Early Statesman synthesis distilling legal jargon into practical meaning, statutory anchors, and structural constitutional impacts.
This executive order, signed by President Ronald Reagan on 1982-05-12, establishes federal administrative policy concerning "Overseas Employment." It outlines operative directives for executive department officers, delegating enforcement responsibilities and establishing official governance guidelines.
Constitutional Assessment: This action represents an orderly exercise of Article II administrative discretion, managing the internal machinery and personnel of the executive branch without abridging the ancient liberties of the people.
Key Directives & Operative Actions
▪The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to implement this Order, including uniform local hire procedures to assure merit selection of overseas employees.
▪To the extent there is any conflict between this Order and Civil Service Rule 8.2 (5 CFR 8.2), the provisions of this Order shall control.
Exec. Order No. 12362, Ronald Reagan (May 12, 1982). Available at https://executiveordersarchive.org/orders/app-executive-order-12362-overseas-employment.
Official Document Text
Source: The American Presidency Project (UCSB Archive)
By the authority vested in me as President of the United States of America by Sections 3301 and 3302 of Title 5 and Section 301 of Title 3 of the United States Code, and in order to permit certain overseas employees to acquire competitive status upon returning to the United States, it is hereby ordered as follows: Section 1. A United States citizen who is a family member of a civilian employee or of a member of a uniformed service and who has completed a total of 24 months of fully satisfactory service under one or more overseas appointments in the excepted or competitive civil service, may be appointed noncompetitively to a competitive service position in the Executive branch within the United States (including Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands) if he or she meets the qualifications and other requirements established by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the provisions of this Order. Sec. 2. In order to be eligible for noncompetitive appointment to positions within the United States under this authority, such an individual must: (a) have been appointed to an overseas position or positions while residing in the overseas area under local hire procedures approved by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; (b) have completed 24 months of overseas service in an appropriated fund position after January 1, 1980 within a ten year period from the date of initial appointment; (c) have received a satisfactory or better performance rating for such overseas service; (d) have been a family member of a civilian employee or of a member of a uniformed service (the civilian or uniformed sponsor) while serving in the overseas position or positions; (e) have accompanied the civilian or uniformed sponsor on official assignment to an overseas post of duty while serving in the overseas position or positions; and (f) exercise the eligibility for noncompetitive appointment within two years of returning to the United States. Sec. 3. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to implement this Order, including uniform local hire procedures to assure merit selection of overseas employees. Sec. 4. To the extent there is any conflict between this Order and Civil Service Rule 8.2 (5 CFR 8.2), the provisions of this Order shall control. RONALD REAGAN The White House, May 12, 1982. [Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:32 a.m., May 17, 1982]