this part over the sum of&mdash. See 22 USC 4044
  • Uniform Commercial Code: A set of statutes enacted by the various states to provide consistency among the states' commercial laws. It includes negotiable instruments, sales, stock transfers, trust and warehouse receipts, and bills of lading. Source: OCC
  • unit of general local government: means a city, town, township, county, parish, village, or other general purpose political subdivision of a State. See 42 USC 12704
  • United States: means the several States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and any other Commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United States. See 42 USC 12002
  • United States: when used in a geographical sense includes only the States and the District of Columbia. See 26 USC 7701
  • United States: when used in a geographic sense, means the several States and the District of Columbia. See 22 USC 3902
  • Uphold: The decision of an appellate court not to reverse a lower court decision.
  • User fees: Fees charged to users of goods or services provided by the government. In levying or authorizing these fees, the legislature determines whether the revenue should go into the treasury or should be available to the agency providing the goods or services.
  • vehicle: includes every description of carriage or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land. See 1 USC 4
  • venture capital fund: has the meaning given the term in section 275. See 15 USC 80a-3
  • Verdict: The decision of a petit jury or a judge.
  • very low-income families: means low-income families whose incomes do not exceed 50 percent of the median family income for the area, as determined by the Secretary with adjustments for smaller and larger families, except that the Secretary may establish income ceilings higher or lower than 50 percent of the median for the area on the basis of the Secretary's findings that such variations are necessary because of prevailing levels of construction costs or fair market rents, or unusually high or low family incomes. See 42 USC 12704
  • vessel: includes every description of watercraft or other artificial contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on water. See 1 USC 3
  • Voting security: means any security presently entitling the owner or holder thereof to vote for the election of directors of a company. See 15 USC 80a-2
  • whoever: include corporations, companies, associations, firms, partnerships, societies, and joint stock companies, as well as individuals. See 1 USC 1
  • Writ of certiorari: An order issued by the Supreme Court directing the lower court to transmit records for a case for which it will hear on appeal.
  • written: shall include printed, lithographed, or any means of graphic communication. See 15 USC 77b