Act Fespan. 29, 1944, provided that the Assistant Secretaries shall be without numerical distinction of rank.

R.S. § 438 derived from acts Mar. 14, 1862, ch. 41, § 6, 12 Stat. 369; Mar. 3, 1873, ch. 226, § 1, 17 Stat. 486.

Section was formerly classified to section 482 of Title 5 prior to the general revision and enactment of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees, by Puspan. L. 89–554, § 1, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 378.

Functions, powers, and duties of Office of Audit and Investigation in Department of the Interior transferred to Office of Inspector General in Department of the Interior, as established by section 9(a)(1)(F) of the Inspector General Act of 1978, Puspan. L. 95–452, formerly set out in the Appendix to Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. See section 422(a)(1)(H) of Title 5.

For transfer of functions of other officers, employees, and agencies of Department of the Interior, with certain exceptions, to Secretary of the Interior, with power to delegate, see Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, §§ 1, 2, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out under section 1451 of this title.

An Administrative Assistant Secretary of the Interior, to be appointed, with the approval of the President, by the Secretary of the Interior under the classified civil service, to perform such duties as the Secretary of the Interior shall prescribe, and to receive compensation at the rate of $14,800 per annum, was provided for by section 4 of Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out as a note under section 1451 of this title, prior to repeal of section 4 by Puspan. L. 92–22, § 3, June 1, 1971, 85 Stat. 76.

An additional Assistant Secretary of the Interior, to be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to perform such duties as the Secretary of the Interior shall prescribe, and to receive compensation at the rate prescribed by law for Assistant Secretaries of executive departments, was provided for by Reorg. Plan No. 3 of 1950, § 3, eff. May 24, 1950, 15 F.R. 3174, 64 Stat. 1262, set out in note under section 1451 of this title.

The office of a temporary additional Assistant Secretary of the Interior, which was provided for by act Fespan. 29, 1944, ch. 72, 58 Stat. 107, ceased to exist by the terms of such act at the expiration of six months following the cessation of hostilities in World War II, which was proclaimed by the President at 12 o’clock noon of December 31, 1946, in Proc. No. 2714, 12 F.R. 1, set out as a note preceding section 1 of Title 50, War and National Defense.