US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

28 U.S.C. § 992

Terms of office; compensation

(a)
The voting members of the United States Sentencing Commission shall be appointed for six-year terms, except that the initial terms of the first members of the Commission shall be staggered so that—
(1)
two members, including the Chair, serve terms of six years;
(2)
three members serve terms of four years; and
(3)
two members serve terms of two years.
(b)
(1)
Subject to paragraph (2)—
(A)
no voting member of the Commission may serve more than two full terms; and
(B)
a voting member appointed to fill a vacancy that occurs before the expiration of the term for which a predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term.
(2)
A voting member of the Commission whose term has expired may continue to serve until the earlier of—
(A)
the date on which a successor has taken office; or
(B)
the date on which the Congress adjourns sine die to end the session of Congress that commences after the date on which the member’s term expired.
(c)
1
1 So in original.
The Chair and Vice Chairs of the Commission shall hold full-time positions and shall be compensated during their terms of office at the annual rate at which judges of the United States courts of appeals are compensated. The voting members of the Commission, other than the Chair and Vice Chairs, shall hold full-time positions until the end of the first six years after the sentencing guidelines go into effect pursuant to section 235(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, and shall be compensated at the annual rate at which judges of the United States courts of appeals are compensated. Thereafter, the voting members of the Commission, other than the Chair and Vice Chairs,, shall hold part-time positions and shall be paid at the daily rate at which judges of the United States courts of appeals are compensated. A Federal judge may serve as a member of the Commission without resigning the judge’s appointment as a Federal judge.
(d)
Sections 44(c) and 134(b) of this title (relating to the residence of judges) do not apply to any judge holding a full-time position on the Commission under subsection (c) of this section.

Pub. L. 98–473, title II, § 217(a)98 Stat. 2018Pub. L. 99–646100 Stat. 3592Pub. L. 102–349, § 1106 Stat. 933Pub. L. 103–322, title XXVIII, § 280005(b)108 Stat. 2096(Added , , ; amended , §§ 4, 6(a), , ; , , ; , (c)(1), (3), , , 2097.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 235(a)(1)(B)(ii) of Pub. L. 98–473section 3551 of Title 18Section 235(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, referred to in subsec. (c), is , which is set out as an Effective Date note under , Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Amendments

Pub. L. 103–322, § 280005(c)(1)1994—Subsec. (a)(1). , substituted “Chair” for “Chairman”.

Pub. L. 103–322, § 280005(b)Subsec. (c). , (c)(3), amended first sentence generally, substituting “The Chair and Vice Chairs of the Commission shall hold full-time positions and shall be compensated during their terms” for “The Chairman of the Commission shall hold a full-time position and shall be compensated during the term”, in second sentence, substituted “Chair and Vice Chairs” for “Chairman”, in third sentence, substituted “Chair and Vice Chairs,” for “Chairman”, and in last sentence, substituted “the judge’s appointment” for “his appointment”.

Pub. L. 102–3491992—Subsec. (b). amended subsec. (b) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (b) read as follows: “No voting member may serve more than two full terms. A voting member appointed to fill a vacancy that occurs before the expiration of the term for which his predecessor was appointed shall be appointed only for the remainder of such term.”

Pub. L. 99–646, § 41986—Subsec. (c). , substituted “section 235(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984” for “section 225(a)(1)(B)(ii) of the Sentencing Reform Act of 1983”.

Pub. L. 99–646, § 6(a)Subsec. (d). , added subsec. (d).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

section 235(a)(1)(B)(i) of Pub. L. 98–473section 3551 of Title 18Section effective , see , set out as an Effective Date; Savings Provision note under , Crimes and Criminal Procedure.

Commencement of Terms of First Members of Commission

section 235(a)(1)(B)(ii) of Pub. L. 98–473section 235(a)(2) of Pub. L. 98–473section 3551 of Title 18For provisions directing that, for purposes of subsec. (a) of this section, the terms of the first members of the United States Sentencing Commission shall not begin to run until the sentencing guidelines go into effect pursuant to , see , both of which are set out as an Effective Date note under , Crimes and Criminal Procedure.