5 U.S.C. § 552b (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 5 / Subchapter II / Section 552b: Open meetings
Open meetings
Status: in_force

(a) For purposes of this section—

(1) the term "agency" means any agency, as defined in section 552(e) 1 of this title, headed by a collegial body composed of two or more individual members, a majority of whom are appointed to such position by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, and any subdivision thereof authorized to act on behalf of the agency;

(2) the term "meeting" means the deliberations of at least the number of individual agency members required to take action on behalf of the agency where such deliberations determine or result in the joint conduct or disposition of official agency business, but does not include deliberations required or permitted by subsection (d) or (e); and

(3) the term "member" means an individual who belongs to a collegial body heading an agency.

(b) Members shall not jointly conduct or dispose of agency business other than in accordance with this section. Except as provided in subsection (c), every portion of every meeting of an agency shall be open to public observation.

(c) Except in a case where the agency finds that the public interest requires otherwise, the second sentence of subsection (b) shall not apply to any portion of an agency meeting, and the requirements of subsections (d) and (e) shall not apply to any information pertaining to such meeting otherwise required by this section to be disclosed to the public, where the agency properly determines that such portion or portions of its meeting or the disclosure of such information is likely to—

(1) disclose matters that are (A) specifically authorized under criteria established by an Executive order to be kept secret in the interests of national defense or foreign policy and (B) in fact properly classified pursuant to such Executive order;

(2) relate solely to the internal personnel rules and practices of an agency;

(3) disclose matters specifically exempted from disclosure by statute (other than section 552 of this title), provided that such statute (A) requires that the matters be withheld from the public in such a manner as to leave no discretion on the issue, or (B) establishes particular criteria for withholding or refers to particular types of matters to be withheld;

(4) disclose trade secrets and commercial or financial information obtained from a person and privileged or confidential;

(5) involve accusing any person of a crime, or formally censuring any person;

(6) disclose information of a personal nature where disclosure would constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy;

(7) disclose investigatory records compiled for law enforcement purposes, or information which if written would be contained in such records, but only to the extent that the production of such records or information would (A) interfere with enforcement proceedings, (B) deprive a person of a right to a fair trial or an impartial adjudication, (C) constitute an unwarranted invasion of personal privacy, (D) disclose the identity of a confidential source and, in the case of a record compiled by a criminal law enforcement authority in the course of a criminal investigation, or by an agency conducting a lawful national security intelligence investigation, confidential information furnished only by the confidential source, (E) disclose investigative techniques and procedures, or (F) endanger the life or physical safety of law enforcement personnel;

(8) disclose information contained in or related to examination, operating, or condition reports prepared by, on behalf of, or for the use of an agency responsible for the regulation or supervision of financial institutions;

(9) disclose information the premature disclosure of which would—

(A) in the case of an agency which regulates currencies, securities, commodities, or financial institutions, be likely to (i) lead to significant financial speculation in currencies, securities, or commodities, or (ii) significantly endanger the stability of any financial institution; or

(B) in the case of any agency, be likely to significantly frustrate implementation of a proposed agency action,

except that subparagraph (B) shall not apply in any instance where the agency has already disclosed to the public the content or nature of its proposed action, or where the agency is required by law to make such disclosure on its own initiative prior to taking final agency action on such proposal; or

(10) specifically concern the agency's issuance of a subpena, or the agency's participation in a civil action or proceeding, an action in a foreign court or international tribunal, or an arbitration, or the initiation, conduct, or disposition by the agency of a particular case of formal agency adjudication pursuant to the procedures in section 554 of this title or otherwise involving a determination on the record after opportunity for a hearing.

(d)(1) Action under subsection (c) shall be taken only when a majority of the entire membership of the agency (as defined in subsection (a)(1)) votes to take such action. A separate vote of the agency members shall be taken with respect to each agency meeting a portion or portions of which are proposed to be closed to the public pursuant to subsection (c), or with respect to any information which is proposed to be withheld under subsection (c). A single vote may be taken with respect to a series of meetings, a portion or portions of which are proposed to be closed to the public, or with respect to any information concerning such series of meetings, so long as each meeting in such series involves the same particular matters and is scheduled to be held no more than thirty days after the initial meeting in such series. The vote of each agency member participating in such vote shall be recorded and no proxies shall be allowed.

(2) Whenever any person whose interests may be directly affected by a portion of a meeting requests that the agency close such portion to the public for any of the reasons referred to in paragraph (5), (6), or (7) of subsection (c), the agency, upon request of any one of its members, shall vote by recorded vote whether to close such meeting.

(3) Within one day of any vote taken pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2), the agency shall make publicly available a written copy of such vote reflecting the vote of each member on the question. If a portion of a meeting is to be closed to the public, the agency shall, within one day of the vote taken pursuant to paragraph (1) or (2) of this subsection, make publicly available a full written explanation of its action closing the portion together with a list of all persons expected to attend the meeting and their affiliation.

(4) Any agency, a majority of whose meetings may properly be closed to the public pursuant to paragraph (4), (8), (9)(A), or (10) of subsection (c), or any combination thereof, may provide by regulation for the closing of such meetings or portions thereof in the event that a majority of the members of the agency votes by recorded vote at the beginning of such meeting, or portion thereof, to close the exempt portion or portions of the meeting, and a copy of such vote, reflecting the vote of each member on the question, is made available to the public. The provisions of paragraphs (1), (2), and (3) of this subsection and subsection (e) shall not apply to any portion of a meeting to which such regulations apply: Provided, That the agency shall, except to the extent that such information is exempt from disclosure under the provisions of subsection (c), provide the public with public announcement of the time, place, and subject matter of the meeting and of each portion thereof at the earliest practicable time.

(e)(1) In the case of each meeting, the agency shall make public announcement, at least one week before the meeting, of the time, place, and subject matter of the meeting, whether it is to be open or closed to the public, and the name and phone number of the official designated by the agency to respond to requests for information about the meeting. Such announcement shall be made unless a majority of the members of the agency determines by a recorded vote that agency business requires that such meeting be called at an earlier date, in which case the agency shall make public announcement of the time, place, and subject matter of such meeting, and whether open or closed to the public, at the earliest practicable time.

(2) The time or place of a meeting may be changed following the public announcement required by paragraph (1) only if the agency publicly announces such change at the earliest practicable time. The subject matter of a meeting, or the determination of the agency to open or close a meeting, or portion of a meeting, to the public, may be changed following the public announcement required by this subsection only if (A) a majority of the entire membership of the agency determines by a recorded vote that agency business so requires and that no earlier announcement of the change was possible, and (B) the agency publicly announces such change and the vote of each member upon such change at the earliest practicable time.

(3) Immediately following each public announcement required by this subsection, notice of the time, place, and subject matter of a meeting, whether the meeting is open or closed, any change in one of the preceding, and the name and phone number of the official designated by the agency to respond to requests for information about the meeting, shall also be submitted for publication in the Federal Register.

(f)(1) For every meeting closed pursuant to paragraphs (1) through (10) of subsection (c), the General Counsel or chief legal officer of the agency shall publicly certify that, in his or her opinion, the meeting may be closed to the public and shall state each relevant exemptive provision. A copy of such certification, together with a statement from the presiding officer of the meeting setting forth the time and place of the meeting, and the persons present, shall be retained by the agency. The agency shall maintain a complete transcript or electronic recording adequate to record fully the proceedings of each meeting, or portion of a meeting, closed to the public, except that in the case of a meeting, or portion of a meeting, closed to the public pursuant to paragraph (8), (9)(A), or (10) of subsection (c), the agency shall maintain either such a transcript or recording, or a set of minutes. Such minutes shall fully and clearly describe all matters discussed and shall provide a full and accurate summary of any actions taken, and the reasons therefor, including a description of each of the views expressed on any item and the record of any rollcall vote (reflecting the vote of each member on the question). All documents considered in connection with any action shall be identified in such minutes.

(2) The agency shall make promptly available to the public, in a place easily accessible to the public, the transcript, electronic recording, or minutes (as required by paragraph (1)) of the discussion of any item on the agenda, or of any item of the testimony of any witness received at the meeting, except for such item or items of such discussion or testimony as the agency determines to contain information which may be withheld under subsection (c). Copies of such transcript, or minutes, or a transcription of such recording disclosing the identity of each speaker, shall be furnished to any person at the actual cost of duplication or transcription. The agency shall maintain a complete verbatim copy of the transcript, a complete copy of the minutes, or a complete electronic recording of each meeting, or portion of a meeting, closed to the public, for a period of at least two years after such meeting, or until one year after the conclusion of any agency proceeding with respect to which the meeting or portion was held, whichever occurs later.

(g) Each agency subject to the requirements of this section shall, within 180 days after the date of enactment of this section, following consultation with the Office of the Chairman of the Administrative Conference of the United States and published notice in the Federal Register of at least thirty days and opportunity for written comment by any person, promulgate regulations to implement the requirements of subsections (b) through (f) of this section. Any person may bring a proceeding in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia to require an agency to promulgate such regulations if such agency has not promulgated such regulations within the time period specified herein. Subject to any limitations of time provided by law, any person may bring a proceeding in the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia to set aside agency regulations issued pursuant to this subsection that are not in accord with the requirements of subsections (b) through (f) of this section and to require the promulgation of regulations that are in accord with such subsections.

(h)(1) The district courts of the United States shall have jurisdiction to enforce the requirements of subsections (b) through (f) of this section by declaratory judgment, injunctive relief, or other relief as may be appropriate. Such actions may be brought by any person against an agency prior to, or within sixty days after, the meeting out of which the violation of this section arises, except that if public announcement of such meeting is not initially provided by the agency in accordance with the requirements of this section, such action may be instituted pursuant to this section at any time prior to sixty days after any public announcement of such meeting. Such actions may be brought in the district court of the United States for the district in which the agency meeting is held or in which the agency in question has its headquarters, or in the District Court for the District of Columbia. In such actions a defendant shall serve his answer within thirty days after the service of the complaint. The burden is on the defendant to sustain his action. In deciding such cases the court may examine in camera any portion of the transcript, electronic recording, or minutes of a meeting closed to the public, and may take such additional evidence as it deems necessary. The court, having due regard for orderly administration and the public interest, as well as the interests of the parties, may grant such equitable relief as it deems appropriate, including granting an injunction against future violations of this section or ordering the agency to make available to the public such portion of the transcript, recording, or minutes of a meeting as is not authorized to be withheld under subsection (c) of this section.

(2) Any Federal court otherwise authorized by law to review agency action may, at the application of any person properly participating in the proceeding pursuant to other applicable law, inquire into violations by the agency of the requirements of this section and afford such relief as it deems appropriate. Nothing in this section authorizes any Federal court having jurisdiction solely on the basis of paragraph (1) to set aside, enjoin, or invalidate any agency action (other than an action to close a meeting or to withhold information under this section) taken or discussed at any agency meeting out of which the violation of this section arose.

(i) The court may assess against any party reasonable attorney fees and other litigation costs reasonably incurred by any other party who substantially prevails in any action brought in accordance with the provisions of subsection (g) or (h) of this section, except that costs may be assessed against the plaintiff only where the court finds that the suit was initiated by the plaintiff primarily for frivolous or dilatory purposes. In the case of assessment of costs against an agency, the costs may be assessed by the court against the United States.

(j) Each agency subject to the requirements of this section shall annually report to the Congress regarding the following:

(1) The changes in the policies and procedures of the agency under this section that have occurred during the preceding 1-year period.

(2) A tabulation of the number of meetings held, the exemptions applied to close meetings, and the days of public notice provided to close meetings.

(3) A brief description of litigation or formal complaints concerning the implementation of this section by the agency.

(4) A brief explanation of any changes in law that have affected the responsibilities of the agency under this section.

(k) Nothing herein expands or limits the present rights of any person under section 552 of this title, except that the exemptions set forth in subsection (c) of this section shall govern in the case of any request made pursuant to section 552 to copy or inspect the transcripts, recordings, or minutes described in subsection (f) of this section. The requirements of chapter 33 of title 44, United States Code, shall not apply to the transcripts, recordings, and minutes described in subsection (f) of this section.

(l) This section does not constitute authority to withhold any information from Congress, and does not authorize the closing of any agency meeting or portion thereof required by any other provision of law to be open.

(m) Nothing in this section authorizes any agency to withhold from any individual any record, including transcripts, recordings, or minutes required by this section, which is otherwise accessible to such individual under section 552a of this title.

(Added Pub. L. 94–409, §3(a), Sept. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 1241; amended Pub. L. 104–66, title III, §3002, Dec. 21, 1995, 109 Stat. 734.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 552(e) of this title, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), was redesignated section 552(f) of this title by section 1802(b) of Pub. L. 99–570.

180 days after the date of enactment of this section, referred to in subsec. (g), means 180 days after the date of enactment of Pub. L. 94–409, which was approved Sept. 13, 1976.

Amendments

1995—Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 104–66 amended subsec. (j) generally. Prior to amendment, subsec. (j) read as follows: "Each agency subject to the requirements of this section shall annually report to Congress regarding its compliance with such requirements, including a tabulation of the total number of agency meetings open to the public, the total number of meetings closed to the public, the reasons for closing such meetings, and a description of any litigation brought against the agency under this section, including any costs assessed against the agency in such litigation (whether or not paid by the agency)."

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Pub. L. 94–409, §6, Sept. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 1248, provided that:

"(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the provisions of this Act [see Short Title note set out below] shall take effect 180 days after the date of its enactment [Sept. 13, 1976].

"(b) Subsection (g) of section 552b of title 5, United States Code, as added by section 3(a) of this Act, shall take effect upon enactment [Sept. 13, 1976]."

Short Title of 1976 Amendment

Pub. L. 94–409, §1, Sept. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 1241, provided: "That this Act [enacting this section, amending sections 551, 552, 556, and 557 of this title, section 10 of Pub. L. 92–463, formerly set out in the Appendix to this title, and section 410 of Title 39, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section] may be cited as the 'Government in the Sunshine Act'."

Termination of Reporting Requirements

For termination, effective May 15, 2000, of provisions of law requiring submittal to Congress of any annual, semiannual, or other regular periodic report listed in House Document No. 103–7 (in which the report required by subsec. (j) of this section is listed on page 151), see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance.

Termination of Administrative Conference of United States

For termination of Administrative Conference of United States, see provision of title IV of Pub. L. 104–52, set out as a note preceding section 591 of this title.

Declaration of Policy and Statement of Purpose

Pub. L. 94–409, §2, Sept. 13, 1976, 90 Stat. 1241, provided that: "It is hereby declared to be the policy of the United States that the public is entitled to the fullest practicable information regarding the decisionmaking processes of the Federal Government. It is the purpose of this Act [see Short Title note set out above] to provide the public with such information while protecting the rights of individuals and the ability of the Government to carry out its responsibilities."

1 See References in Text note below.
5 U.S.C. § 5362 (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 53 / Subchapter VI / Section 5362: Grade retention following a change of positions or reclassification
Grade retention following a change of positions or reclassification
Status: in_force

(a) Any employee—

(1) who is placed as a result of reduction-in-force procedures from a position subject to this subchapter to another position which is subject to this subchapter and which is in a lower grade than the previous position, and

(2) who has served for 52 consecutive weeks or more in one or more positions subject to this subchapter at a grade or grades higher than that of the new position,

is entitled, to the extent provided in subsection (c) of this section, to have the grade of the position held immediately before such placement be considered to be the retained grade of the employee in any position he holds for the 2-year period beginning on the date of such placement.

(b)(1) Any employee who is in a position subject to this subchapter and whose position has been reduced in grade is entitled, to the extent provided in subsection (c) of this section, to have the grade of such position before reduction be treated as the retained grade of such employee for the 2-year period beginning on the date of the reduction in grade.

(2) The provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply with respect to any reduction in the grade of a position which had not been classified at the higher grade for a continuous period of at least one year immediately before such reduction.

(c) For the 2-year period referred to in subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the retained grade of an employee under such subsection (a) or (b) shall be treated as the grade of the employee's position for all purposes (including pay and pay administration under this chapter and chapter 55 of this title, retirement and life insurance under chapters 83, 84, and 87 of this title, and eligibility for training and promotion under this title) except—

(1) for purposes of subsection (a) of this section,

(2) for purposes of applying any reduction-in-force procedures, or

(3) for such other purposes as the Office of Personnel Management may provide by regulation.

(d) The foregoing provisions of this section shall cease to apply to an employee who—

(1) has a break in service of one workday or more;

(2) is demoted (determined without regard to this section) for personal cause or at the employee's request;

(3) is placed in, or declines a reasonable offer of, a position the grade of which is equal to or higher than the retained grade; or

(4) elects in writing to have the benefits of this section terminate.

(Added Pub. L. 95–454, title VIII, §801(a)(1), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1219; amended Pub. L. 98–615, title II, §204(a)(1), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3216; Pub. L. 103–89, §3(b)(1)(K), Sept. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 982.)

Editorial Notes

Prior Provisions

A prior section 5362, Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 473, Pub. L. 95–251, §2(a)(1), (b)(1), Mar. 27, 1978, 92 Stat. 183, which related to hearing examiners, was renumbered section 5372 of this title by Pub. L. 95–454, title VIII, §801(a)(3)(A)(ii), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1221.

Amendments

1993—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 103–89 substituted "chapter 55 of this title, retirement and life insurance under chapters 83, 84, and 87" for "chapters 54 and 55 of this title, retirement and life insurance under chapters 83 and 87" in introductory provisions, redesignated par. (4) as (3), and struck out former par. (3) which read as follows: "for purposes of determining whether the employee is covered by the performance management and recognition system established under chapter 54 of this title, or".

1984—Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 98–615 substituted "performance management and recognition system established under chapter 54" for "merit pay system established under section 5402".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1993 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–89 effective Nov. 1, 1993, see section 3(c) of Pub. L. 103–89, set out as a note under section 3372 of this title.

Effective Date of 1984 Amendment

Section 205 of Pub. L. 98–615 provided that amendment by Pub. L. 98–615 was effective Oct. 1, 1984, and applicable with respect to pay periods commencing on or after that date, with certain exceptions and qualifications.

Additional Pay and Benefits for Employees Reduced in Grade On or After January 1, 1977, Etc.

Pub. L. 95–454, title VIII, §801(b), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1222, provided that:

"(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, any employee—

"(A) whose grade was reduced on or after January 1, 1977, and before the effective date of the amendments made by subsection (a) of this section [see Effective Date note set out under section 5361 of this title] under circumstances which would have entitled the employee to coverage under the provisions of section 5362 of title 5, United States Code (as amended by subsection (a) of this section) if such amendments had been in effect at the time of the reduction; and

"(B) who has remained employed by the Federal Government from the date of the reduction in grade to the effective date of the amendments made by subsection (a) of this section without a break in service of one workday or more;

shall be entitled—

"(i) to receive the additional pay and benefits which such employee would have been entitled to receive if the amendments made by subsection (a) of this section had been in effect during the period beginning on the effective date of such reduction in grade and ending on the day before the effective date of such amendments, and

"(ii) to have the amendments made by subsection (a), of this section apply to such employee as if the reduction in grade had occurred on the effective date of such amendments.

"(2) No employee covered by this subsection whose reduction in grade resulted in an increase in pay shall have such pay reduced by reason of the amendments made by subsection (a) of this section.

"(3)(A) For purposes of this subsection, the requirements under paragraph (1)(B) of this subsection, relating to continuous employment following reduction in grade, shall be considered to be met in the case of any employee—

"(i) who separated from service with a right to an immediate annuity under chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code, or under another retirement system for Federal employees; or

"(ii) who died.

"(B) Amounts payable by reason of subparagraph (A) of this paragraph in the case of the death of an employee shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of subchapter VIII of chapter 55 of title 5, United States Code, relating to settlement of accounts in the case of deceased employees.

"(4) The Office of Personnel Management shall have the same authority to prescribe regulations under this subsection as it has under section 5365 of title 5, United States Code, with respect to subchapter VI of chapter 53 of such title, as added by subsection (a) of this section."
5 U.S.C. § 8905a (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 89 / Section 8905a: Continued coverage
Continued coverage
Status: in_force

(a) Any individual described in subsection (b) may elect to continue coverage under this chapter in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(b) This section applies with respect to—

(1) any employee who—

(A) is separated from service, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, except that if the separation is involuntary, this section shall not apply if the separation is for gross misconduct (as defined under regulations which the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe); and

(B) would not otherwise be eligible for any benefits under this chapter (determined without regard to any temporary extension of coverage and without regard to any benefits available under a nongroup contract);

(2) any individual who—

(A) ceases to meet the requirements for being considered an unmarried dependent child under this chapter;

(B) on the day before so ceasing to meet the requirements referred to in subparagraph (A), was covered under a health benefits plan under this chapter as a member of the family of an employee or annuitant; and

(C) would not otherwise be eligible for any benefits under this chapter (determined without regard to any temporary extension of coverage and without regard to any benefits available under a nongroup contract); and

(3) any employee who—

(A) is enrolled in a health benefits plan under this chapter;

(B) is a member of a reserve component of the armed forces;

(C) is called or ordered to active duty in support of a contingency operation (as defined in section 101(a)(13) of title 10);

(D) is placed on leave without pay or separated from service to perform active duty; and

(E) serves on active duty for a period of more than 30 consecutive days.

(c)(1) The Office shall prescribe regulations and provide for the inclusion of appropriate terms in contracts with carriers to provide that—

(A) with respect to an employee who becomes (or will become) eligible for continued coverage under this section as a result of separation from service, the separating agency shall, before the end of the 30-day period beginning on the date as of which coverage (including any temporary extensions of coverage) would otherwise end, notify the individual of such individual's rights under this section; and

(B) with respect to a child of an employee or annuitant who becomes eligible for continued coverage under this section as a result of ceasing to meet the requirements for being considered a member of the employee's or annuitant's family—

(i) the employee or annuitant may provide written notice of the child's change in status (complete with the child's name, address, and such other information as the Office may by regulation require)—

(I) to the employee's employing agency; or

(II) in the case of an annuitant, to the Office; and

(ii) if the notice referred to in clause (i) is received within 60 days after the date as of which the child involved first ceases to meet the requirements involved, the employing agency or the Office (as the case may be) must, within 14 days after receiving such notice, notify the child of such child's rights under this section.

(2) In order to obtain continued coverage under this section, an appropriate written election (submitted in such manner as the Office by regulation prescribes) must be made—

(A) in the case of an individual seeking continued coverage based on a separation from service, before the end of the 60-day period beginning on the later of—

(i) the effective date of the separation; or

(ii) the date the separated individual receives the notice required under paragraph (1)(A); or

(B) in the case of an individual seeking continued coverage based on a change in circumstances making such individual ineligible for coverage as an unmarried dependent child, before the end of the 60-day period beginning on the later of—

(i) the date as of which such individual first ceases to meet the requirements for being considered an unmarried dependent child; or

(ii) the date such individual receives notice under paragraph (1)(B)(ii);

except that if a parent fails to provide the notice required under paragraph (1)(B)(i) in timely fashion, the 60-day period under this subparagraph shall be based on the date under clause (i), irrespective of whether or not any notice under paragraph (1)(B)(ii) is provided.

(d)(1)(A) Except as provided in paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), an individual receiving continued coverage under this section shall be required to pay currently into the Employees Health Benefits Fund, under arrangements satisfactory to the Office, an amount equal to the sum of—

(i) the employee and agency contributions which would be required in the case of an employee enrolled in the same health benefits plan and level of benefits; and

(ii) an amount, determined under regulations prescribed by the Office, necessary for administrative expenses, but not to exceed 2 percent of the total amount under clause (i).

(B) Payments under this section to the Fund shall—

(i) in the case of an individual whose continued coverage is based on such individual's separation, be made through the agency which last employed such individual; or

(ii) in the case of an individual whose continued coverage is based on a change in circumstances referred to in subsection (c)(2)(B), be made through—

(I) the Office, if, at the time coverage would (but for this section) otherwise have been discontinued, the individual was covered as the child of an annuitant; or

(II) if, at the time referred to in subclause (I), the individual was covered as the child of an employee, the employee's employing agency as of such time.

(2) If an individual elects to continue coverage under this section before the end of the applicable period under subsection (c)(2), but after such individual's coverage under this chapter (including any temporary extensions of coverage) expires, coverage shall be restored retroactively, with appropriate contributions (determined in accordance with paragraph (1), (4), or (5), as the case may be) and claims (if any), to the same extent and effect as though no break in coverage had occurred.

(3)(A) An individual making an election under subsection (c)(2)(B) may, at such individual's option, elect coverage either as an individual or, if appropriate, for self plus one or for self and family.

(B) For the purpose of this paragraph, members of an individual's family shall be determined in the same way as would apply under this chapter in the case of an enrolled employee.

(C) Nothing in this paragraph shall be considered to limit an individual making an election under subsection (c)(2)(A) to coverage for self alone.

(4)(A) If the basis for continued coverage under this section is an involuntary separation from a position, or a voluntary separation from a surplus position, in or under the Department of Defense due to a reduction in force, or the Department of Energy due to a reduction in force resulting from the establishment of the National Nuclear Security Administration—

(i) the individual shall be liable for not more than the employee contributions referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i); and

(ii) the agency which last employed the individual shall pay the remaining portion of the amount required under paragraph (1)(A).

(B) This paragraph shall apply with respect to any individual whose continued coverage is based on a separation occurring on or after the date of enactment of this paragraph and before—

(i) December 31, 2016; or

(ii) February 1, 2017, if specific notice of such separation was given to such individual before December 31, 2016.

(C) For the purpose of this paragraph, "surplus position" means a position which is identified in pre-reduction-in-force planning as no longer required, and which is expected to be eliminated under formal reduction-in-force procedures.

(5)(A) If the basis for continued coverage under this section is an involuntary separation from a position in or under the Department of Veterans Affairs due to a reduction in force or a title 38 staffing readjustment, or a voluntary or involuntary separation from a Department of Energy position at a Department of Energy facility at which the Secretary is carrying out a closure project selected under section 44211 of the Atomic Energy Defense Act—

(i) the individual shall be liable for not more than the employee contributions referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i); and

(ii) the agency which last employed the individual shall pay the remaining portion of the amount required under paragraph (1)(A).

(B) This paragraph shall only apply with respect to individuals whose continued coverage is based on a separation occurring on or after the date of the enactment of this paragraph.

(6)(A) If the basis for continued coverage under this section is, as a result of the termination of the Space Shuttle Program, an involuntary separation from a position due to a reduction-in-force or declination of a directed reassignment or transfer of function, or a voluntary separation from a surplus position in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration—

(i) the individual shall be liable for not more than the employee contributions referred to in paragraph (1)(A)(i); and

(ii) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shall pay the remaining portion of the amount required under paragraph (1)(A).

(B) This paragraph shall only apply with respect to individuals whose continued coverage is based on a separation occurring on or after the date of enactment of this paragraph and before December 31, 2010.

(C) For purposes of this paragraph, "surplus position" means a position which is—

(i) identified in pre-reduction-in-force planning as no longer required, and which is expected to be eliminated under formal reduction-in-force procedures as a result of the termination of the Space Shuttle Program; or

(ii) encumbered by an employee who has received official certification from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration consistent with the Administration's career transition assistance program regulations that the position is being abolished as a result of the termination of the Space Shuttle Program.

(e)(1) Continued coverage under this section may not extend beyond—

(A) in the case of an individual whose continued coverage is based on separation from service, the date which is 18 months after the effective date of the separation;

(B) in the case of an individual whose continued coverage is based on ceasing to meet the requirements for being considered an unmarried dependent child, the date which is 36 months after the date on which the individual first ceases to meet those requirements, subject to paragraph (2); or

(C) in the case of an employee described in subsection (b)(3), the date which is 24 months after the employee is placed on leave without pay or separated from service to perform active duty.

(2) In the case of an individual who—

(A) ceases to meet the requirements for being considered an unmarried dependent child;

(B) as of the day before so ceasing to meet the requirements referred to in subparagraph (A), was covered as the child of a former employee receiving continued coverage under this section based on the former employee's separation from service; and

(C) so ceases to meet the requirements referred to in subparagraph (A) before the end of the 18-month period beginning on the date of the former employee's separation from service,

extended coverage under this section may not extend beyond the date which is 36 months after the separation date referred to in subparagraph (C).

(f)(1) The Office shall prescribe regulations under which, in addition to any individual otherwise eligible for continued coverage under this section, and to the extent practicable, continued coverage may also, upon appropriate written application, be afforded under this section—

(A) to any individual who—

(i) if subparagraphs (A) and (C) of paragraph (10) of section 8901 were disregarded, would be eligible to be considered a former spouse within the meaning of such paragraph; but

(ii) would not, but for this subsection, be eligible to be so considered; and

(B) to any individual whose coverage as a family member would otherwise terminate as a result of a legal separation.

(2) The terms and conditions for coverage under the regulations shall include—

(A) consistent with subsection (c), any necessary notification provisions, and provisions under which an election period of at least 60 days' duration is afforded;

(B) terms and conditions identical to those under subsection (d), except that contributions to the Employees Health Benefits Fund shall be made through such agency as the Office by regulation prescribes;

(C) provisions relating to the termination of continued coverage, except that continued coverage under this section may not (subject to paragraph (3)) extend beyond the date which is 36 months after the date on which the qualifying event under this subsection (the date of divorce, annulment, or legal separation, as the case may be) occurs; and

(D) provisions designed to ensure that any coverage pursuant to this subsection does not adversely affect any eligibility for coverage which the individual involved might otherwise have under this chapter (including as a result of any change in personal circumstances) if this subsection had not been enacted.

(3) In the case of an individual—

(A) who becomes eligible for continued coverage under this subsection based on a divorce, annulment, or legal separation from a person who, as of the day before the date of the divorce, annulment, or legal separation (as the case may be) was receiving continued coverage under this section based on such person's separation from service under a self plus one enrollment that covered the individual or under a self and family enrollment; and

(B) whose divorce, annulment, or legal separation (as the case may be) occurs before the end of the 18-month period beginning on the date of the separation from service referred to in subparagraph (A),

extended coverage under this section may not extend beyond the date which is 36 months after the date of the separation from service, as referred to in subparagraph (A).

(Added Pub. L. 100–654, title II, §201(a)(1), Nov. 14, 1988, 102 Stat. 3841; amended Pub. L. 102–484, div. D, title XLIV, §4438(a), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2725; Pub. L. 103–337, div. A, title III, §341(d), Oct. 5, 1994, 108 Stat. 2720; Pub. L. 104–106, div. A, title X, §1036, Feb. 10, 1996, 110 Stat. 431; Pub. L. 106–65, div. A, title XI, §1104(c), div. C, title XXXII, §3244, Oct. 5, 1999, 113 Stat. 777, 965; Pub. L. 106–117, title XI, §1106, Nov. 30, 1999, 113 Stat. 1598; Pub. L. 107–314, div. A, title XI, §1103, Dec. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 2661; Pub. L. 107–314, div. D, title XLVI, §4603(h), formerly Pub. L. 106–398, §1 [div. C, title XXXI, §3136(h)], Oct. 30, 2000, 114 Stat. 1654, 1654A–459, renumbered §4603(h) of Pub. L. 107–314 by Pub. L. 108–136, div. C, title XXXI, §3141(i)(4)(A)–(C), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1777; Pub. L. 108–136, div. C, title XXXI, §3141(m)(3), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1787; Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title XI, §1101(a), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2072; Pub. L. 109–163, div. A, title XI, §1101, Jan. 6, 2006, 119 Stat. 3447; Pub. L. 110–422, title VI, §615, Oct. 15, 2008, 122 Stat. 4800; Pub. L. 111–242, §151, as added Pub. L. 111–322, title I, §1(a)(2), Dec. 22, 2010, 124 Stat. 3519; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title XI, §1123, Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1617; Pub. L. 113–67, div. A, title VII, §706(b), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 1194.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

The date of enactment of this paragraph, referred to in subsec. (d)(4)(B), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 102–484, which was approved Oct. 23, 1992.

Section 4421 of the Atomic Energy Defense Act, referred to in subsec. (d)(5)(A), was classified to section 2601 of Title 50, War and National Defense, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 113–66, div. C, title XXXI, §3146(e)(10), Dec. 26, 2013, 127 Stat. 1077.

The date of the enactment of this paragraph, referred to in subsec. (d)(5)(B), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 106–117, which was approved Nov. 30, 1999.

The date of enactment of this paragraph, referred to in subsec. (d)(6)(B), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 110–422, which was approved Oct. 15, 2008.

Amendments

2013—Subsec. (d)(3)(A). Pub. L. 113–67, §706(b)(1), inserted "for self plus one or" before "for self and family".

Subsec. (f)(3)(A). Pub. L. 113–67, §706(b)(2), substituted "based on such person's separation from service under a self plus one enrollment that covered the individual or under a self and family enrollment" for "for self and family based on such person's separation from service".

2011—Subsec. (d)(4)(B). Pub. L. 112–81 substituted "December 31, 2016" for "December 31, 2011" in cls. (i) and (ii) and substituted "February 1, 2017" for "February 1, 2012" in cl. (ii).

2010—Subsec. (d)(4)(B)(i). Pub. L. 111–242, §151(1), as added by Pub. L. 111–322, substituted "December 31, 2011" for "October 1, 2010".

Subsec. (d)(4)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 111–242, §151(2), as added by Pub. L. 111–322, substituted "February 1, 2012" for "February 1, 2011" and "December 31, 2011" for "October 1, 2010".

2008—Subsec. (d)(1)(A). Pub. L. 110–422, §615(b), substituted "(4), (5), and (6)" for "(4) and (5)" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (d)(6). Pub. L. 110–422, §615(a), added par. (6).

2006—Subsec. (d)(4)(B)(i). Pub. L. 109–163, §1101(1), substituted "October 1, 2010" for "October 1, 2006".

Subsec. (d)(4)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 109–163, §1101(2), substituted "February 1, 2011" for "February 1, 2007" and "October 1, 2010" for "October 1, 2006".

2004—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 108–375, §1101(a)(1), struck out "paragraph (1) or (2) of" after "Any individual described in".

Subsec. (b)(3). Pub. L. 108–375, §1101(a)(2), added par. (3).

Subsec. (e)(1)(C). Pub. L. 108–375, §1101(a)(4), added subpar. (C).

2003—Subsec. (d)(5)(A). Pub. L. 108–136, §3141(m)(3), substituted "section 4421 of the Atomic Energy Defense Act" for "section 3143 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (42 U.S.C. 7274n)".

2002—Subsec. (d)(4)(B)(i). Pub. L. 107–314, §1103(1), substituted "2006" for "2003".

Subsec. (d)(4)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 107–314, §1103(2), substituted "2007" and "2006" for "2004" and "2003", respectively.

2000—Subsec. (d)(5)(A). Pub. L. 107–314, §4603(h), formerly Pub. L. 106–398, §1 [div. C, title XXXI, §3136(h)], as renumbered by Pub. L. 108–136, §3141(i)(4)(A)–(C), in introductory provisions, inserted ", or a voluntary or involuntary separation from a Department of Energy position at a Department of Energy facility at which the Secretary is carrying out a closure project selected under section 3143 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 1997 (42 U.S.C. 7274n)" after "readjustment".

1999—Subsec. (d)(1)(A). Pub. L. 106–117, §1106(1), substituted "paragraphs (4) and (5)" for "paragraph (4)" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 106–117, §1106(2), substituted "(1), (4), or (5)" for "(1) or (4)".

Subsec. (d)(4)(A). Pub. L. 106–65, §3244, inserted ", or the Department of Energy due to a reduction in force resulting from the establishment of the National Nuclear Security Administration" after "reduction in force" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (d)(4)(B). Pub. L. 106–65, §1104(c), added cls. (i) and (ii) and struck out former cls. (i) and (ii) which read as follows:

"(i) October 1, 1999; or

"(ii) February 1, 2000, if specific notice of such separation was given to such individual before October 1, 1999."

Subsec. (d)(5). Pub. L. 106–117, §1106(3), added par. (5).

1996—Subsec. (d)(4)(A). Pub. L. 104–106, §1036(1), inserted ", or a voluntary separation from a surplus position," after "an involuntary separation from a position" in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (d)(4)(C). Pub. L. 104–106, §1036(2), added subpar. (C).

1994—Subsec. (d)(4)(B). Pub. L. 103–337 substituted "October 1, 1999" for "October 1, 1997" in cls. (i) and (ii) and "February 1, 2000" for "February 1, 1998" in cl. (ii).

1992—Subsec. (d)(1)(A). Pub. L. 102–484, §4438(a)(1), substituted "Except as provided in paragraph (4), an individual" for "An individual".

Subsec. (d)(2). Pub. L. 102–484, §4438(a)(2), substituted "in accordance with paragraph (1) or (4), as the case may be)" for "in accordance with paragraph (1))".

Subsec. (d)(4). Pub. L. 102–484, §4438(a)(3), added par. (4).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2004 Amendment

Pub. L. 108–375, div. A, title XI, §1101(c), Oct. 28, 2004, 118 Stat. 2072, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 8906 of this title] shall apply with respect to Federal employees called or ordered to active duty on or after September 14, 2001."

Effective Date of 1999 Amendment

Amendment by section 3244 of Pub. L. 106–65 effective Mar. 1, 2000, see section 3299 of Pub. L. 106–65, set out as an Effective Date note under section 2401 of Title 50, War and National Defense.

Effective Date

Section applicable with respect to any calendar year beginning, and contracts entered into or renewed for any calendar year beginning, after the end of the 9-month period beginning Nov. 14, 1988, and with respect to any qualifying event occurring on or after the first day of the first calendar year beginning after the end of such 9-month period, see section 203 of Pub. L. 100–654, set out as an Effective Date of 1988 Amendment note under section 8902 of this title.

Source of Payments

Pub. L. 102–484, div. D, title XLIV, §4438(b)(1), Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2725, provided that: "Any amount which becomes payable by an agency as a result of the enactment of subsection (a) [amending this section] shall be paid out of funds or appropriations available for salaries and expenses of such agency."

1 See References in Text note below.
5 U.S.C. § 5542 (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 55 / Subchapter V / Section 5542: Overtime rates; computation
Overtime rates; computation
Status: in_force

(a) For full-time, part-time and intermittent tours of duty, hours of work officially ordered or approved in excess of 40 hours in an administrative workweek, or (with the exception of an employee engaged in professional or technical engineering or scientific activities for whom the first 40 hours of duty in an administrative workweek is the basic workweek and an employee whose basic pay exceeds the minimum rate for GS–10 (including any applicable locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or similar provision of law) for whom the first 40 hours of duty in an administrative workweek is the basic workweek) in excess of 8 hours in a day, performed by an employee are overtime work and shall be paid for, except as otherwise provided by this subchapter, at the following rates:

(1) For an employee whose basic pay is at a rate which does not exceed the minimum rate of basic pay for GS–10 (including any applicable locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or similar provision of law), the overtime hourly rate of pay is an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of basic pay of the employee, and all that amount is premium pay.

(2) For an employee whose basic pay is at a rate which exceeds the minimum rate of basic pay for GS–10 (including any applicable locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or similar provision of law), the overtime hourly rate of pay is an amount equal to the greater of one and one-half times the hourly rate of the minimum rate of basic pay for GS–10 (including any applicable locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or similar provision of law) or the hourly rate of basic pay of the employee, and all that amount is premium pay.

(3) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subsection for an employee of the Department of Transportation who occupies a nonmanagerial position in GS–14 or under and, as determined by the Secretary of Transportation,

(A) the duties of which are critical to the immediate daily operation of the air traffic control system, directly affect aviation safety, and involve physical or mental strain or hardship;

(B) in which overtime work is therefore unusually taxing; and

(C) in which operating requirements cannot be met without substantial overtime work;

the overtime hourly rate of pay is an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of basic pay of the employee, and all that amount is premium pay.

(4) Notwithstanding paragraph (2) of this subsection, for an employee who is a law enforcement officer, and whose basic pay is at a rate which exceeds the minimum rate of basic pay for GS–10 (including any applicable locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or similar provision of law), the overtime hourly rate of pay is an amount equal to the greater of—

(A) one and one-half times the minimum hourly rate of basic pay for GS–10 (including any applicable locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or similar provision of law); or

(B) the hourly rate of basic pay of the employee,

and all that amount is premium pay.

(5) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), for an employee of the Department of the Interior or the United States Forest Service in the Department of Agriculture engaged in emergency wildland fire suppression activities, the overtime hourly rate of pay is an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of basic pay of the employee, and all that amount is premium pay.

(6)(A) Notwithstanding paragraphs (1) and (2), for an employee of the Department of the Navy who is assigned to temporary duty outside the United States to perform work aboard, or dockside in direct support of, naval vessels and who would be nonexempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 but for the application of the foreign area exemption in section 13(f) of that Act (29 U.S.C. 213(f)), the employee shall be coded and paid overtime as if the employee's exemption status under that Act is the same as it is at the employee's permanent duty station.

(B) Subparagraph (A) shall expire on September 30, 2026.

(b) For the purpose of this subchapter—

(1) unscheduled overtime work performed by an employee on a day when work was not scheduled for him, or for which he is required to return to his place of employment, is deemed at least 2 hours in duration; and

(2) time spent in a travel status away from the official-duty station of an employee is not hours of employment unless—

(A) the time spent is within the days and hours of the regularly scheduled administrative workweek of the employee, including regularly scheduled overtime hours; or

(B) the travel (i) involves the performance of work while traveling, (ii) is incident to travel that involves the performance of work while traveling, (iii) is carried out under arduous conditions, or (iv) results from an event which could not be scheduled or controlled administratively, including travel by an employee to such an event and the return of such employee from such event to his or her official-duty station.

(c) Subsection (a) shall not apply to an employee who is subject to the overtime pay provisions of section 7 of the Fair labor 1 Standards Act of 1938. In the case of an employee who would, were it not for the preceding sentence, be subject to this section, the Office of Personnel Management shall by regulation prescribe what hours shall be deemed to be hours of work and what hours of work shall be deemed to be overtime hours for the purpose of such section 7 so as to ensure that no employee receives less pay by reason of the preceding sentence.

(d) In applying subsection (a) of this section with respect to any criminal investigator who is paid availability pay under section 5545a—

(1) such investigator shall be compensated under such subsection (a), at the rates there provided, for overtime work which is scheduled in advance of the administrative workweek—

(A) in excess of 10 hours on a day during such investigator's basic 40 hour workweek; or

(B) on a day outside such investigator's basic 40 hour workweek; and

(2) such investigator shall be compensated for all other overtime work under section 5545a.

(e) Notwithstanding subsection (d)(1) of this section, all hours of overtime work scheduled in advance of the administrative workweek shall be compensated under subsection (a) if that work involves duties as authorized by section 3056(a) of title 18 or section 37(a)(3) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, and if the investigator performs, on that same day, at least 2 hours of overtime work not scheduled in advance of the administrative workweek.

(f) In applying subsection (a) of this section with respect to a firefighter who is subject to section 5545b—

(1) such subsection shall be deemed to apply to hours of work officially ordered or approved in excess of 106 hours in a biweekly pay period, or, if the agency establishes a weekly basis for overtime pay computation, in excess of 53 hours in an administrative workweek; and

(2) the overtime hourly rate of pay is an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of basic pay under section 5545b(b)(1)(A) or (c)(1)(B), as applicable, and such overtime hourly rate of pay may not be less than such hourly rate of basic pay in applying the limitation on the overtime rate provided in paragraph (2) of such subsection (a).

(g) In applying subsection (a) with respect to a border patrol agent covered by section 5550, the following rules apply:

(1) Notwithstanding the matter preceding paragraph (1) in subsection (a), for a border patrol agent who is assigned to the level 1 border patrol rate of pay under section 5550—

(A) hours of work in excess of 100 hours during a 14-day biweekly pay period shall be overtime work; and

(B) the border patrol agent—

(i) shall receive pay at the overtime hourly rate of pay (as determined in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a)) for hours of overtime work that are officially ordered or approved in advance of the workweek; and

(ii) except as provided in paragraphs (4) and (5), shall receive compensatory time off for an equal amount of time spent performing overtime work that is not overtime work described in clause (i).

(2) Notwithstanding the matter preceding paragraph (1) in subsection (a), for a border patrol agent who is assigned to the level 2 border patrol rate of pay under section 5550—

(A) hours of work in excess of 90 hours during a 14-day biweekly pay period shall be overtime work; and

(B) the border patrol agent—

(i) shall receive pay at the overtime hourly rate of pay (as determined in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a)) for hours of overtime work that are officially ordered or approved in advance of the workweek; and

(ii) except as provided in paragraphs (4) and (5), shall receive compensatory time off for an equal amount of time spent performing overtime work that is not overtime work described in clause (i).

(3) Notwithstanding the matter preceding paragraph (1) in subsection (a), for a border patrol agent who is assigned to the basic border patrol rate of pay under section 5550—

(A) hours of work in excess of 80 hours during a 14-day biweekly pay period shall be overtime work; and

(B) the border patrol agent—

(i) shall receive pay at the overtime hourly rate of pay (as determined in accordance with paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (a)) for hours of overtime work that are officially ordered or approved in advance of the workweek; and

(ii) except as provided in paragraphs (4) and (5), shall receive compensatory time off for an equal amount of time spent performing overtime work that is not overtime work described in clause (i).

(4)(A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), during a 14-day biweekly pay period, a border patrol agent may not earn compensatory time off for more than 10 hours of overtime work.

(B) U.S. Customs and Border Protection may, as it determines appropriate, waive the limitation under subparagraph (A) for an individual border patrol agent for hours of irregular or occasional overtime work, but such waiver must be approved in writing in advance of the performance of any such work for which compensatory time off is earned under paragraph (1)(B)(ii), (2)(B)(ii), or (3)(B)(ii). If a waiver request by a border patrol agent is denied, the border patrol agent may not be ordered to perform the associated overtime work.

(5) A border patrol agent—

(A) may not earn more than 240 hours of compensatory time off during a leave year;

(B) shall use any hours of compensatory time off not later than the end of the 26th pay period after the pay period during which the compensatory time off was earned;

(C) shall be required to use 1 hour of compensatory time off for each hour of regular time not worked for which the border patrol agent is not on paid leave or other paid time off or does not substitute time in accordance with section 5550(f);

(D) shall forfeit any compensatory time off not used in accordance with this paragraph and, regardless of circumstances, shall not be entitled to any cash value for compensatory time earned under section 5550;

(E) shall not receive credit towards the computation of the annuity of the border patrol agent for compensatory time, whether used or not; and

(F) shall not be credited with compensatory time off if the value of such time off would cause the aggregate premium pay of the border patrol agent to exceed the limitation established under section 5547 in the period in which it was earned.

(h)(1)(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section or section 5545b, any hours worked by a firefighter under a qualified trade-of-time arrangement shall be disregarded for purposes of any determination relating to eligibility for, or the amount of, any overtime pay under this section, including overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act in accordance with subsection (c).

(B) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management—

(i) shall identify the situations in which a firefighter shall be deemed to have worked hours actually worked by a substituting firefighter under a qualified trade-of-time arrangement; and

(ii) may adopt necessary policies governing the treatment of both a substituting and substituted firefighter under a qualified trade-of-time arrangement, without regard to how those firefighters would otherwise be treated under other provisions of law or regulation.

(2) In this subsection—

(A) the term "firefighter" means an employee—

(i) the work schedule of whom includes 24-hour duty shifts; and

(ii) who—

(I) is a firefighter, as defined in section 8331(21) or 8401(14);

(II) in the case of an employee who holds a supervisory or administrative position and is subject to subchapter III of chapter 83, but who does not qualify to be considered a firefighter within the meaning of section 8331(21), would so qualify if such employee had transferred directly to such position after serving as a firefighter within the meaning of such section;

(III) in the case of an employee who holds a supervisory or administrative position and is subject to chapter 84, but who does not qualify to be considered a firefighter within the meaning of section 8401(14), would so qualify if such employee had transferred directly to such position after performing duties described in section 8401(14)(A) and (B) for at least 3 years; and

(IV) in the case of an employee who is not subject to subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84, holds a position that the Office of Personnel Management determines would satisfy subclause (I), (II), or (III) if the employee were subject to subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84; and

(B) the term "qualified trade-of-time arrangement" means an arrangement under which 2 firefighters who are subject to the supervision of the same fire chief agree, solely at their option and with the approval of the employing agency, to substitute for one another during scheduled work hours in the performance of work in the same capacity.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 485; Pub. L. 90–83, §1(24), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 200; Pub. L. 90–206, title II, §222(a), Dec. 16, 1967, 81 Stat. 641; Pub. L. 90–556, §1, Oct. 10, 1968, 82 Stat. 969; Pub. L. 92–194, Dec. 15, 1971, 85 Stat. 648; Pub. L. 98–473, title I, §101(c) [title III, §322], Oct. 12, 1984, 98 Stat. 1837, 1874; Pub. L. 101–509, title V, §529 [title I, §101(b)(3)(E), title II, §210(1), title IV, §410(a)], Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1427, 1439, 1460, 1468; Pub. L. 102–378, §2(41), Oct. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 1352; Pub. L. 103–329, title VI, §633(c), Sept. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 2427; Pub. L. 104–52, title V, §531, Nov. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 496; Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, §101(b) [title IV, §407(c)(2)], (h) [title VI, §628(a)(1)], div. G, subdiv. B, title XXIII, §2316(c)(2), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–50, 2681–102, 2681–480, 2681–519, 2681–829; Pub. L. 106–558, §2(a), Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2776; Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title XI, §1121, Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1636; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title XI, §1105(a), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4383; Pub. L. 113–277, §2(c)(1), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3002; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title XI, §1106(a), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3526; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title XI, §1103, Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1022; Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XI, §1108, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2449; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title XI, §1109, Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1631; Pub. L. 115–232, div. A, title XI, §1103, Aug. 13, 2018, 132 Stat. 2001; Pub. L. 116–283, div. A, title XI, §1113, Jan. 1, 2021, 134 Stat. 3894; Pub. L. 117–81, div. A, title XI, §§1108, 1110, Dec. 27, 2021, 135 Stat. 1951, 1952.)

Historical and Revision Notes
1966 Act

DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes and 
Statutes at Large

(a) 
5 U.S.C. 911. 
June 30, 1945, ch. 212, §201, 59 Stat. 296.
Sept. 1, 1954, ch. 1208, §203, 68 Stat. 1109.

(b) 
5 U.S.C. 912a.
5 U.S.C. 912b. 

Sept. 1, 1954, ch. 1208, §205(b), 68 Stat. 1110.

In subsection (a)(1), and (2), the word "officer" is omitted as included in "employee". The word "scheduled" is omitted since section 603 of the Act of Oct. 11, 1962, Pub. L. 87–793, 76 Stat. 847, eliminated the necessity of referring to rates as scheduled or longevity. References to the "Classification Act of 1949, as amended" are omitted as unnecessary.

In subsection (b), former sections 912a and 912b are combined and restated.

Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

1967 Act

Section of title 5Source (U.S. Code)Source (Statutes at Large)

5542(a) 
5 App.: 911. 
July 18, 1966, Pub. L. 89–504, §404(a), 80 Stat. 297.

The words "of the Classification Act of 1949, as amended" are omitted as unnecessary.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

GS–10 and GS–14, referred to in subsec. (a), are contained in the General Schedule which is set out under section 5332 of this title.

The Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, referred to in subsec. (a)(6)(A), is act June 25, 1938, ch. 676, 52 Stat. 1060, which is classified generally to chapter 8 (§201 et seq.) of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 201 of Title 29 and Tables.

Section 7 of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, referred to in subsec. (c), is classified to section 207 of Title 29, Labor.

Section 37(a)(3) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956, referred to in subsec. (e), is classified to section 2709(a)(3) of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

The Fair Labor Standards Act, referred to in subsec. (h)(1)(A), probably means the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938, act June 25, 1938, ch. 676, 52 Stat. 1060, which is classified generally to chapter 8 (§201 et seq.) of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see section 201 of Title 29 and Tables.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (a)(6)(A). Pub. L. 117–81, §1108, inserted "outside the United States" after "temporary duty" and "of 1938" after "Fair Labor Standards Act" and substituted "naval vessels" for "the nuclear aircraft carrier that is forward deployed in Japan" and "the employee shall be coded and paid overtime as if the employee's exemption status under that Act is the same as it is at the employee's permanent duty station." for "the overtime hourly rate of pay is an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of basic pay of the employee, and all that amount is premium pay."

Subsec. (a)(6)(B). Pub. L. 116–283 substituted "September 30, 2026" for "September 30, 2021".

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 117–81, §1110, added subsec. (h).

2018—Subsec. (a)(6)(B). Pub. L. 115–232 substituted "September 30, 2021" for "September 30, 2019".

2017—Subsec. (a)(6)(B). Pub. L. 115–91 substituted "September 30, 2019" for "September 30, 2018".

2016—Subsec. (a)(6)(B). Pub. L. 114–328 substituted "September 30, 2018" for "September 30, 2017".

2015—Subsec. (a)(6)(B). Pub. L. 114–92 substituted "September 30, 2017" for "September 30, 2015".

2014—Subsec. (a)(6)(B). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted "2015" for "2014".

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 113–277 added subsec. (g).

2011—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 111–383 added par. (6).

2003—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 108–136 inserted "the greater of" before "one and one-half" and "or the hourly rate of basic pay of the employee" before ", and all that amount".

2000—Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 106–558 added par. (5).

1998—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 105–277, §101(b) [title IV, §407(c)(2)] and §2316(c)(2), amended subsec. (e) identically, substituting "title 18 or section 37(a)(3) of the State Department Basic Authorities Act of 1956," for "title 18, United States Code,".

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 105–277, §101(h) [title VI, §628(a)(1)], added subsec. (f).

1995—Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 104–52 added subsec. (e).

1994—Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 103–329 added subsec. (d).

1992—Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 102–378, §2(41)(A), substituted "officer," for "officer (within the meaning of section 8331(20) or 8401(17))," and realigned margin of closing provision.

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 102–378, §2(41)(B), amended second sentence generally. Prior to amendment, second sentence read as follows: "In the case of an employee who would, were it not for the preceding sentence, be subject to this section, hours of work in excess of 8 hours in a day shall be deemed to be overtime hours for the purposes of such section 7 and hours in a paid nonwork status shall be deemed to be hours of work."

1990—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 101–509, §529 [title I, §101(b)(3)(E)], inserted "(including any applicable locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or similar provision of law)" after "GS–10" wherever appearing.

Subsec. (a)(4). Pub. L. 101–509, §529 [title IV, §410(a)], added par. (4).

Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 101–509, §529 [title II, §210(1)], added subsec. (c).

1984—Subsec. (b)(2)(B)(iv). Pub. L. 98–473 inserted ", including travel by an employee to such an event and the return of such employee from such event to his or her official-duty station".

1971—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 92–194 substituted "For full-time, part-time and intermittent tours of duty, hours" for "Hours".

1968—Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 90–556 added par. (3).

1967—Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 90–206 designated existing provisions as cls. (i) and (iii) and added cls. (ii) and (iv).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2014 Amendment

Pub. L. 113–277, §2(i), as added by Pub. L. 114–13, §1(a), May 19, 2015, 129 Stat. 197, provided that: "Subsections (b), (c), (d), and (g) [enacting section 5550 of this title, amending this section and sections 5547 and 8331 of this title and section 213 of Title 29, Labor, and enacting provisions set out as a note under section 5550 of this title], and the amendments made by such subsections, shall take effect on the first day of the first pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2016, except that—

"(1) any provision in section 5550(b) of title 5, United States Code, as added by subsection (b), relating to administering elections and making advance assignments to a regular tour of duty shall be applicable before such effective date to the extent determined necessary by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management; and

"(2) the Director may issue regulations as necessary prior to such effective date."

[Pub. L. 114–13, §1(b), May 19, 2015, 129 Stat. 197, provided that: "The amendment made by subsection (a) [enacting section 2(i) of Pub. L. 113–277, set out above] shall be deemed to have been enacted on the date of enactment of the Border Patrol Agent Pay Reform Act of 2014 (Public Law 113–277) [approved Dec. 18, 2014]."]

Effective Date of 2000 Amendment

Pub. L. 106–558, §2(b), Dec. 21, 2000, 114 Stat. 2777, as amended by Pub. L. 107–20, title II, §2605, July 24, 2001, 115 Stat. 178, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section] shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 21, 2000]."

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Pub. L. 105–277, div. A, §101(b) [title IV, §407(d)], div. G, subdiv. B, title XXIII, §2316(d), Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2681–50, 2681–102, 2681–829, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending this section and section 5545a of this title] shall take effect on the first day of the first applicable pay period—

"(1) which begins on or after the 90th day following the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1998]; and

"(2) on which date all regulations necessary to carry out such amendments are (in the judgment of the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Secretary of State) in effect." [Jan. 29, 1999, see 64 F.R. 4517.]

Amendment by section 101(h) [title VI, §628(a)(1)] of Pub. L. 105–277 effective on first day of first applicable pay period which begins on or after Oct. 1, 1998, see section 101(h) [title VI, §628(e)] of Pub. L. 105–277, set out as a note under section 4109 of this title.

Effective Date of 1994 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 103–329 effective first day of first applicable pay period beginning on or after 30th day following Sept. 30, 1994, with exceptions relating to criminal investigators employed in Offices of Inspectors General, see section 633(e) of Pub. L. 103–329, set out as an Effective Date note under section 5545a of this title.

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 102–378 effective as of first day of first applicable pay period beginning on or after Oct. 2, 1992, see section 9(b)(9) of Pub. L. 102–378, set out as a note under section 6303 of this title.

Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

Amendment by section 529 [title I, §101(b)(3)(E), title II, §210(1)] of Pub. L. 101–509 effective on such date as the President shall determine, but not earlier than 90 days, and not later than 180 days, after Nov. 5, 1990, see section 529 [title III, §305] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out as a note under section 5301 of this title.

Effective Date of 1968 Amendment

Pub. L. 90–556, §3, Oct. 10, 1968, 82 Stat. 969, provided that: "The amendments made by this Act [amending this section and section 5545 of this title] shall take effect on the first day of the first pay period which begins on or after the thirtieth day after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 10, 1968]."

Effective Date of 1967 Amendment

Pub. L. 90–206, title II, §220(a)(4), Dec. 16, 1967, 81 Stat. 639, provided that, except as otherwise expressly provided: "Sections 222 [enacting section 5733 of this title and amending this section, section 5544 of this title, section 3571 of Title 39, The Postal Service], and 223 [enacting section 5345 of this title] shall become effective thirty days after the date of enactment of this title [Dec. 16, 1967]."

Regulations

Pub. L. 113–277, §2(h), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3005, provided that: "The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall promulgate regulations to carry out this Act [see section 1 of Pub. L. 113–277, set out as a Short Title of 2014 Amendment note under section 101 of this title] and the amendments made by this Act."

Rules of Construction

Pub. L. 113–277, §2(f), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3004, provided that: "Nothing in this section [enacting section 5550 of this title, amending this section and sections 5547 and 8331 of this title and section 213 of Title 29, Labor, and enacting provisions set out as notes under this section and section 5550 of this title] or the amendments made by this section shall be construed to—

"(1) limit the right of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to assign both scheduled and unscheduled work to a border patrol agent based on the needs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection in excess of the hours of work normally applicable under the election of the border patrol agent, regardless of what the border patrol agent might otherwise have elected;

"(2) require compensation of a border patrol agent other than for hours during which the border patrol agent is actually performing work or using approved paid leave or other paid time off; or

"(3) exempt a border patrol agent from any limitations on pay, earnings, or compensation, including the limitations under section 5547 of title 5, United States Code."

Border Patrol Rate of Pay

Pub. L. 113–277, §2(a), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 2995, provided that:

"(a) Purpose.—The purposes of this Act [see section 1 of Pub. L. 113–277, set out as a Short Title of 2014 Amendment note under section 101 of this title] are—

"(1) to strengthen U.S. Customs and Border Protection and ensure that border patrol agents are sufficiently ready to conduct necessary work and will perform overtime hours in excess of a 40-hour workweek based on the needs of U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and

"(2) to ensure U.S. Customs and Border Protection has the flexibility to cover shift changes and retains the right to assign scheduled and unscheduled work for mission requirements and planning based on operational need."

1 So in original. Probably should be capitalized.
5 U.S.C. § 5566 (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 55 / Subchapter VII / Section 5566: Agency determinations
Agency determinations
Status: in_force

(a) The head of the agency concerned or his designee may make any determination necessary to administer this subchapter, and when so made it is conclusive as to—

(1) death or finding of death;

(2) the fact of dependency under this subchapter;

(3) any other status covered by this subchapter;

(4) an essential date, including one on which evidence or information is received by the head of the agency concerned; and

(5) whether information received concerning an employee is to be construed and acted on as an official report of death.

(b) When the head of the agency concerned receives information that he considers to conclusively establish the death of an employee, he shall take action thereon as an official report of death, notwithstanding an earlier action relating to death or other status of the employee. After the end of 12 months in a missing status prescribed by section 5565 of this title, the head of the agency concerned or his designee shall make a finding of death when he considers that the information received, or a lapse of time without information, establishes a reasonable presumption that an employee in a missing status is dead.

(c) The head of the agency concerned or his designee may determine the entitlement of an employee to pay and allowances under this subchapter, including credits and charges in his account, and that determination is conclusive. An account may not be charged or debited with an amount that an employee captured, beleaguered, or besieged by a hostile force may receive or be entitled to receive from, or have placed to his credit by, the hostile force as pay, allowances, or other compensation.

(d) When circumstances warrant the reconsideration of a determination made under this subchapter, the head of the agency concerned or his designee may change or modify it.

(e) When the account of an employee has been charged or debited with an allotment paid under this subchapter, the amount so charged or debited shall be recredited to the account of the employee if the head of the agency concerned or his designee determines that the payment was induced by fraud or misrepresentation to which the employee was not a party.

(f) Except an allotment for an unearned insurance premium, an allotment paid from the pay and allowances of an employee for the period he is in a missing status may not be collected from the allottee as an overpayment when payment was caused by delay in receiving evidence of death. An allotment paid for a period after the end, under this subchapter or otherwise, of entitlement to pay and allowances may not be collected from the allottee or charged against the pay of a deceased employee when payment was caused by delay in receiving evidence of death.

(g) The head of the agency concerned or his designee may waive the recovery of an erroneous payment or overpayment of an allotment to a dependent if he considers recovery is against equity and good conscience.

(h) For the purpose of determining status under this section, a dependent of an employee in active service is deemed an employee. A determination under this section made by the head of the agency concerned or his designee is conclusive on all other agencies of the United States. This section does not entitle a dependent to pay, allowances, or other compensation to which he is not otherwise entitled.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 493.)

Historical and Revision Notes

DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes and 
Statutes at Large

(a) 
50A U.S.C. 1009(a) (1st and 2d sentences). 
Mar. 7, 1942, ch. 166, §9(a) (less 5th and last sentences); added
July 1, 1944, ch. 371, §5, 58 Stat. 680.

  
 
Apr. 4, 1953, ch. 17, §1(c), 67 Stat. 21.

  
 
Aug. 29, 1957, Pub. L. 85–217, §1(c), 71 Stat. 492.

  
50A U.S.C. 1010. 
Mar. 7, 1942, ch. 166, §10, 56 Stat. 145.

  
 
July 1, 1944, ch. 371, §6, 58 Stat. 681.
Aug. 14, 1964, Pub. L. 88–428, §1(7), 78 Stat. 437.

(b) 
50A U.S.C. 1009(a) (3d and 4th sentences).

(c) 
50A U.S.C. 1009(a) (6th sentence, less last proviso).

  
50A U.S.C. 1014 (as applicable to §1009(a) (1st proviso of 6th sentence)). 
Mar. 7, 1942, ch. 166, §14 (as applicable to §9(a) (1st proviso of 6th sentence)), 56 Stat. 147.
Apr. 4, 1953, ch. 17, §1(e), 67 Stat. 21.

(d) 
50A U.S.C. 1009(a) (7th sentence).

(e) 
50A U.S.C. 1009(a) (last proviso of 6th sentence).

(f) 
50A U.S.C. 1009(a) (8th sentence).

(g) 
50A U.S.C. 1009(a) (9th sentence).

(h) 
50A U.S.C. 1009(b) (as applicable to §1009). 
Mar. 7, 1942, ch. 166, §9(b) (as applicable to §9); added
Aug. 29, 1957, Pub. L. 85–217, §1(c), 71 Stat. 492.

Only that portion of the source law which is applicable to civilian officers and employees and their dependents is codified in this section.

In subsection (a), the words "head of the agency concerned or his designee" are substituted for "head of the department concerned, or such subordinate as he may designate". The words "for the purposes of this Act" are omitted as surplusage. The words "final and" in 50A U.S.C. 1010 are omitted as surplusage and for consistency with 50A U.S.C. 1009(a) (1st sentence). The words "the determination of the fact of dependency for the purpose of payment of all six months' death gratuities as authorized by law, and the determination of the fact of dependency under the provisions of any and all other laws providing for the payment of pay, allowances, or other emoluments to enlisted personnel in the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard of the United States where such payments are contingent upon dependency" in 50A U.S.C. 1010 are omitted as inapplicable to civilian officers and employees and their dependents. In paragraph (2), the words "under this subchapter" are substituted for "under the provisions of this Act". In paragraph (3), the words "covered by this subchapter" are substituted for "dealt with by this Act". In paragraph (4), the words "by the head of the agency concerned" are substituted for "in such department or by the head thereof". In paragraph (5), the word "employee" is substituted for "person".

In subsection (b), the words "head of the agency concerned" are substituted for "department concerned". The word "employee" is substituted for "person". In the second sentence, the words "the head of the agency concerned or his designee" are inserted for clarity. The words "is dead" are substituted for "is no longer alive" for consistency with references in this section to "death".

In subsection (c), the words "or his designee" are substituted for "or by such subordinate as he may designate". The words "captured, beleaguered, or besieged by a hostile force" are substituted for "in the hands of a hostile force" on authority of 50A U.S.C. 1014.

In subsection (d), the words "under this subchapter" are substituted for "authorized to be made by this Act". The words "or his designee" are substituted for "or such subordinate as he may designate".

In subsection (e), the words "an employee . . . allotment paid under this subchapter" are substituted for "any person . . . allotments paid pursuant to this Act". The words "the employee if the head of the agency concerned or his designee" are substituted for "such person's . . . in any case in which . . . the head of the department concerned, or such subordinate as he may designate."

In subsection (f), the words "may not be collected" are substituted for "shall not be subject to collection" in two places. The word "employee" is substituted for "person".

In subsection (g), the words "or his designee" are substituted for "or such subordinate as he may designate".

In subsection (h), the word "sole" is omitted as surplusage and in view of the provisions of section 5565(c). The word "deemed" is supplied to evidence the legal fiction provided by the words "is a 'person' under this Act" in 50A U.S.C. 1009(a). The words "or his designee" are supplied on authority of 50A U.S.C. 1009(a) which is codified in part in subsection (a) of this section. The words "agencies of the United States" are substituted for "departments of the Government". The words "This section does not entitle" are substituted for "Provided, That nothing in this section shall be construed as conferring . . . any right".

Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.
5 U.S.C. § 5533 (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 55 / Subchapter IV / Section 5533: Dual pay from more than one position; limitations; exceptions
Dual pay from more than one position; limitations; exceptions
Status: in_force

(a) Except as provided by subsections (b), (c), and (d) of this section, an individual is not entitled to receive basic pay from more than one position for more than an aggregate of 40 hours of work in one calendar week (Sunday through Saturday).

(b) Except as otherwise provided by subsection (c) of this section, the Office of Personnel Management, subject to the supervision and control of the President, may prescribe regulations under which exceptions may be made to the restrictions in subsection (a) of this section when appropriate authority determines that the exceptions are warranted because personal services otherwise cannot be readily obtained.

(c)(1) Unless otherwise authorized by law and except as otherwise provided by paragraph (2) or (4) of this subsection, appropriated funds are not available for payment to an individual of pay from more than one position if the pay of one of the positions is paid by the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or the Chief of the Capitol Police, or one of the positions is under the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, and if the aggregate gross pay from the positions exceeds $7,724 a year ($10,540,1 in the case of pay disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate).

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, appropriated funds are not available for payment to an individual of pay from more than one position, for each of which the pay is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives or the Chief of the Capitol Police, if the aggregate gross pay from those positions exceeds the maximum per annum gross rate of pay authorized to be paid to an employee out of the clerk hire allowance of a Member of the House.

(3) For the purposes of this subsection, "gross pay" means the annual rate of pay (or equivalent thereof in the case of an individual paid on other than an annual basis) received by an individual.

(4) Paragraph (1) of this subsection does not apply to pay on a when-actually-employed basis received from more than one consultant or expert position if the pay is not received for the same day.

(d) Subsection (a) of this section does not apply to—

(1) pay on a when-actually-employed basis received from more than one consultant or expert position if the pay is not received for the same hours of the same day;

(2) pay consisting of fees paid on other than a time basis;

(3) pay received by a teacher of the public schools of the District of Columbia for employment in a position during the summer vacation period;

(4) pay paid by the Tennessee Valley Authority to an employee performing part-time or intermittent work in addition to his normal duties when the Authority considers it to be in the interest of efficiency and economy;

(5) pay received by an individual holding a position—

(A) the pay of which is paid by the Secretary of the Senate, the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or the Chief of the Capitol Police; or

(B) under the Architect of the Capitol;

(6) pay paid by the United States Coast Guard to an employee occupying a part-time position of lamplighter; and

(7) pay within the purview of any of the following statutes:

(A) section 162 of title 2;

(B) section 23(b) of title 13;

(C) section 327 of title 15;

(D) section 907 of title 20;

(E) section 873 of title 33; or

(F) section 631 or 631a of title 31, District of Columbia Code.

[(G) Repealed. Pub. L. 96–70, title III, §3302(e)(8), Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 498.]

(e)(1) This section does not apply to an individual employed under sections 174j–1 to 174j–7 or 174k 2 of title 40.

(2) Subsection (c) of this section does not apply to pay received by a teacher of the public schools of the District of Columbia for employment in a position during the summer vacation period.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 483; Pub. L. 90–57, §105(h), July 28, 1967, 81 Stat. 143; Pub. L. 90–206, title II, §214(o), Dec. 16, 1967. 81 Stat. 637; Pub. L. 91–510, title IV, §477(d), Oct. 26, 1970, 84 Stat. 1195; Pub. L. 93–140, §23, Oct. 26, 1973, 87 Stat. 508; Pub. L. 93–145, §101, Nov. 1, 1973, 87 Stat. 532; Pub. L. 94–183, §2(21), Dec. 31, 1975, 89 Stat. 1058; Pub. L. 94–440, title I, §103, Oct. 1, 1976, 90 Stat. 1443; Pub. L. 95–454, title IX, §906(a)(2), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1224; Pub. L. 96–70, title III, §3302(e)(8), Sept. 27, 1979, 93 Stat. 498; Pub. L. 104–186, title II, §215(7), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1745; Pub. L. 111–145, §7(b)(2), Mar. 4, 2010, 124 Stat. 55.)

Historical and Revision Notes

DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes and 
Statutes at Large

 
5 U.S.C. 3105 (less (e)). 
Aug. 19, 1964, Pub. L. 88–448, §301 (less (e)), 78 Stat. 488.

In subsection (a), the words "an individual" are substituted for "civilian personnel".

In subsection (b), the words "and issue" are omitted as surplusage.

In subsection (c), the words "appropriated funds are not" are substituted for "no funds appropriated by any Act shall be". The words "$2,000 a year" are substituted for "the sum of $2,000 per annum".

In subsection (d)(7)(D), reference to "section 907 of title 20" is substituted for 5 U.S.C. 3105(d)(7)(F) to reflect the scheduled transfer of 5 U.S.C. 2358(b) to title 20.

In subsection (d)(7)(H), the words "of chapter 7" are omitted as surplusage.

Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Sections 174j–1, 174j–3, 174j–4, 174j–5, 174j–6, 174j–7, and 174k of title 40, referred to in subsec. (e)(1), were transferred to sections 2042, 2043, 2044, 2045, 2046, 2047, and 2041, respectively, of Title 2, The Congress. Section 174j–2 of title 40 was repealed by Pub. L. 107–217, §6(b), Aug. 21, 2002, 116 Stat. 1304.

Amendments

2010—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 111–145, §7(b)(2)(A)(i), substituted ", the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or the Chief of the Capitol Police" for "or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives".

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 111–145, §7(b)(2)(A)(ii), inserted "or the Chief of the Capitol Police" after "House of Representatives".

Subsec. (d)(5)(A). Pub. L. 111–145, §7(b)(2)(B), substituted ", the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, or the Chief of the Capitol Police" for "or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives".

1996—Subsecs. (c)(1), (2), (d)(5)(A). Pub. L. 104–186 substituted "Chief Administrative Officer" for "Clerk".

1979—Subsec. (d)(7). Pub. L. 96–70 struck out subpar. (G) which made reference to section 102 of title 2, Canal Zone Code.

1978—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 95–454 substituted "Office of Personnel Management" for "Civil Service Commission".

1976—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 94–440 inserted "($10,540, in the case of pay disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate)" after "exceeds $7,724 a year".

1975—Subsec. (d)(7). Pub. L. 94–183 struck out subpar. (F) relating to section 3335 (a) or (c) of title 39, and redesignated subpars. (G) and (H) as (F) and (G), respectively.

1973—Subsec. (c)(1), (4). Pub. L. 93–145 inserted reference to par. (4) in par. (1) and added par. (4).

Subsec. (e). Pub. L. 93–140 designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

1970—Subsec. (c)(1). Pub. L. 91–510 inserted "and except as otherwise provided by paragraph (2) of this section" after "authorized by law" and substituted "if the aggregate gross pay from the positions exceeds $7,724 a year" for "if—

"(A) the pay of one or more of the positions is fixed at a single gross per annum rate, and the aggregate gross pay from the positions exceeds $6,256 a year, or

"(B) the pay of each such position is fixed at a basic rate plus additional compensation authorized by law, and the aggregate basic pay of the positions exceeds $2,000 a year".

Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 91–510 substituted provision making appropriated funds unavailable for payment to an individual of pay from more than one position, for each of which pay is disbursed by the Clerk of the House, if the aggregate gross pay from those positions exceeds the maximum per annum gross rate of pay authorized to be paid to an employee out of clerk hire allowance of a Member of the House for definition of "gross pay", now incorporated in cl. (3).

Subsec. (c)(3). Pub. L. 91–510 redesignated former cl. (2) as (3) and deleted provision which included in gross pay of an individual receiving basic pay plus additional compensation provided by law the aggregate amount received as basic and additional compensation, but excluded sums received as premium pay under subchapter V of this chapter.

1967—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 90–206 provided for an increase in the aggregate gross pay allowed to certain specified congressional employees on two payrolls as dual office compensation.

Pub. L. 90–57 designated existing dual pay limitation provisions relating to basic compensation as par. (1), redesignated cls. (1) and (2) as (A) and (B), eliminated from cl. (A) provision for pay for one of the positions by the Secretary of the Senate and restricted such cl. (A) to payments in case of employees receiving basic rates of compensation and added par. (2) dual pay limitations applicable to aggregate gross compensation of employees receiving single per annum rates of compensation.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2010 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–145 effective as though enacted as part of section 1018 of Pub. L. 108–7, see section 7(d) of Pub. L. 111–145, set out as a note under section 2107 of this title.

Effective Date of 1979 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–70 effective Oct. 1, 1979, see section 3304 of Pub. L. 96–70, set out as an Effective Date note under section 3601 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 95–454 effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.

Effective Date of 1970 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 91–510 effective immediately prior to noon on Jan. 3, 1971, see section 601(1) of Pub. L. 91–510, set out as a note under section 4301 of Title 2, The Congress.

Effective Date of 1967 Amendments

Amendment by Pub. L. 90–206 effective at beginning of first pay period which begins on or after Dec. 16, 1967, see section 220(a)(3) of Pub. L. 90–206, set out as a note under section 603 of Title 28, Judiciary and Judicial Procedure.

Amendment by Pub. L. 90–57, effective Aug. 1, 1967, see section 105(k) of Pub. L. 90–57, set out as an Effective Date note under section 4575 of Title 2, The Congress.

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see sections 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6.

Increase in Compensation of Individuals Whose Pay is Disbursed by Secretary of Senate

2022—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2023, to the figure "$41,528", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 28, 2022, set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2, The Congress.

The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2022, to the figure "$39,603", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Mar. 15, 2022, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2, The Congress.

2021—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2022, to the figure "$38,442", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 5, 2021, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2, The Congress.

2020—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2020, to the figure "$38,061", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 6, 2020, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2, The Congress.

2019—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2019, to the figure "$36,766", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Apr. 1, 2019, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2018—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2018, to the figure "$35,949", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Mar. 23, 2018, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2017—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2017, to the figure "$35,144", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, May 5, 2017, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2015—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2016, to the figure "$34,160", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 28, 2015, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2014—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2015, to the figure "$33,668", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 23, 2014, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2014, to the figure "$33,334", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 27, 2014, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2010—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2010, to the figure "$33,003", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 5, 2010, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2009—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2009, to the figure "$32,515", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Mar. 12, 2009, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2008—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2008, to the figure "$31,906", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 7, 2008, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2007—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2007, to the figure "$30,827", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Feb. 16, 2007, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2006—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2006, to the figure "$29,905", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 4, 2006, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2005—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2005, to the figure "$29,289", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 3, 2005, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2004—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2004, to the figure "$28,574", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Mar. 5, 2004, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2003—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2003, to the figure "$27,822", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 19, 2002, as amended, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2002—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2002, to the figure "$26,985", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 20, 2001, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2001—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2001, to the figure "$26,329", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 20, 2000, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

2000—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 2000, to the figure "$25,362", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 12, 1999, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1999—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1999, to the figure "$24,433", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 16, 1998, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1998—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1998, to the figure "$23,698", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 19, 1997, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1997—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1997, to the figure "$23,165", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 18, 1996, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1995—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1995, to the figure "$22,200", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 28, 1994, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1993—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1993, to the figure "$21,764", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 17, 1992, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1992—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1992, to the figure "$20,987", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 18, 1991, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1991—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1991, to the figure "$20,141", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 20, 1990, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1990—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1990, to the figure "$19,347", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 21, 1989, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1989—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1989, to the figure "$18,674", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 9, 1988, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1988—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1988, to the figure "$17,938", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 4, 1988, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1987—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1987, to the figure "$17,586", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 19, 1986, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1985—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1985, to the figure "$17,073", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 4, 1985, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1984—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1984, to the figure "$16,495", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 20, 1983, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1982—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Oct. 1, 1982, to the figure "$15,860", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Oct. 1, 1982, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1980—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Oct. 1, 1980, to the figure "$14,551", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Oct. 1, 1980, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1979—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Oct. 1, 1979, to the figure "$13,337", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Oct. 13, 1979, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1978—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Oct. 1, 1978, to the figure "$12,480", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Oct. 9, 1978, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1977—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Oct. 1, 1977, to the figure "$11,830", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Sept. 27, 1977, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1976—The figure "$10,540" in subsec. (c)(1) of this section to be deemed to refer, effective Oct. 1, 1976, to the figure "$11,050", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Oct. 8, 1976, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1973—The figure "7,724" in subsection (c)(1) of this section, deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1973, to the figure "9,080", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 16, 1972, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1972—The figure "7,724" in subsection (c)(1) of this section, deemed to refer, effective Jan. 1, 1972, to the figure "8,637", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Dec. 23, 1971, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1971—The figure "7,724" in subsection (c)(1) of this section, deemed to refer, effective Feb. 1, 1971, to the figure "8,187", see section 9 of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, Jan. 15, 1971, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1970—Adjustment by President pro tempore of the Senate with respect to Senate, by Finance Clerk of House with respect to House of Representatives, and by Architect of Capitol with respect to Office of Architect of Capitol, effective on the first day of the first pay period which begins on or after Dec. 27, 1969, of rates of pay of employees of legislative branch subject to section 214 of Pub. L. 90–206 with certain exceptions, by amounts of adjustment for corresponding rates for employees subject to the General Schedule, set out in section 5332 of this title, which had been made by section 2 of Pub. L. 91–231 raising such rates by 6 percent, see Pub. L. 91–231, formerly set out as a note under section 5332 of this title.

1969—The figure "6,662" in subsection (c)(1)(A) of this section, as increased by Order of June 12, 1968, deemed, on and after July 1, 1969, to refer to the figure "7,287", see section 4(d) of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, June 17, 1969, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1968—The figure "6,256" in subsection (c)(1)(A) of this section deemed to refer, on and after July 1, 1968, to the figure "6,622", see section 1(i) of Salary Directive of President pro tempore of the Senate, June 12, 1968, formerly set out as a note under section 4571 of Title 2.

1 See Increase in Compensation of Individuals Whose Pay is Disbursed by Secretary of Senate note below.

2 See References in Text note below.
5 U.S.C. § 3132 (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 31 / Subchapter II / Section 3132: Definitions and exclusions
Definitions and exclusions
Status: in_force

(a) For the purpose of this subchapter—

(1) "agency" means an Executive agency, except a Government corporation and the Government Accountability Office, but does not include—

(A) any agency or unit thereof excluded from coverage by the President under subsection (c) of this section; or

(B) the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Central Intelligence Agency, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Defense Intelligence Agency, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency, the National Security Agency, Department of Defense intelligence activities the civilian employees of which are subject to section 1590 of title 10, and, as determined by the President, an Executive agency, or unit thereof, whose principal function is the conduct of foreign intelligence or counterintelligence activities;

(C) the Federal Election Commission or the Election Assistance Commission;

(D) the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, the Office of Thrift Supervision,,1 the Resolution Trust Corporation, the Farm Credit Administration, the Federal Housing Finance Agency, the National Credit Union Administration, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, and the Office of Financial Research;

(E) the Securities and Exchange Commission; or

(F) the Commodity Futures Trading Commission;

(2) "Senior Executive Service position" means any position in an agency which is classified above GS–15 pursuant to section 5108 or in level IV or V of the Executive Schedule, or an equivalent position, which is not required to be filled by an appointment by the President by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and in which an employee—

(A) directs the work of an organizational unit;

(B) is held accountable for the success of one or more specific programs or projects;

(C) monitors progress toward organizational goals and periodically evaluates and makes appropriate adjustments to such goals;

(D) supervises the work of employees other than personal assistants; or

(E) otherwise exercises important policy-making, policy-determining, or other executive functions;

but does not include—

(i) any position in the Foreign Service of the United States;

(ii) an administrative law judge position under section 3105 of this title;

(iii) any position established as a qualified position in the excepted service by the Secretary of Homeland Security under section 226 2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002; or

(iv) any position established as a qualified position in the excepted service by the Secretary of Defense under section 1599f of title 10;

(3) "senior executive" means a member of the Senior Executive Service;

(4) "career appointee" means an individual in a Senior Executive Service position whose appointment to the position or previous appointment to another Senior Executive Service position was based on approval by the Office of Personnel Management of the executive qualifications of such individual;

(5) "limited term appointee" means an individual appointed under a nonrenewable appointment for a term of 3 years or less to a Senior Executive Service position the duties of which will expire at the end of such term;

(6) "limited emergency appointee" means an individual appointed under a nonrenewable appointment, not to exceed 18 months, to a Senior Executive Service position established to meet a bona fide, unanticipated, urgent need;

(7) "noncareer appointee" means an individual in a Senior Executive Service position who is not a career appointee, a limited term appointee, or a limited emergency appointee;

(8) "career reserved position" means a position which is required to be filled by a career appointee and which is designated under subsection (b) of this section; and

(9) "general position" means any position, other than a career reserved position, which may be filled by either a career appointee, noncareer appointee, limited emergency appointee, or limited term appointee.

(b)(1) For the purpose of paragraph (8) of subsection (a) of this section, the Office shall prescribe the criteria and regulations governing the designation of career reserved positions. The criteria and regulations shall provide that a position shall be designated as a career reserved position only if the filling of the position by a career appointee is necessary to ensure impartiality, or the public's confidence in the impartiality, of the Government. The head of each agency shall be responsible for designating career reserved positions in such agency in accordance with such criteria and regulations.

(2) The Office shall periodically review general positions to determine whether the positions should be designated as career reserved. If the Office determines that any such position should be so designated, it shall order the agency to make the designation.

(3) Notwithstanding the provisions of any other law, any position to be designated as a Senior Executive Service position (except a position in the Executive Office of the President) which—

(A) is under the Executive Schedule, or for which the rate of basic pay is determined by reference to the Executive Schedule, and

(B) on the day before the date of the enactment of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 was specifically required under section 2102 of this title or otherwise required by law to be in the competitive service,

shall be designated as a career reserved position if the position entails direct responsibility to the public for the management or operation of particular government programs or functions.

(4) Not later than March 1 of each year, the head of each agency shall publish in the Federal Register a list of positions in the agency which were career reserved positions during the preceding calendar year.

(c) An agency may file an application with the Office setting forth reasons why it, or a unit thereof, should be excluded from the coverage of this subchapter. The Office shall—

(1) review the application and stated reasons,

(2) undertake a review to determine whether the agency or unit should be excluded from the coverage of this subchapter, and

(3) upon completion of its review, recommend to the President whether the agency or unit should be excluded from the coverage of this subchapter.

If the Office recommends that an agency or unit thereof be excluded from the coverage of this subchapter, the President may, on written determination, make the exclusion for the period determined by the President to be appropriate.

(d) Any agency or unit which is excluded from coverage under subsection (c) of this section shall make a sustained effort to bring its personnel system into conformity with the Senior Executive Service to the extent practicable.

(e) The Office may at any time recommend to the President that any exclusion previously granted to an agency or unit thereof under subsection (c) of this section be revoked. Upon recommendation of the Office, the President may revoke, by written determination, any exclusion made under subsection (c) of this section.

(f) If—

(1) any agency is excluded under subsection (c) of this section, or

(2) any exclusion is revoked under subsection (e) of this section,

the Office shall, within 30 days after the action, transmit to the Congress written notice of the exclusion or revocation.

(Added Pub. L. 95–454, title IV, §402(a), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1155; amended Pub. L. 96–54, §2(a)(12), Aug. 14, 1979, 93 Stat. 382; Pub. L. 96–187, title II, §203, Jan. 8, 1980, 93 Stat. 1368; Pub. L. 100–325, §2(c), May 30, 1988, 102 Stat. 581; Pub. L. 101–73, title VII, §742(c), Aug. 9, 1989, 103 Stat. 437; Pub. L. 101–509, title V, §529 [title I, §101(b)(9)(A)], Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1427, 1441; Pub. L. 101–624, title XVIII, §1841, Nov. 28, 1990, 104 Stat. 3835; Pub. L. 102–496, title IV, §402(b), Oct. 24, 1992, 106 Stat. 3184; Pub. L. 102–550, title XIII, §1351(b), Oct. 28, 1992, 106 Stat. 3969; Pub. L. 103–359, title V, §501(d), Oct. 14, 1994, 108 Stat. 3429; Pub. L. 104–201, div. A, title XI, §1122(a)(1), Sept. 23, 1996, 110 Stat. 2687; Pub. L. 107–123, §8(d)(1)(B), Jan. 16, 2002, 115 Stat. 2399; Pub. L. 107–171, title X, §10702(c)(1), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 517; Pub. L. 107–252, title VIII, §811(b), Oct. 29, 2002, 116 Stat. 1727; Pub. L. 108–271, §8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814; Pub. L. 110–289, div. A, title I, §1161(g)(2), July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2781; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title IX, §931(a)(1), Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4575; Pub. L. 111–203, title I, §152(d)(4), July 21, 2010, 124 Stat. 1414; Pub. L. 112–277, title V, §505(b), Jan. 14, 2013, 126 Stat. 2478; Pub. L. 113–277, §3(b), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3008; Pub. L. 114–92, div. A, title XI, §1107(b), Nov. 25, 2015, 129 Stat. 1027.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Level IV or V of the Executive Schedule, referred to in subsec. (a)(2), are set out in sections 5315 and 5316 of this title.

Section 226 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002, referred to in cl. (iii) of concluding provisions of subsec. (a)(2), probably means the section 226 of Pub. L. 107–296 as added by Pub. L. 113–277, §3(a), Dec. 18, 2014, 128 Stat. 3005, which was renumbered section 2208 of Pub. L. 107–296 by Pub. L. 115–278, §2(g)(2)(I), Nov. 16, 2018, 132 Stat. 4178, and is classified to section 658 of Title 6, Domestic Security.

The date of the enactment of the Civil Service Reform Act of 1978, referred to in subsec. (b)(3), is the date of the enactment of Pub. L. 95–454, which was approved Oct. 13, 1978.

Amendments

2015—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 114–92 added cl. (iv) of concluding provisions.

2014—Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 113–277 added cl. (iii) of concluding provisions.

2013—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 112–277 inserted "the Office of the Director of National Intelligence," after "the Central Intelligence Agency,".

2010—Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 111–203 substituted "the National Credit Union Administration, the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection, and the Office of Financial Research;" for "and the National Credit Union Administration;".

2008—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted "National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency" for "National Imagery and Mapping Agency".

Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(g)(2)(A), substituted ", and" for ",, and".

Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(g)(2)(B), struck out "the Federal Housing Finance Board" after "the Office of Thrift Supervision,", substituted "the Federal Housing Finance Agency" for "the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development", and struck out "or or" at end.

Subsec. (a)(1)(E), (F). Pub. L. 110–289, §1161(g)(2)(C), (D), inserted "or" at end of subpar. (E), relating to Securities and Exchange Commission, and redesignated subpar. (E), relating to Commodity Futures Trading Commission, as (F).

2004—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted "Government Accountability Office" for "General Accounting Office" in introductory provisions.

2002—Subsec. (a)(1)(C). Pub. L. 107–252, §811(b), inserted "or the Election Assistance Commission" after "Commission".

Pub. L. 107–171, §10702(c)(1)(A), which directed amendment by striking "or" at the end, could not be executed because the word "or" did not appear at the end. See below.

Pub. L. 107–123, §8(d)(1)(B)(i), struck out "or" at end.

Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 107–171, §10702(c)(1)(B), inserted "or" at end.

Pub. L. 107–123, §8(d)(1)(B)(ii), inserted "or" at end.

Subsec. (a)(1)(E). Pub. L. 107–171, §10702(c)(1)(C), added subpar. (E) relating to Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Pub. L. 107–123, §8(d)(1)(B)(iii), added subpar. (E) relating to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

1996—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 104–201 substituted "National Imagery and Mapping Agency" for "Central Imagery Office".

1994—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 103–359 inserted "the Central Imagery Office," after "Defense Intelligence Agency,".

1992—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 102–496 inserted ", Department of Defense intelligence activities the civilian employees of which are subject to section 1590 of title 10," after "National Security Agency".

Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 102–550 inserted "the Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight of the Department of Housing and Urban Development," after "Farm Credit Administration,".

1990—Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 101–624 inserted reference to Farm Credit Administration.

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 101–509 substituted "classified above GS–15 pursuant to section 5108" for "in GS–16, 17, or 18 of the General Schedule".

1989—Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 101–73 added subpar. (D).

1988—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 100–325, §2(c)(1), inserted reference to Drug Enforcement Administration.

Subsec. (a)(2)(iii). Pub. L. 100–235, §2(c)(2), struck out cl. (iii) which read as follows: "any position in the Drug Enforcement Administration which is excluded from the competitive service under section 201 of the Crime Control Act of 1976 (5 U.S.C. 5108 note; 90 Stat. 2425);".

1980—Subsec. (a)(1)(C). Pub. L. 96–187 added subpar. (C).

1979—Subsec. (a)(1)(B). Pub. L. 96–54 inserted "and," after "Security Agency,".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2010 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 111–203 effective 1 day after July 21, 2010, except as otherwise provided, see section 4 of Pub. L. 111–203, set out as an Effective Date note under section 5301 of Title 12, Banks and Banking.

Effective Date of 2008 Amendment

Pub. L. 110–289, div. A , title I, §1163, July 30, 2008, 122 Stat. 2782, provided that: "Except as otherwise specifically provided in this title [see Tables for classification], this title and the amendments made by this title shall take effect on, and shall apply beginning on, the date of enactment of this Act [July 30, 2008]."

Effective Date of 2002 Amendments

Amendment by Pub. L. 107–252 effective upon appointment of all members of the Election Assistance Commission under section 20923 of Title 52, Voting and Elections, see section 21134(a) of Title 52.

Amendment by Pub. L. 107–123 effective Oct. 1, 2001, see section 11 of Pub. L. 107–123, set out as a note under section 78ee of Title 15, Commerce and Trade.

Effective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 104–201 effective Oct. 1, 1996, see section 1124 of Pub. L. 104–201, set out as a note under section 193 of Title 10, Armed Forces.

Effective Date of 1990 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 101–509 effective on such date as the President shall determine, but not earlier than 90 days, and not later than 180 days, after Nov. 5, 1990, see section 529 [title III, §305] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out as a note under section 5301 of this title.

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–187 effective on Jan. 8, 1980, see section 301(a) of Pub. L. 96–187, set out as a note under section 30101 of Title 52, Voting and Elections.

Effective Date of 1979 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 96–54 effective July 12, 1979, see section 2(b) of Pub. L. 96–54, set out as a note under section 305 of this title.

Effective Date

Section effective 9 months after Oct. 13, 1978, and congressional review of provisions of sections 401 through 412 of Pub. L. 95–454, see section 415(a)(1), (b), of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 3131 of this title.

Construction

Pub. L. 112–166, §2(hh), Aug. 10, 2012, 126 Stat. 1290, provided that: "Notwithstanding section 3132(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code, removal of Senate confirmation for any position in this section shall not—

"(1) result in any such position being placed in the Senior Executive Service; or

"(2) alter compensation for any such position under the Executive Schedule or other applicable compensation provisions of law."

1 So in original.

2 So in original. See References in Text note below.
5 U.S.C. § 9902 (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 99 / Section 9902: Department of Defense personnel authorities
Department of Defense personnel authorities
Status: in_force

(a) Performance Management and Workforce Incentives.—(1) The Secretary, in coordination with the Director, shall promulgate regulations providing for the following:

(A) A fair, credible, and transparent performance appraisal system for employees.

(B) A fair, credible, and transparent system for linking employee bonuses and other performance-based actions to performance appraisals of employees.

(C) A process for ensuring ongoing performance feedback and dialogue among supervisors, managers, and employees throughout the appraisal period and setting timetables for review.

(D) Development of attractive career paths.

(E) Development of "performance assistance plans" that are designed to give employees formal training, on-the-job training, counseling, mentoring, and other assistance.

(2) In developing the regulations required by this subsection, the Secretary, in coordination with the Director, may waive the requirements of chapter 43 (other than sections 4302 and 4303(e)) and the regulations implementing such chapter, to the extent necessary to achieve the objectives of this subsection.

(3)(A) The Secretary may establish a fund, to be known as the "Department of Defense Civilian Workforce Incentive Fund" (in this paragraph referred to as the "Fund").

(B) The Fund shall consist of the following:

(i) Amounts appropriated to the Fund.

(ii) Amounts available for compensation of employees that are transferred to the Fund.

(C) Amounts in the Fund shall be available for the following:

(i) Incentive payments for employees based on team or individual performance (which payments shall be in addition to basic pay).

(ii) Incentive payments to attract or retain employees with particular or superior qualifications or abilities.

(D) The authority provided in this paragraph is in addition to, and does not supersede or replace, any authority or source of funding otherwise available to the Secretary to pay bonuses or make incentive payments to civilian employees of the Department.

(4)(A) Any action taken by the Secretary under this subsection, or to implement this subsection, shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (c) and chapter 71.

(B) Any rules or regulations promulgated pursuant to this subsection shall be deemed an agency rule or regulation under section 7117(a)(2), and shall not be deemed a Government-wide rule or regulation under section 7117(a)(1).

(b) Flexibilities Relating to Appointments.—(1) The Secretary, in coordination with the Director, shall promulgate regulations to redesign the procedures which are applied by the Department of Defense in making appointments to positions within the competitive service in order to—

(A) better meet mission needs;

(B) respond to managers' needs and the needs of applicants;

(C) produce high-quality applicants;

(D) support timely decisions;

(E) uphold appointments based on merit system principles; and

(F) promote competitive job offers.

(2) In redesigning the process by which such appointments shall be made, the Secretary, in coordination with the Director, may waive the requirements of chapter 33, and the regulations implementing such chapter, to the extent necessary to achieve the objectives of this section, while providing for the following:

(A) Fair, credible, and transparent methods of establishing qualification requirements for, recruitment for, and appointments to positions.

(B) Fair and open competition and equitable treatment in the consideration and selection of individuals to positions.

(C) Fair, credible, and transparent methods of assigning, reassigning, detailing, transferring, or promoting employees.

(3) In implementing this subsection, the Secretary shall comply with the provisions of section 2302(b)(11), regarding veterans' preference requirements, in a manner consistent with that in which such provisions are applied under chapter 33.

(4)(A) Any action taken by the Secretary under this subsection, or to implement this subsection, shall be subject to the requirements of subsection (c) and chapter 71.

(B) Any rules or regulations promulgated pursuant to this section shall be deemed an agency rule or regulation under section 7117(a)(2), and shall not be deemed a Government-wide rule or regulation under section 7117(a)(1).

(5) The Secretary shall develop a training program for Department of Defense human resource professionals to implement the requirements of this subsection.

(6) The Secretary shall develop indicators of effectiveness to determine whether appointment flexibilities under this subsection have achieved the objectives set forth in paragraph (1).

(c) Criteria for Use of New Personnel Authorities.—In establishing any new performance management and workforce incentive system under subsection (a) or utilizing appointment flexibilities under subsection (b), the Secretary shall—

(1) adhere to merit principles set forth in section 2301;

(2) include a means for ensuring employee involvement (for bargaining unit employees, through their exclusive representatives) in the design and implementation of such system;

(3) provide for adequate training and retraining for supervisors, managers, and employees in the implementation and operation of such system;

(4) develop—

(A) a comprehensive management succession program to provide training to employees to develop managers for the agency; and

(B) a program to provide training to supervisors on actions, options, and strategies a supervisor may use in administering such system;

(5) include effective transparency and accountability measures and safeguards to ensure that the management of such system is fair, credible, and equitable, including appropriate independent reasonableness reviews, internal assessments, and employee surveys;

(6) provide mentors to advise individuals on their career paths and opportunities to advance and excel within their fields;

(7) develop appropriate procedures for warnings during performance evaluations for employees who fail to meet performance standards;

(8) utilize the annual strategic workforce plan, required by section 115b 1 of title 10; and

(9) ensure that adequate agency resources are allocated for the design, implementation, and administration of such system.

(d) Development of Training Program for Supervisors.—(1) The Secretary shall develop—

(A) a program to provide training to supervisors on use of the new authorities provided in this section, including the actions, options, and strategies a supervisor may use in—

(i) developing and discussing relevant goals and objectives with the employee, communicating and discussing progress relative to performance goals and objectives, and conducting performance appraisals;

(ii) mentoring and motivating employees, and improving employee performance and productivity;

(iii) fostering a work environment characterized by fairness, respect, equal opportunity, and attention to the quality of the work of employees;

(iv) effectively managing employees with unacceptable performance;

(v) addressing reports of a hostile work environment, reprisal, or harassment of or by another supervisor or employee; and

(vi) otherwise carrying out the duties and responsibilities of a supervisor;

(B) a program to provide training to supervisors on the prohibited personnel practices under section 2302 (particularly with respect to such practices described under subsections (b)(1) and (b)(8) of such section), employee collective bargaining and union participation rights, and the procedures and processes used to enforce employee rights; and

(C) a program under which experienced supervisors mentor new supervisors by—

(i) sharing knowledge and advice in areas such as communication, critical thinking, responsibility, flexibility, motivating employees, teamwork, leadership, and professional development; and

(ii) pointing out strengths and areas for development.

(2) Each supervisor shall be required to complete a program at least once every 3 years.

(e) Provisions Regarding National Level Bargaining.—

(1) The Secretary may bargain with a labor organization which has been accorded exclusive recognition under chapter 71 at an organizational level above the level of exclusive recognition. The decision to bargain above the level of exclusive recognition shall not be subject to review. The Secretary shall consult with the labor organization before determining the appropriate organizational level of bargaining.

(2) Any such bargaining shall—

(A) address issues that are—

(i) subject to bargaining under chapter 71 and this chapter;

(ii) applicable to multiple bargaining units; and

(iii) raised by either party to the bargaining;

(B) except as agreed by the parties or directed through an independent dispute resolution process agreed upon by the parties, be binding on all affected subordinate bargaining units of the labor organization at the level of recognition and their exclusive representatives, and the Department of Defense and its subcomponents, without regard to levels of recognition;

(C) to the extent agreed by the parties or directed through an independent dispute resolution process agreed upon by the parties, supersede conflicting provisions of all other collective bargaining agreements of the labor organization, including collective bargaining agreements negotiated with an exclusive representative at the level of recognition; and

(D) except as agreed by the parties or directed through an independent dispute resolution process agreed upon by the parties, not be subject to further negotiations for any purpose, including bargaining at the level of recognition.

(3) Any independent dispute resolution process agreed to by the parties for the purposes of paragraph (2) shall have the authority to address all issues on which the parties are unable to reach agreement.

(4) The National Guard Bureau and the Army and Air Force National Guard may be included in coverage under this subsection.

(5) Any bargaining completed pursuant to this subsection with a labor organization not otherwise having national consultation rights with the Department of Defense or its subcomponents shall not create any obligation on the Department of Defense or its subcomponents to confer national consultation rights on such a labor organization.

(f) Provisions Related to Separation and Retirement Incentives.—

(1) The Secretary may establish a program within the Department of Defense under which employees may be eligible for early retirement, offered separation incentive pay to separate from service voluntarily, or both. This authority may be used to reduce the number of personnel employed by the Department of Defense or to restructure the workforce to meet mission objectives without reducing the overall number of personnel. This authority is in addition to, and notwithstanding, any other authorities established by law or regulation for such programs.

(2)(A) The Secretary may not authorize the payment of voluntary separation incentive pay under paragraph (1) to more than 25,000 employees in any fiscal year, except that employees who receive voluntary separation incentive pay as a result of a closure or realignment of a military installation under the Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990 (title XXIX of Public Law 101–510; 10 U.S.C. 2687 note) shall not be included in that number.

(B) The Secretary shall prepare a report each fiscal year setting forth the number of employees who received such pay as a result of a closure or realignment of a military base as described under subparagraph (A).

(C) The Secretary shall submit the report under subparagraph (B) to the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Governmental Affairs of the Senate, and the Committee on Armed Services and the Committee on Government Reform of the House of Representatives.

(3) For purposes of this section, the term "employee" means an employee of the Department of Defense, serving under an appointment without time limitation, except that such term does not include—

(A) a reemployed annuitant under subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84, or another retirement system for employees of the Federal Government;

(B) an employee having a disability on the basis of which such employee is or would be eligible for disability retirement under any of the retirement systems referred to in subparagraph (A); or

(C) for purposes of eligibility for separation incentives under this section, an employee who is in receipt of a decision notice of involuntary separation for misconduct or unacceptable performance.

(4) An employee who is at least 50 years of age and has completed 20 years of service, or has at least 25 years of service, may, pursuant to regulations promulgated under this section, apply and be retired from the Department of Defense and receive benefits in accordance with chapter 83 or 84 if the employee has been employed continuously within the Department of Defense for more than 30 days before the date on which the determination to conduct a reduction or restructuring within 1 or more Department of Defense components is approved.

(5)(A) Separation pay shall be paid in a lump sum or in installments and shall be equal to the lesser of—

(i) an amount equal to the amount the employee would be entitled to receive under section 5595(c), if the employee were entitled to payment under such section; or

(ii) $25,000.

(B) Separation pay shall not be a basis for payment, and shall not be included in the computation, of any other type of Government benefit. Separation pay shall not be taken into account for the purpose of determining the amount of any severance pay to which an individual may be entitled under section 5595, based on any other separation.

(C) Separation pay, if paid in installments, shall cease to be paid upon the recipient's acceptance of employment by the Federal Government, or commencement of work under a personal services contract as described in paragraph (6).

(6)(A) An employee who receives separation pay under such program may not be reemployed by the Department of Defense for a 12-month period beginning on the effective date of the employee's separation, unless this prohibition is waived by the Secretary on a case-by-case basis.

(B) An employee who receives separation pay under this section on the basis of a separation occurring on or after the date of the enactment of the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994 (Public Law 103–226; 108 Stat. 111) and accepts employment with the Government of the United States, or who commences work through a personal services contract with the United States within 5 years after the date of the separation on which payment of the separation pay is based, shall be required to repay the entire amount of the separation pay to the Department of Defense. If the employment is with an Executive agency (as defined by section 105) other than the Department of Defense, the Director may, at the request of the head of that agency, waive the repayment if the individual involved possesses unique abilities and is the only qualified applicant available for the position. If the employment is within the Department of Defense, the Secretary may waive the repayment if the individual involved is the only qualified applicant available for the position. If the employment is with an entity in the legislative branch, the head of the entity or the appointing official may waive the repayment if the individual involved possesses unique abilities and is the only qualified applicant available for the position. If the employment is with the judicial branch, the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts may waive the repayment if the individual involved possesses unique abilities and is the only qualified applicant available for the position.

(7) Under this program, early retirement and separation pay may be offered only pursuant to regulations established by the Secretary, subject to such limitations or conditions as the Secretary may require.

(g) Provisions Relating to Reemployment.—

(1) Except as provided under paragraph (2), if an annuitant receiving an annuity from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund becomes employed in a position within the Department of Defense, his annuity shall continue. An annuitant so reemployed shall not be considered an employee for purposes of subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84.

(2)(A) An annuitant retired under section 8336(d)(1) or 8414(b)(1)(A) receiving an annuity from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund, who becomes employed in a position within the Department of Defense after the date of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004 (Public Law 108–136), may elect to be subject to section 8344 or 8468 (as the case may be).

(B) An election for coverage under this paragraph shall be filed not later than the later of 90 days after the date the Department of Defense—

(i) prescribes regulations to carry out this subsection; or

(ii) takes reasonable actions to notify employees who may file an election.

(C) If an employee files an election under this paragraph, coverage shall be effective beginning on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after the date of the filing of the election.

(D) Paragraph (1) shall apply to an individual who is eligible to file an election under subparagraph (A) and does not file a timely election under subparagraph (B).

(3) Benefits similar to those provided by paragraphs (1) and (2) may be extended, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the President, so as to be made available with respect to reemployed annuitants within the Department of Defense who are subject to such other retirement systems for Government employees (whose annuities are payable under authorities other than subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5) as may be provided for under such regulations.

(4) The Secretary shall prescribe regulations to carry out this subsection, excluding paragraph (3).

(h) Reports.—

(1) In general.—Not later than 1 year after the implementation of any performance management and workforce incentive system under subsection (a) or any procedures relating to personnel appointment flexibilities under subsection (b) (whichever is earlier), and whenever any significant action is taken under any of the preceding provisions of this section (but at least biennially) thereafter, the Secretary shall—

(A) conduct appropriately designed and statistically valid internal assessments or employee surveys to assess employee perceptions of any program, system, procedures, or other aspect of personnel management, as established or modified under authority of this section; and

(B) submit to the appropriate committees of Congress a report describing the results of the assessments or surveys conducted under subparagraph (A) (including the methodology used), together with any other information which the Secretary considers appropriate.

(2) Definition.—For purposes of this subsection, the term "appropriate committees of Congress" means—

(A) the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and

(C) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives.

(Added Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title XI, §1101(a)(1), Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1621; amended Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title XI, §1106(a), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 349; Pub. L. 110–417, [div. A], title XI, §1106, Oct. 14, 2008, 122 Stat. 4617; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title XI, §§1113(b)(1), (d), (f)(1), 1121, Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2498, 2499, 2502, 2505; Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, §1075(a)(2), title XI, §1101(c), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4368, 4382; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title XI, §§1101(a)–(c), 1102(a), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1610, 1611; Pub. L. 118–31, div. A, title XI, §1120, Dec. 22, 2023, 137 Stat. 435.)

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 115b of title 10, referred to in subsec. (c)(8), was repealed by Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XI, §1102(a), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2444.

The Defense Base Closure and Realignment Act of 1990, referred to in subsec. (f)(2)(A), is part A of title XXIX of div. B of Pub. L. 101–510, Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1808, which is set out as a note under section 2687 of Title 10, Armed Forces. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

The date of the enactment of the Federal Workforce Restructuring Act of 1994, referred to in subsec. (f)(6)(B), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 103–226, which was approved Mar. 30, 1994.

The date of the enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2004, referred to in subsec. (g)(2)(A), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 108–136, which was approved Nov. 24, 2003.

Amendments

2023—Subsec. (h)(1)(B). Pub. L. 118–31, §1120(1), struck out "and the Comptroller General," after "committees of Congress".

Subsec. (h)(2), (3). Pub. L. 118–31, §1120(2), (3), redesignated par. (3) as (2) and struck out former par. (2) which provided for review by the Comptroller General of reports under paragraph (1).

2011—Subsec. (a)(1)(D), (E). Pub. L. 112–81, §1101(a), added subpar. (D) and redesignated former subpar. (D) as (E).

Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 111–383, §1075(a)(2), substituted "chapter" for "chapters" in two places.

Subsec. (b)(5), (6). Pub. L. 112–81, §1101(b), added pars. (5) and (6).

Subsec. (c)(6) to (9). Pub. L. 112–81, §1101(c), added pars. (6) and (7) and redesignated former pars. (6) and (7) as (8) and (9), respectively.

Subsec. (g)(3), (4). Pub. L. 111–383, §1101(c), amended directory language of Pub. L. 111–84, §1121. See 2009 Amendment note below.

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 112–81, §1102(a), added subsec. (h).

2009—Pub. L. 111–84, §1113(f)(1), amended section catchline generally, substituting "Department of Defense personnel authorities" for "Establishment of human resources management system".

Pub. L. 111–84, §1113(b)(1), (d), added subsecs. (a) to (d), redesignated subsecs. (f) to (h) as (e) to (g), respectively, and struck out former subsecs. (a) to (e), (i), and (j) which, respectively, authorized the Secretary of Defense to establish and adjust the National Security Personnel System (NSPS), provided for certain requirements of the NSPS, provided for certain exceptions to the NSPS with respect to certain laboratories, enumerated nonwaivable provisions referred to in former subsec. (b)(3)(D), established limitations relating to pay, preserved certain rights of and limitations on the Secretary, and prohibited the addition of an organizational or functional unit to the NSPS that would cause the number of employees added to the NSPS to exceed 100,000 in that year.

Subsec. (g)(3), (4). Pub. L. 111–84, §1121, as amended by Pub. L. 111–383, §1101(c), added par. (3), redesignated former par. (3) as (4), and, in par. (4), inserted ", excluding paragraph (3)" before period at end.

2008—Pub. L. 110–181 amended section generally, substituting provisions relating to establishment of human resources management system for former provisions which related to, in subsec. (a), general authority of Secretary of Defense to establish and adjust a human resources management system, in subsec. (b), system requirements, in subsec. (c), personnel management at defense laboratories, in subsec. (d), nonwaivable provisions, in subsec. (e), limitations relating to pay, in subsec. (f), collaboration with employee representatives, in subsec. (g), national level bargaining, in subsec. (h), appellate procedures, in subsec. (i), separation and retirement incentives, in subsec. (j), reemployment, in subsec. (k), personnel management, in subsec. (l), phase-in of the National Security Personnel System, and, in subsec. (m), labor management relations.

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 110–417 substituted "the requirements and limitations in paragraph (3)" for "the requirements of chapter 71 and the limitations in subsection (b)(3)" in par. (1), inserted ", in a manner comparable to that in which such provisions are applied under chapter 33" before period at end of par. (2), and added par. (3).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name

Committee on Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Tenth Congress, Jan. 5, 2007. Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2019. Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Accountability of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.

Committee on Governmental Affairs of Senate changed to Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of Senate, effective Jan. 4, 2005, by Senate Resolution No. 445, One Hundred Eighth Congress, Oct. 9, 2004.

Effective Date of 2011 Amendment

Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title XI, §1101(d), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4382, provided that:

"(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), the amendments made by this section [amending this section and provisions set out as notes preceding section 1580 and under section 4121 of Title 10, Armed Forces] shall take effect as of October 28, 2009.

"(2) The amendment made by subsection (a)(2) [amending provisions set out as a note preceding section 1580 of Title 10] shall take effect as of the date of enactment of this Act [Jan. 7, 2011]."

References to Pub. L. 111–383

Pub. L. 111–383, §1(b), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4137, provided that: "Any reference in this or any other Act to the 'National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011' shall be deemed to refer to the 'Ike Skelton National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011'."

Temporary Increase in Maximum Amount of Voluntary Separation Incentive Pay Authorized for Civilian Employees of the Department of Defense

Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XI, §1107, Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2448, as amended by Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title XI, §1103(a), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1629, provided that: "During the period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 23, 2016] and ending on September 30, 2021, section 9902(f)(5)(A)(ii) of title 5, United States Code, shall be applied by substituting 'an amount determined by the Secretary, not to exceed $40,000' for '$25,000'."

Reports on Performance Management System and Appointment Procedures

Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title XI, §1102(b), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1611, which directed the Secretary of Defense to submit reports on performance management system and appointment procedures, was repealed by Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, §1051(q)(1), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1565.

Provisions Relating to the National Security Personnel System

Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title XI, §1113(a)–(g), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2498–2502, as amended by Pub. L. 111–383, div. A, title X, §1075(d)(17), Jan. 7, 2011, 124 Stat. 4373; Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title XI, §1102(c)(2), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1612, provided that:

"(a) Definitions.—For purposes of this section—

"(1) the term 'National Security Personnel System' or 'NSPS' refers to a human resources management system established under authority of section 9902 of title 5, United States Code (as in effect before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 2009]); and

"(2) the term 'statutory pay system' means a pay system under—

"(A) subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code (relating to General Schedule pay rates); or

"(B) such other provisions of law as would apply if section 9902 of title 5, United States Code, had never been enacted.

"(b) Repeal of Provisions Relating to NSPS.—

"(1) In general.—[Amended this section.]

"(2) Expansion prohibited.—The National Security Personnel System may not be extended to any organizational or functional unit of the Department of Defense (or any component thereof) not included in such System as of March 1, 2009.

"(3) Current rules invalid.—Any regulations in effect as of the day before the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 2009] which were issued pursuant to any provision of law repealed by paragraph (1)(A)—

"(A) may not be modified on or after the date of the enactment of this Act, except as necessary to implement this Act [see Tables for classification]; and

"(B) shall cease to be effective as of January 1, 2012.

"(c) Termination of NSPS and Conversion of Employees and Positions.—

"(1) In general.—The Secretary of Defense shall take all actions which may be necessary to provide, beginning no later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 2009], for the orderly termination of the National Security Personnel System and conversion of all employees and positions from such System, by not later than January 1, 2012, to—

"(A) the statutory pay system and all other aspects of the personnel system that last applied to such employee or position (as the case may be) before the National Security Personnel System applied; or

"(B) if subparagraph (A) does not apply, the statutory pay system and all other aspects of the personnel system that would have applied if the National Security Personnel System had never been established.

No employee shall suffer any loss of or decrease in pay because of the preceding sentence, and, for purposes of carrying out such preceding sentence, any determination of the system that last applied (or that would have applied) with respect to an employee or position shall take into account any modifications to such system pursuant to the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of section 9902 of title 5, United States Code, as amended by subsection (d).

"(2) Transition period appointments.—To the extent practicable, any individual who, during the NSPS transition period, is appointed to any position within the Department of Defense which is subject to the NSPS shall be subject to the statutory pay system and all other aspects of the personnel system to which such individual or position is to be converted in accordance with the requirements of paragraph (1).

"(3) Temporary continuation of nsps.—Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the National Security Personnel System, as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act, shall continue to apply with respect to any employees and positions remaining subject to the NSPS, in accordance with paragraph (1), during the NSPS transition period.

"(4) Restoration of full annual pay adjustments under nsps pending its termination.—Notwithstanding subsection (b)(1)(A) [amending this section], section 9902(e)(7) of title 5, United States Code, to the extent that it remains in force under paragraph (3), shall be applied by substituting '100 percent' for 'no less than 60 percent'.

"(5) NSPS transition period defined.—For purposes of this subsection, the term 'NSPS transition period' means the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act and ending on January 1, 2012.

"(d) Authority Relating to Performance Management and Workforce Incentives, Hiring Flexibilities, and Training of Supervisors.—[Amended this section.]

"[(e) Repealed. Pub. L. 112–81, div. A, title XI, §1102(c)(2), Dec. 31, 2011, 125 Stat. 1612.]

"(f) Clerical Amendments.—[Amended this section and analysis preceding section 9901 of this title.]

"(g) Other Personnel Flexibilities.—

"(1) In general.—If the Secretary of Defense determines that it would be in the best interest of the Department of Defense to implement personnel flexibilities in addition to those authorized under section 9902 of title 5, United States Code, as amended by this section, the Secretary, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, may develop and submit to the covered committees, not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 2009], a proposal to implement—

"(A) additional personnel flexibilities and associated statutory waivers with respect to the application of the General Schedule (as defined in section 5332 of title 5, United States Code); or

"(B) additional personnel flexibilities and associated statutory waivers, which would require exemption from the application of the General Schedule (as so defined).

"(2) Rationale.—If the Secretary's proposal is to implement authorities described in paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall provide a detailed rationale as to why implementation of authorities described in paragraph (1)(A) are not adequate or appropriate to meet the interests of the Department.

"(3) Requirements.—The Secretary's proposal (whether as described in paragraph (1)(A) or (1)(B))—

"(A) shall be developed in a manner consistent with the requirements of subsections (c) and (d) of section 9902 of title 5, United States Code, as amended by this section;

"(B) shall include a description of proposed regulations and implementing rules that the Secretary plans to adopt for the proposed system;

"(C) shall identify and provide a rationale for any statutory waiver that would be required to implement the proposed system;

"(D) shall describe the steps that the Department would take to avoid problems of the type described in the report of the Defense Business Board, dated August 2009, regarding the National Security Personnel System; and

"(E) may not provide for the waiver of any provision of law that cannot be waived under paragraph (3) of section 9902(b) of title 5, United States Code (as in effect on the day before the date of the enactment of this Act), and shall be subject to the requirements in paragraphs (4) and (5) of such section (as then in effect).

"(4) Congressional approval required.—If Congress approves the Secretary's proposal in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2011, the Secretary may implement the proposal (subject to any changes required by law) and begin the implementation of such proposal for personnel included in the National Security Personnel System, in lieu of the transition that would otherwise be required by subsection (b), subject to paragraph (5).

"(5) Restrictions.—Notwithstanding any approval under paragraph (4), the provisions of subsection (b)(2) and (c)(4) shall apply with respect to any proposal approved under such paragraph, unless and until modified or repealed in legislation enacted after the date of the enactment of this Act.

"(6) Definitions.—For purposes of this subsection, the term 'covered committees' means—

"(A) the Committees on Armed Services of the Senate and the House of Representatives;

"(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate; and

"(C) the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform [now Committee on Oversight and Accountability] of the House of Representatives."

Implementation

Pub. L. 110–181, div. A, title XI, §1106(b), Jan. 28, 2008, 122 Stat. 356, which related to implementation of requirements of this section as amended by Pub. L. 110–181, was repealed by Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title XI, §1113(h)(1), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2503.

Civilian Pay

Pub. L. 109–13, div. A, title I, §1020, May 11, 2005, 119 Stat. 251, provided that: "None of the funds appropriated to the Department of Defense by this Act or any other Act for fiscal year 2005 or any other fiscal year may be expended for any pay raise granted on or after January 1, 2005, that is implemented in a manner that provides a greater increase for non-career employees than for career employees on the basis of their status as career or non-career employees, unless specifically authorized by law: Provided, That this provision shall be implemented for fiscal year 2005 without regard to the requirements of section 5383 of title 5, United States Code: Provided further, That no employee of the Department of Defense shall have his or her pay reduced for the purpose of complying with the requirements of this provision."

Pilot Program for Improved Civilian Personnel Management

Pub. L. 108–136, div. A, title XI, §1111, Nov. 24, 2003, 117 Stat. 1634, authorized the Secretary of Defense to carry out a pilot program using an automated workforce management system to demonstrate improved efficiency in the performance of civilian personnel management and provided that the Secretary could carry out the pilot program for a period of two years beginning not later than Mar. 1, 2004.

1 See References in Text note below.
5 U.S.C. § 1214 (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 12 / Subchapter II / Section 1214: Investigation of prohibited personnel practices; corrective action
Investigation of prohibited personnel practices; corrective action
Status: in_force

(a)(1)(A) The Special Counsel shall receive any allegation of a prohibited personnel practice and shall investigate the allegation to the extent necessary to determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that a prohibited personnel practice has occurred, exists, or is to be taken.

(B) Within 15 days after the date of receiving an allegation of a prohibited personnel practice under paragraph (1), the Special Counsel shall provide written notice to the person who made the allegation that—

(i) the allegation has been received by the Special Counsel; and

(ii) shall include the name of a person at the Office of Special Counsel who shall serve as a contact with the person making the allegation.

(C) Unless an investigation is terminated under paragraph (2), the Special Counsel shall—

(i) within 90 days after notice is provided under subparagraph (B), notify the person who made the allegation of the status of the investigation and any action taken by the Office of the Special Counsel since the filing of the allegation;

(ii) notify such person of the status of the investigation and any action taken by the Office of the Special Counsel since the last notice, at least every 60 days after notice is given under clause (i); and

(iii) notify such person of the status of the investigation and any action taken by the Special Counsel at such time as determined appropriate by the Special Counsel.

(D) No later than 10 days before the Special Counsel terminates any investigation of a prohibited personnel practice, the Special Counsel shall provide a written status report to the person who made the allegation of the proposed findings of fact and legal conclusions. The person may submit written comments about the report to the Special Counsel. The Special Counsel shall not be required to provide a subsequent written status report under this subparagraph after the submission of such written comments.

(2)(A) If the Special Counsel terminates any investigation under paragraph (1), the Special Counsel shall prepare and transmit to any person on whose allegation the investigation was initiated a written statement notifying the person of—

(i) the termination of the investigation;

(ii) a summary of relevant facts ascertained by the Special Counsel, including the facts that support, and the facts that do not support, the allegations of such person;

(iii) the reasons for terminating the investigation; and

(iv) a response to any comments submitted under paragraph (1)(D).

(B) A written statement under subparagraph (A) may not be admissible as evidence in any judicial or administrative proceeding, without the consent of the person who received such statement under subparagraph (A).

(3) Except in a case in which an employee, former employee, or applicant for employment has the right to appeal directly to the Merit Systems Protection Board under any law, rule, or regulation, any such employee, former employee, or applicant shall seek corrective action from the Special Counsel before seeking corrective action from the Board. An employee, former employee, or applicant for employment may seek corrective action from the Board under section 1221, if such employee, former employee, or applicant seeks corrective action for a prohibited personnel practice described in section 2302(b)(8) or section 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D) from the Special Counsel and—

(A)(i) the Special Counsel notifies such employee, former employee, or applicant that an investigation concerning such employee, former employee, or applicant has been terminated; and

(ii) no more than 60 days have elapsed since notification was provided to such employee, former employee, or applicant for employment that such investigation was terminated; or

(B) 120 days after seeking corrective action from the Special Counsel, such employee, former employee, or applicant has not been notified by the Special Counsel that the Special Counsel shall seek corrective action on behalf of such employee, former employee, or applicant.

(4) If an employee, former employee, or applicant seeks a corrective action from the Board under section 1221, pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (3)(B), the Special Counsel may continue to seek corrective action personal to such employee, former employee, or applicant only with the consent of such employee, former employee, or applicant.

(5) In addition to any authority granted under paragraph (1), the Special Counsel may, in the absence of an allegation, conduct an investigation for the purpose of determining whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that a prohibited personnel practice (or a pattern of prohibited personnel practices) has occurred, exists, or is to be taken.

(6)(A) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, not later than 30 days after the date on which the Special Counsel receives an allegation of a prohibited personnel practice under paragraph (1), the Special Counsel may terminate an investigation of the allegation without further inquiry if the Special Counsel determines that—

(i) the same allegation, based on the same set of facts and circumstances, had previously been—

(I)(aa) made by the individual; and

(bb) investigated by the Special Counsel; or

(II) filed by the individual with the Merit Systems Protection Board;

(ii) the Special Counsel does not have jurisdiction to investigate the allegation; or

(iii) the individual knew or should have known of the alleged prohibited personnel practice on or before the date that is 3 years before the date on which the Special Counsel received the allegation.

(B) Not later than 30 days after the date on which the Special Counsel terminates an investigation under subparagraph (A), the Special Counsel shall provide a written notification to the individual who submitted the allegation of a prohibited personnel practice that states the basis of the Special Counsel for terminating the investigation.

(b)(1)(A)(i) The Special Counsel may request any member of the Merit Systems Protection Board to order a stay of any personnel action for 45 days if the Special Counsel determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the personnel action was taken, or is to be taken, as a result of a prohibited personnel practice.

(ii) Any member of the Board requested by the Special Counsel to order a stay under clause (i) shall order such stay unless the member determines that, under the facts and circumstances involved, such a stay would not be appropriate.

(iii) Unless denied under clause (ii), any stay under this subparagraph shall be granted within 3 calendar days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) after the date of the request for the stay by the Special Counsel.

(B)(i) The Board may extend the period of any stay granted under subparagraph (A) for any period which the Board considers appropriate.

(ii) If the Board lacks the number of members appointed under section 1201 required to constitute a quorum, any remaining member of the Board may, upon request by the Special Counsel, extend the period of any stay granted under subparagraph (A).

(C) The Board shall allow any agency which is the subject of a stay to comment to the Board on any extension of stay proposed under subparagraph (B).

(D) A stay may be terminated by the Board at any time, except that a stay may not be terminated by the Board—

(i) on its own motion or on the motion of an agency, unless notice and opportunity for oral or written comments are first provided to the Special Counsel and the individual on whose behalf the stay was ordered; or

(ii) on motion of the Special Counsel, unless notice and opportunity for oral or written comments are first provided to the individual on whose behalf the stay was ordered.

(E) If the Board grants a stay under subparagraph (A), the head of the agency employing the employee who is the subject of the action shall give priority to a request for a transfer submitted by the employee.

(2)(A)(i) Except as provided under clause (ii), no later than 240 days after the date of receiving an allegation of a prohibited personnel practice under paragraph (1), the Special Counsel shall make a determination whether there are reasonable grounds to believe that a prohibited personnel practice has occurred, exists, or is to be taken.

(ii) If the Special Counsel is unable to make the required determination within the 240-day period specified under clause (i) and the person submitting the allegation of a prohibited personnel practice agrees to an extension of time, the determination shall be made within such additional period of time as shall be agreed upon between the Special Counsel and the person submitting the allegation.

(B) If, in connection with any investigation, the Special Counsel determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a prohibited personnel practice has occurred, exists, or is to be taken which requires corrective action, the Special Counsel shall report the determination together with any findings or recommendations to the Board, the agency involved and to the Office of Personnel Management, and may report such determination, findings and recommendations to the President. The Special Counsel may include in the report recommendations for corrective action to be taken.

(C) If, after a reasonable period of time, the agency does not act to correct the prohibited personnel practice, the Special Counsel may petition the Board for corrective action.

(D) If the Special Counsel finds, in consultation with the individual subject to the prohibited personnel practice, that the agency has acted to correct the prohibited personnel practice, the Special Counsel shall file such finding with the Board, together with any written comments which the individual may provide.

(E) A determination by the Special Counsel under this paragraph shall not be cited or referred to in any proceeding under this paragraph or any other administrative or judicial proceeding for any purpose, without the consent of the person submitting the allegation of a prohibited personnel practice.

(3) Whenever the Special Counsel petitions the Board for corrective action, the Board shall provide an opportunity for—

(A) oral or written comments by the Special Counsel, the agency involved, and the Office of Personnel Management; and

(B) written comments by any individual who alleges to be the subject of the prohibited personnel practice.

(4)(A) The Board shall order such corrective action as the Board considers appropriate, if the Board determines that the Special Counsel has demonstrated that a prohibited personnel practice, other than one described in section 2302(b)(8) or section 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D), has occurred, exists, or is to be taken.

(B)(i) Subject to the provisions of clause (ii), in any case involving an alleged prohibited personnel practice as described under section 2302(b)(8) or section 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D), the Board shall order such corrective action as the Board considers appropriate if the Special Counsel has demonstrated that a disclosure or protected activity described under section 2302(b)(8) or section 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D) was a contributing factor in the personnel action which was taken or is to be taken against the individual.

(ii) Corrective action under clause (i) may not be ordered if, after a finding that a protected disclosure was a contributing factor, the agency demonstrates by clear and convincing evidence that it would have taken the same personnel action in the absence of such disclosure.

(c)(1) Judicial review of any final order or decision of the Board under this section may be obtained by any employee, former employee, or applicant for employment adversely affected by such order or decision.

(2) A petition for review under this subsection shall be filed with such court, and within such time, as provided for under section 7703(b).

(d)(1) If, in connection with any investigation under this subchapter, the Special Counsel determines that there is reasonable cause to believe that a criminal violation has occurred, the Special Counsel shall report the determination to the Attorney General and to the head of the agency involved, and shall submit a copy of the report to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

(2) In any case in which the Special Counsel determines that there are reasonable grounds to believe that a prohibited personnel practice has occurred, exists, or is to be taken, the Special Counsel shall proceed with any investigation or proceeding unless—

(A) the alleged violation has been reported to the Attorney General; and

(B) the Attorney General is pursuing an investigation, in which case the Special Counsel, after consultation with the Attorney General, has discretion as to whether to proceed.

(e) If, in connection with any investigation under this subchapter, the Special Counsel determines that there is reasonable cause to believe that any violation of any law, rule, or regulation has occurred other than one referred to in subsection (b) or (d), the Special Counsel shall report such violation to the head of the agency involved. The Special Counsel shall require, within 30 days after the receipt of the report by the agency, a certification by the head of the agency which states—

(1) that the head of the agency has personally reviewed the report; and

(2) what action has been or is to be taken, and when the action will be completed.

(f) During any investigation initiated under this subchapter, no disciplinary action shall be taken against any employee for any alleged prohibited activity under investigation or for any related activity without the approval of the Special Counsel.

(g) If the Board orders corrective action under this section, such corrective action may include—

(1) that the individual be placed, as nearly as possible, in the position the individual would have been in had the prohibited personnel practice not occurred; and

(2) reimbursement for attorney's fees, back pay and related benefits, medical costs incurred, travel expenses, any other reasonable and foreseeable consequential damages, and compensatory damages (including interest, reasonable expert witness fees, and costs).

(h) Any corrective action ordered under this section to correct a prohibited personnel practice may include fees, costs, or damages reasonably incurred due to an agency investigation of the employee, if such investigation was commenced, expanded, or extended in retaliation for the disclosure or protected activity that formed the basis of the corrective action.

(i) The Special Counsel may petition the Board to order corrective action, including fees, costs, or damages reasonably incurred by an employee due to an investigation of the employee by an agency, if the investigation by an agency was commenced, expanded, or extended in retaliation for a disclosure or protected activity described in section 2302(b)(8) or subparagraph (A)(i), (B), (C), or (D) of section 2302(b)(9), without regard to whether a personnel action, as defined in section 2302(a)(2)(A), is taken.

(Added Pub. L. 101–12, §3(a)(13), Apr. 10, 1989, 103 Stat. 23; amended Pub. L. 103–424, §§3(c), (d), 8(a), Oct. 29, 1994, 108 Stat. 4362, 4364; Pub. L. 112–199, title I, §§101(b)(1)(A), (2)(A), 104(c)(1), 107(b), 114(a), Nov. 27, 2012, 126 Stat. 1465, 1468, 1469, 1472; Pub. L. 115–42, §1, June 27, 2017, 131 Stat. 883; Pub. L. 115–73, title I, §102(a), Oct. 26, 2017, 131 Stat. 1236; Pub. L. 115–91, div. A, title X, §1097(c)(3)(A), (4), (f), (j), Dec. 12, 2017, 131 Stat. 1619, 1622, 1625.)

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2017—Subsec. (a)(6). Pub. L. 115–91, §1097(f), added par. (6).

Subsec. (b)(1)(B). Pub. L. 115–42 designated existing provisions as cl. (i) and added cl. (ii).

Subsec. (b)(1)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 115–91, §1097(j), struck out "who was appointed, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate," after "member of the Board".

Subsec. (b)(1)(E). Pub. L. 115–91, §1097(c)(3)(A), added subpar. (E) and struck out former subpar. (E) which read as follows: "If the Merit Systems Protection Board grants a stay under this subsection, the head of the agency employing the employee shall give priority to a request for a transfer submitted by the employee."

Pub. L. 115–73 added subpar. (E).

Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 115–91, §1097(c)(4), added subsec. (i).

2012—Subsecs. (a)(3), (b)(4)(A). Pub. L. 112–199, §101(b)(1)(A), inserted "or section 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D)" after "section 2302(b)(8)".

Subsec. (b)(4)(B)(i). Pub. L. 112–199, §101(b)(1)(A), (2)(A), inserted "or section 2302(b)(9)(A)(i), (B), (C), or (D)" after "section 2302(b)(8)" in two places and inserted "or protected activity" after "disclosure".

Subsec. (b)(4)(B)(ii). Pub. L. 112–199, §114(a), inserted ", after a finding that a protected disclosure was a contributing factor," after "ordered if".

Subsec. (g)(2). Pub. L. 112–199, §107(b), substituted "any other reasonable and foreseeable consequential damages, and compensatory damages (including interest, reasonable expert witness fees, and costs)." for "and any other reasonable and foreseeable consequential damages."

Subsec. (h). Pub. L. 112–199, §104(c)(1), added subsec. (h).

1994—Subsec. (a)(1)(D). Pub. L. 103–424, §3(c)(1), added subpar. (D).

Subsec. (a)(2)(A)(iv). Pub. L. 103–424, §3(c)(2), added cl. (iv).

Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 103–424, §3(d), added subpars. (A) and (E) and redesignated former subpars. (A) to (C) as (B) to (D), respectively.

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 103–424, §8(a), added subsec. (g).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 2012 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 112–199 effective 30 days after Nov. 27, 2012, see section 202 of Pub. L. 112–199, set out as a note under section 1204 of this title.

Termination Statement

Pub. L. 103–424, §12(b), Oct. 29, 1994, 108 Stat. 4367, provided that: "The Special Counsel shall include in any letter terminating an investigation under section 1214(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code, the name and telephone number of an employee of the Special Counsel who is available to respond to reasonable questions from the person regarding the investigation or review conducted by the Special Counsel, the relevant facts ascertained by the Special Counsel, and the law applicable to the person's allegations."
5 U.S.C. § 5374 (2024) — Title 5: GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES / Chapter 53 / Subchapter VII / Section 5374: Miscellaneous positions in the executive branch
Miscellaneous positions in the executive branch
Status: in_force

The head of the agency concerned shall fix the annual rate of basic pay for each position in the executive branch specifically referred to in, or covered by, a conforming change in statute made by section 305 of the Government Employees Salary Reform Act of 1964 (78 Stat. 422), or other position in the executive branch for which the annual pay is fixed at a rate of $18,500 or more under special provision of statute enacted before August 14, 1964, which is not placed in a level of the Executive Schedule set forth in subchapter II of this chapter, at a rate equal to the pay rate of a grade and step of the General Schedule set forth in section 5332 of this title. The head of the agency concerned shall report each action taken under this section to the Office of Personnel Management and publish a notice thereof in the Federal Register, except when the President determines that the report and publication would be contrary to the interest of national security.

(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 473, §5364; renumbered §5374 and amended Pub. L. 95–454, title VIII, §801(a)(3)(A)(ii), title IX, §906(a)(2), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1221, 1224.)

Historical and Revision Notes

DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes and 
Statutes at Large

 
5 U.S.C. 2213. 
Aug. 14, 1964, Pub. L. 88–426, §309, 78 Stat. 433.

The word "office" is omitted as included in "position". The words "before August 14, 1964" are substituted for "prior to the date of enactment of this Act". The words "pursuant to section 303 of this Act" are omitted as surplusage.

Standard changes are made to conform to the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Section 305 of the Government Employees Salary Reform Act of 1964, referred to in text, means section 305 of Pub. L. 88–426, Aug. 14, 1964. For complete classification of this section to the Code, see Tables.

Amendments

1978—Pub. L. 95–454, §906(a)(2), substituted "Office of Personnel Management" for "Civil Service Commission".

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Amendment by section 906(a)(2) of Pub. L. 95–454 effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.