Training Policy Handbook

Summary of the Legal Foundation of Training

(in order of importance from top to bottom)

• Government Employees Training Act (GETA)

  The Government Employees Training Act, passed in 1958, created the framework for agencies to plan, develop, establish, implement, evaluate, and fund training and development programs designed to improve the quality and performance of the workforce.

  GETA was codified into Title 5 United States Code Chapter 41.

  GETA has been amended many times since 1958, including by the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994.

• Title 5 United States Code Chapter 41

  The United States Code is a codification (information that is ordered systematically) of those sections of legislative acts that prescribe action by Federal agencies.

  Laws (Acts) are codified shortly after their passage by Congress and published in the appropriate title to the United States Code.

  Title 5 United States Code is dedicated to human resource issues. It is organized into various chapter headings, with Chapter 41 addressing "Training" in the Federal service.

• Executive Orders (E.O.)

  Executive orders provide agency heads with additional presidential direction on how the law is to be used.

  E.O. No. 11348 (1967) provides agency heads and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management with additional information on how GETA is to be carried out. It was amended by E.O. No. 12107 (1978).

  The order emphasizes the importance of using effective interagency training programs to meet common needs across Government and requires that employees be selected equitably for training.

• Title 5 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 410 and 412

  The CFR is a codification of the general and permanent rules published in the Federal Register by the executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government.

  Title 5 CFR Part 410 addresses the general and specific policies and requirements for training in Government agencies.

  Title 5 CFR Part 412 addresses developing executive, management, and supervisory development.

  NOTE: Both Parts 410 and 412 of 5 CFR were substantially amended in 1996.