The FAA Office of the Chief Counsel supports
the Agency's mission by furnishing timely and responsive legal services
to the FAA Administrator and all Agency organizations at the
Headquarters, Regional and Center levels. The Office provides
legal representation of the FAA before Congress as well as federal, state and other
courts, boards and administrative forums. Components of the
Office also serve as the FAA Administrator's adjudicative forums for
civil penalty
and acquisition
disputes. Brief descriptions
of, and links to each of the AGC's major components are found below. Links
to the components also are found along the left margin of this page.
International
Affairs and Legal Policy Staff, AGC-7
The
International Affairs and Legal Policy Staff develops the Agency's
position on international aviation law issues; serves as liaison for
FAA on international aviation legal matters with other Government
agencies and industry; and provides legal policy guidance on
registration of aircraft; aircraft hijacking, and security matters
related to international aviation.
Office
of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), AGC-20
The
Office
of Alternative Dispute Resolution, coordinates FAA's ADR
policy activities and initiatives by working with the program
offices that manage ADR activities and initiatives. It
also coordinates and issues ADR guidance for the FAA and provides
ADR training for selected personnel and assists the program
offices with their training initiatives.
Personnel
and Labor Law Staff, AGC-30
The
Personnel
and Labor Law Staff represents the FAA in administrative
and court employment-related litigation. AGC-30 also provides
advice and legal counsel to FAA managers on all matters relating
to the employment of FAA personnel.
Legislative
Staff, AGC-60
The
Legislative Staff represents the agency regarding all legislative
matters, such as legislative proposals, bills and resolutions. It also develops,
drafts, and coordinates testimony and reports, keeps the
Administrator informed on the status of legislative matters,
provides legal counsel to FAA witnesses before Congressional
hearings, and maintains the FAA's legislative history files.
It also advises on all aspects of appropriation law.
Office
of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition, AGC-70
The
Office of Dispute Resolution for Acquisition (ODRA) is the
adjudicative forum for all bid protests and contract disputes arising
out of procurements and contracts entered into under the FAA's
Acquisition Management System (AMS). The ODRA provides alternative dispute resolution (ADR)
services to the Agency and its business partners and, where
necessary, conducts a streamlined adjudicative process to resolve
disputes.
General
Law Division, AGC-100
The
AGC General Law Division consists of a FOIA & Privacy Act
Legal Staff and an Ethics Staff. The FOIA
& Privacy Act Legal Staff has,
among its major responsibilities: the review of laws and regulations
having government-wide applicability; serving as the agency liaison
on external Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) matters; the
provision of legal advice and the processing of agency final
decisions concerning both the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and
the Privacy Act; and the provision of legal advice on the
requirements of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.
The
AGC Ethics Staff manages the
FAA's agency-wide Ethics Program,
which includes: annual collection/review of financial disclosure
reports; annual ethics training for all employees filing financial
disclosure reports, and others designated by management to receive
training (Note: An Ethics
Training Evaluation Form has been mounted on the website for use
by those employees); interpretation and advice on the OGE Standards
of Ethical Conduct for Executive Branch Employees, 5 CFR Part 2635; review
of agency aircraft use involving senior employees; review of
offers to pay agency travel expenses; and advising former employees
on restrictions attached to post-Government employment.
NOTICE: Publication
of List
of Prohibited Investments for FAA Employees
For over 25 years, the FAA has
prohibited its employees from having investments in airlines,
aircraft manufacturing companies, and companies predominantly in the
business of supplying goods and services to the aviation industry.
The policy was codified in 1996 as a supplemental rule at Title 5
CFR Part 6001.104(b). To date, no list of companies covered by the
prohibition has been published, in part because of the concern that
such a list could become outdated at any time due to acquisitions,
mergers, and other business transactions. This Administrator's
memorandum publishes the list of prohibited stock for the
information of all FAA employees, subject to the caveat that
the list will need to be updated periodically. The list has been
compiled from three sources, Aviation Daily, Aviation Week, and
speednew.com. While it is not a complete listing of every company
from the three sources, the list does cover all the companies in
those sources that appear regularly in the trade press listings of
aviation companies.
Note: The
published list should be used as guidance and not as an inclusive
listing of prohibited financial interests. FAA employees with
questions on whether or not a company's stock is prohibited under 5
CFR 6001.104(b) should contact their local counsel's office.
SEE
ATTACHED NOTICE REGARDING PROCEDURES
AND CERTIFICATIONS FOR MANDATORY DIVESTITURE OF GENERAL ELECTRIC
SECURITIES
SEE
ATTACHED MOST
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS- PROHIBITED INTEREST: THE GENERAL
ELECTRIC COMPANY
Regulations
Division, AGC-200
The
Regulations Division provides legal counsel regarding the drafting,
form, and legality of regulations, orders, exemptions, airspace
actions, and obstruction evaluation determinations. In
addition, it interprets the FAA's regulations; develops and
recommends agency policy and standards relating to legal aspects of
the agency regulatory program; acts as liaison with the Office of
the Secretary of Transportation on the legal aspects of the agency's
regulatory program; and provides legal counsel for the Slot
Management System.
Enforcement
Division, AGC-300
The
Enforcement Division develops and reviews agency enforcement
policies and programs. It provides guidance to agency
personnel on enforcement matters and reviews enforcement actions of
national significance. The Division also represents the FAA in
enforcement actions before the National Transportation Safety Board,
the FAA Decisionmaker, and the United States courts of
appeals.
Litigation
Division, AGC-400
The
Litigation Division provides legal services in aircraft accident
investigation. In addition, it represents the agency in
aircraft accident litigation; represents FAA employees under
subpoena and sued in their individual capacities; processes tort
claims; and prepares the Administrator's opinions in civil penalty
cases on appeal.
Procurement
Law Division, AGC-500
The
Procurement Law Division provides legal counsel, assistance, and review
to all offices regarding contract and procurement law. It also
prepares or reviews procurement policy for the agency; represents
the FAA in litigation in Federal and State courts involving
procurement matters; and assures compliance with law and drafts
appropriate language for all FAA contracts, leases and agreements.
Airports
and Environmental Law Division, AGC-600
The
Airports
and Environmental Law Division provides legal advice on
all airport and environmental matters, including relationships
with state and local governments. Specifically, it addresses
questions concerning airport funding programs, policies, and
procedures and compliance with airport grant assurances; prepares
and reviews for legal adequacy all interagency agreements concerning
airports or environmental matters; provides legal guidance regarding
the promulgation of rulemakings concerning airports and environmental
matters; provides legal advice and counsel with respect to the
Passenger Facility Charges Program and airport access matters;
represents the FAA in administrative proceedings concerning
the Investigation, Compliance, and Enforcement Program for airports;
and represents the FAA in airport and environmental litigation.
Resource Management Division, AGC-700
The
Resource Management Division develops and administers the AGC's budget and provides
administrative support in the area of personnel management,
training, and contract administration.
FAA
Regional Counsel
The
nine Regional Counsels' offices have overall responsibility for the
legal activities of the regions.
This includes the processing, prosecution, and appeal of enforcement
cases generated by the program offices located in those regions.
The Regional Counsels' offices also provide legal advice and
guidance on matters regarding, procurement, real estate,
environment, airport grants, airport access, personnel, airspace,
and rulemaking. These offices are located in the following
nine regions: Alaskan,
Central, Eastern,
Great Lakes, New
England, Northwest
Mountain, Southern,
Southwest, and Western
Pacific.
Center
Counsel
The
Aeronautical Center Counsel provides legal advice and guidance to
the Mike Monroney Aeronautical Center, Airmen and Aircraft Registry,
Civil Aeromedical Institute, and FAA Academy. The Technical
Center Counsel provides legal advice and guidance to the William J.
Hughes Technical Center, supports the agency's Research and
Development function, and provides procurement advice on the testing
and evaluation of new equipment and systems.
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Federal Aviation Administration
800 Independence Avenue, S.W.
Washington, DC 20591
General Information and Employee Locator: 202-366-4000
Public Affairs: 202-366-4570
Hearing Impaired TTY (Hours 9:00am-5:30pm): 202-755-7687
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