# United States Code/Title 2/Chapter 10

From the Cornell Law School U.S. Code Collection

### § 291. Congressional declaration of purpose

It is the purpose of this chapter to provide a classification system for the equitable establishment and adjustment of rates of compensation for, and for the efficient utilization of personnel in, certain positions under the House of Representatives to which this chapter applies, through—
    (1) the creation and maintenance of orderly and equitable compensation relationships for such positions—
       (A) in accordance with the principle of equal pay for substantially equal work, and
       (B) with due regard to
          (i) differences in the levels of difficulty, responsibility, and qualification requirements of the work,
          (ii) the kind of work performed,
          (iii) satisfactory performance, and
          (iv) length of service;
    (2) the application of appropriate position standards and position descriptions for such positions; and
    (3) the adoption of organization and position titles in the House which accurately reflect the respective functions, duties, and responsibilities of those organizations and positions in the House to which this chapter applies.

### § 292. Positions affected

This chapter shall apply to—
    (1) all positions under the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Inspector General of the House of Representatives, except the positions of telephone operator and positions on the United States Capitol Police force;
    (2) the position of minority pair clerk in the House;
    (3) all positions under the House Recording Studio; and
    (4) all positions under the House Radio and Television Correspondents’ Gallery and the House Periodical Press Gallery.

### § 293. Compensation schedules

(a)
    (1) The Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives (hereinafter referred to as the “committee”) shall establish and maintain, and, from time to time, may revise, for positions to which this chapter applies (other than positions within the purview of subsection (b) of this section the compensation for which is fixed and adjusted from time to time in accordance with prevailing rates), a compensation schedule of per annum rates, which shall be known as the “House Employees Schedule” and for which the symbol shall be “HS”, subject to the following provisions:
       (A) Such schedule shall be composed of such number of compensation levels as the committee deems appropriate.
       (B) Each compensation level shall consist of twelve compensation steps.
       (C) The per annum rate of compensation for each compensation step of each compensation level shall be in such amount as the committee deems appropriate, except that the per annum rate of compensation for the maximum compensation step of the highest compensation level shall not exceed the maximum rate of compensation authorized by chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5.
    (2) The rates of compensation for such positions shall be in accordance with such schedule.
(b) The committee shall establish and maintain, and, from time to time, may revise, for positions under the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Inspector General of the House of Representatives, the compensation for which, in the judgment of the committee, should be fixed and adjusted from time to time in accordance with prevailing rates, a compensation schedule providing for per annum or per hour rates, or both, established in accordance with prevailing rates and consisting of such number of compensation levels and steps as the committee deems appropriate, which shall be known as the “House Wage Schedule” and for which the symbol shall be “HWS”. The rates of compensation for such positions shall be in accordance with such schedule. Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, for purposes of applying the adjustment made by the committee under this subsection for 2002 and each succeeding year (other than any period during which a memorandum of understanding described in section 2168 (a) of this title is in effect), positions under the Chief Administrative Officer shall include positions of the United States Capitol telephone exchange under the Chief Administrative Officer.

### § 294. Position standards and descriptions

(a)
    (1) It shall be the duty of the committee to prescribe, revise, and (on a current basis) maintain position standards which shall apply to positions (in existence on, or established after, January 1, 1965) under the House of Representatives to which this chapter applies.
    (2) The position standards shall—
       (A) provide for the separation of such positions into appropriate classes for pay and personnel purposes on the basis of reasonable similarity with respect to types of positions, qualification requirements of positions, and levels of difficulty and responsibility of work, and
       (B) govern the placement of such positions in their respective appropriate compensation levels of the appropriate compensation schedule.
(b)
    (1) Subject to review and approval by the committee, the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Inspector General of the House of Representatives, shall prepare, revise, and (on a current basis) maintain, at such times and in such form as the committee deems appropriate, position descriptions of the respective positions (in existence on, or established after, January 1, 1965) under the House of Representatives to which this chapter applies which are under their respective jurisdictions, including—
       (A) with respect to the Clerk, positions under the House Recording Studio,
       (B) with respect to the Sergeant at Arms, the position of minority pair clerk in the House, and
       (C) with respect to the Chief Administrative Officer, positions under the House Radio and Television Correspondents’ Gallery and the House Periodical Press Gallery.
    (2) The position descriptions shall—
       (A) describe in detail the actual duties, responsibilities, and qualification requirements of the work of each of such positions,
       (B) provide a position title for such position which accurately reflects such duties and responsibilities, and
       (C) govern the placement of such position in its appropriate class.
(c) The Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Inspector General of the House of Representatives, shall transmit to the committee, at such times and in such form as the committee deems appropriate, all position descriptions required by subsection (b) of this section to be prepared, provided, and currently maintained by them, together with such other pertinent information as the committee may require, in order that the committee shall have, at all times, current information with respect to such position descriptions, the positions to which such descriptions apply, and related personnel matters within the purview of this chapter. Such information so transmitted shall be kept on file in the committee.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the committee shall have authority, which may be exercised at any time in its discretion, to—
    (1) conduct surveys and studies of all organization units, and the positions therein, to which this chapter applies;
    (2) ascertain on a current basis the facts with respect to the duties, responsibilities, and qualification requirements of any position to which this chapter applies;
    (3) prepare and revise the position description of any such position;
    (4) place any such position in its appropriate class and compensation level;
    (5) decide whether any such position is in its appropriate class and compensation level;
    (6) change any such position from one class or compensation level to any other class or compensation level whenever the facts warrant; and
    (7) prescribe such organization and position titles as may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this chapter.
All such actions of the committee shall be binding on the House officer and organization unit concerned and shall be the basis for payment of compensation and for other personnel benefits and transactions until otherwise changed by the committee.

### § 295. Placement of positions in compensation schedules

The committee shall place each position (in existence on, or established after, January 1, 1965) under the House of Representatives to which this chapter applies in its appropriate class, and in its appropriate compensation level of the appropriate compensation schedule, in accordance with the position standards and position descriptions provided for in section 294 of this title. The committee is authorized, when circumstances so warrant, to change any such position from one class or compensation level to another class or compensation level. All actions of the committee under this section shall be binding on the House officer and organization unit concerned and shall be the basis for payment of compensation and for other personnel benefits and transactions until otherwise changed by the committee.

### § 296. Step increases; waiting periods; service in Armed Forces; automatic advancement

(a) Each employee in a compensation level of the House Employees Schedule (HS), who has not attained the highest schedule rate of compensation for the compensation level (HS level) in which his position is placed, shall be advanced successively to the next higher step of such HS level, as follows:
    (1) to steps 2, 3, and 4, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of one year of satisfactory service in the next lower step;
    (2) to steps 5, 6, and 7, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of two years of satisfactory service in the next lower step;
    (3) to steps 8, 9, and 10, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of three years of satisfactory service in the next lower step; and
    (4) to steps 11 and 12, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of five years of satisfactory service in the next lower step.
(b) The receipt of an increase in compensation during any of the waiting periods of service specified in subsection (a) of this section shall cause a new full waiting period of service to commence for further step increases under such subsection.
(c) Any increase in compensation granted by law, or granted by reason of an increase made by the committee in the rates of compensation of the House Employees Schedule, to employees within the purview of subsection (a) of this section shall not be held or considered to be an increase in compensation for the purposes of subsection (b) of this section.
(d) The benefit of successive step increases under subsection (a) of this section shall be preserved, under regulations prescribed by the committee, for employees whose continuous service is interrupted by service in the Armed Forces of the United States.
(e) The committee shall establish and maintain, and, from time to time, may revise, a system of automatic advancement, by successive step increases in compensation, on the basis of satisfactory service performed, without break in service of more than thirty months, for employees subject to the House Wage Schedule (HWS). In the operation of such system of step increases the committee may prescribe regulations to the effect that—
    (1) the receipt of an increase in compensation during any of the waiting periods of service required for advancement by step increases under such system shall cause a new full waiting period of service to commence for further step increases under such system;
    (2) any increase in compensation granted by law, or granted by reason of an increase made by the committee in the rates of compensation of the House Wage Schedule, to employees within the purview of such system of step increases shall not be held or considered to be an increase in compensation for the purposes of subparagraph (1) of this subsection; and
    (3) the benefit of successive step increases under such system of step increases shall be preserved, under regulations prescribed by the committee, for employees whose continuous service is interrupted by service in the Armed Forces of the United States.

### § 297. Appointments and reclassifications to higher compensation levels

(a) Each employee in a compensation level of the House Employees Schedule (HS), who is appointed to a position in a higher compensation level of such schedule, or whose position is placed in a higher compensation level of such schedule pursuant to a reclassification of such position, shall be paid compensation in such higher compensation level, in accordance with the following provisions, whichever is first applicable in the following numerical order of precedence:
    (1) at the rate of the lowest step for which the rate of compensation equals the rate of compensation for that step, in the compensation level from which he is appointed, which is two steps above the step in such level which he had attained immediately prior to such appointment;
    (2) at the rate of the lowest step for which the rate of compensation exceeds, by not less than two steps of the compensation level from which he is appointed, his rate of compensation immediately prior to such appointment; or
    (3) at the rate of the highest step of such higher compensation level, or at his rate of compensation immediately prior to such appointment, whichever rate is the higher.
(b) The committee may provide by regulations for the payment of compensation, at an appropriate compensation step determined in accordance with such regulations, to each employee subject to the House Wage Schedule (HWS) who is appointed to a position in a higher compensation level of such schedule or whose position is placed in a higher compensation level of such schedule pursuant to a reclassification of such position.

### § 298. Reductions in compensation level

Each employee in a position of a compensation level of the House Employees Schedule (HS) or the House Wage Schedule (HWS), whose employment in such position and level is terminated and who is reemployed, with or without break in service, in a position in a lower compensation level (HS level or HWS level) of such schedule, or whose position is placed in a lower compensation level of such schedule pursuant to a reclassification of such position, shall be placed by the committee in such step of such lower compensation level as the committee deems appropriate.

### § 300. Establishment of positions; payment from applicable accounts

The committee may authorize the establishment of additional positions of the kind to which this chapter applies, on a permanent basis or on a temporary basis of not to exceed six months’ duration, whenever, in the judgment of the committee, such action is warranted in the interests of the orderly and efficient operation of the House of Representatives. The compensation of each such position may be paid out of the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives until otherwise provided by law. An additional position of the kind to which this chapter applies shall not be established without authorization of the committee.

### § 301. Preservation of existing appointing authorities

This chapter shall not be held or considered to change or otherwise affect—
    (1) any authority to establish positions under the House of Representatives which are not within the purview of this chapter, or
    (2) any authority to make appointments to positions under the House of Representatives, irrespective of whether such positions are within the purview of this chapter.

### § 302. Regulations

The committee is authorized to prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this chapter.

### § 303. Dual compensation

For the purposes of applicable law relating to the payment to any employee subject to the House Employees Schedule or the House Wage Schedule of compensation from more than one civilian office or position, the rate of basic compensation of each employee subject to any such schedule shall be held and considered to be that rate which, when increased by additional compensation then currently authorized by law for House employees generally, equals or most nearly equals the per annum rate of compensation of such employee under such schedule.