### §305. Director of the Government Publishing Office: employees; pay

(a) The Director of the Government Publishing Office may employ journeymen, apprentices, laborers, and other persons necessary for the work of the Government Publishing Office at rates of wages and salaries, including compensation for night and overtime work, the Director considers for the interest of the Government and just to the persons employed, except as otherwise provided by this section. The Director of the Government Publishing Office may not employ more persons than the necessities of the public work require nor more than four hundred apprentices at one time. The minimum pay of journeymen printers, pressmen, and bookbinders employed in the Government Publishing Office shall be at the rate of 90 cents an hour for the time actually employed. Except as provided by the preceding part of this section the rate of wages, including compensation for night and overtime work, for more than ten employees of the same occupation shall be determined by a conference between the Director of the Government Publishing Office and a committee selected by the trades affected, and the rates and compensation so agreed upon shall become effective upon approval by the Joint Committee on Printing. When the Director of the Government Publishing Office and the committee representing the trade fail to agree as to wages, salaries, and compensation, either party may appeal to the Joint Committee on Printing, and the decision of the Joint Committee is final. The wages, salaries, and compensation so determined are not subject to change oftener than once a year.

(b) The Director of the Government Publishing Office may grant an employee paid on an annual basis compensatory time off from duty instead of overtime pay for overtime work.

(Pub. L. 90–620, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1240; Pub. L. 91–167, Dec. 26, 1969, 83 Stat. 453; Pub. L. 91–369, July 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 693; Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, §1301(b), (c), (i)(2), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2537, 2538.)

#### Historical and Revision Notes

Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., §40 (Jan. 12, 1895, ch. 23, §§39, 49, 50, 28 Stat. 607, 608; June 6, 1900, ch. 791, §1, 31 Stat. 643; Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 299, §1, 35 Stat. 1021, 1024; Aug. 24, 1912, ch. 355, §1, 37 Stat. 482; July 8, 1918, ch. 139, §1, 40 Stat. 836; Aug. 2, 1919, ch. 30, 41 Stat. 272; Feb. 20, 1923, ch. 98, 42 Stat. 1278; June 7, 1924, ch. 354, §1, 43 Stat. 658).

Last sentence of this section was deleted as executed.

#### **Editorial Notes**

#### Amendments

2014—Pub. L. 113–235, §1301(c)(2), substituted "Director of the Government Publishing Office" for "Public Printer" in section catchline.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 113–235, §1301(i)(2), substituted "the Director considers" for "he considers" and "The Director of the Government Publishing Office may not" for "He may not".

Pub. L. 113–235, §1301(c)(1), substituted "Director of the Government Publishing Office" for "Public Printer" in three places.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 113–235, §1301(c)(1), substituted "Director of the Government Publishing Office" for "Public Printer".

1970—Pub. L. 91–369 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

1969—Pub. L. 91–167 substituted "four hundred" for "two hundred" as the number of apprentices which the Public Printer may employ at one time.

#### **Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries**

#### Change of Name

"Government Publishing Office" substituted for "Government Printing Office" in subsec. (a) on authority of section 1301(b) of Pub. L. 113–235, set out as a note preceding section 301 of this title.

#### Repeals

General repealer of provisions inconsistent with Pub. L. 92–392 as not repealing or affecting this section, see section 13 of Pub. L. 92–392, set out as a note under section 5341 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.

#### Voluntary Separation Incentives

Pub. L. 105–275, title III, §309, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2454, as amended by Pub. L. 107–68, title II, §210(a), Nov. 12, 2001, 115 Stat. 590; Pub. L. 112–10, div. B, title IX, §1926(a), Apr. 15, 2011, 125 Stat. 172; Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, §1301(b), (d), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2537, provided that:

"(a) Severance Pay.—[Amended section 5595 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.]

"(b) Early Retirement.—(1) This subsection applies to an employee of the Government Publishing Office who—

"(A) voluntarily separates from service on or after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1998] and before October 1, 2004; and

"(B) on such date of separation—

"(i) has completed 25 years of service as defined under section 8331(12) or 8401(26) of title 5, United States Code; or

"(ii) has completed 20 years of such service and is at least 50 years of age.

"(2) Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 83 or 84 of title 5, United States Code, an employee described under paragraph (1) is entitled to an annuity which shall be computed consistent with the provisions of law applicable to annuities under section 8336(d) or 8414(b) of title 5, United States Code.

"(c) Voluntary Separation Incentive Payments.—(1) In this subsection, the term 'employee' means an employee of the Government Publishing Office, serving without limitation, who has been currently employed for a continuous period of at least 12 months, except that such term shall not include—

"(A) a reemployed annuitant under subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code, or another retirement system for employees of the 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) an employee who is employed on a temporary when actually employed basis.

"(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in order to avoid or minimize the need for involuntary separations due to a reduction in force, reorganization, transfer of function, or other similar action affecting the agency, the Director of the Government Publishing Office shall establish a program under which voluntary separation incentive payments may be offered to encourage eligible employees to separate from service voluntarily (whether by retirement or resignation) during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1998] through September 30, 2004.

"(3) Such voluntary separation incentive payments shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of section 5597(d) of title 5, United States Code. Any such payment shall not be a basis of payment, and shall not be included in the computation, of any other type of Government benefit.

"(4)(A) Not later than January 15, 1999, the Director of the Government Publishing Office shall submit a plan described under subparagraph (C) to the Joint Committee on Printing (or any applicable successor committees).

"(B) No voluntary separation incentive payment may be paid under this section unless the Director of the Government Publishing Office submits a plan described under subparagraph (C) to the Joint Committee on Printing (or any applicable successor committees) and the Joint Committee on Printing approves the plan (or such successor committees approve the plan).

"(C) The plan referred to under subparagraph (B) shall include—

"(i) the positions and functions to be reduced or eliminated, identified by organizational unit, occupational category, and pay or grade level;

"(ii) the number and amounts of voluntary separation incentive payments to be offered; and

"(iii) a description of how the Government Publishing Office will operate without the eliminated positions and functions.

"[(5) Repealed. Pub. L. 112–10, div. B, title IX, §1926(a), Apr. 15, 2011, 125 Stat. 172.]

"(6)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), an employee who has received a voluntary separation incentive payment under this section and accepts employment with the Government of the United States within 5 years after the date of the separation on which the payment is based shall be required to repay the entire amount of the incentive payment to the agency that paid the incentive payment.

"(B)(i) If the employment is with an Executive agency (as defined by section 105 of title 5, United States Code), the Director of the Office of Personnel Management may, at the request of the head of the agency, waive the repayment if the individual involved possesses unique abilities and is the only qualified applicant available for the position.

"(ii) 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.

"(iii) 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.

"(C) For purposes of subparagraph (A) (but not subparagraph (B)), the term 'employment' includes employment under a personal services contract with the United States.

"(7) Not later than January 15, 1999, the Director of the Government Publishing Office shall prescribe regulations to carry out this subsection.

"(d) Retraining, Job Placement, and Counseling Services.—(1) In this subsection, the term 'employee'—

"(A) means an employee of the Government Publishing Office; and

"(B) shall not include—

"(i) a reemployed annuitant under subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code, or another retirement system for employees of the Government; or

"(ii) an employee who is employed on a temporary when actually employed basis.

"(2) The Director of the Government Publishing Office may establish a program to provide retraining, job placement, and counseling services to employees and former employees.

"(3) A former employee may not participate in a program established under this subsection, if—

"(A) the former employee was separated from service with the Government Publishing Office for more than 1 year; or

"(B) the separation was by removal for cause on charges of misconduct or delinquency.

"(4) Retraining costs for the program established under this subsection may not exceed $5,000 for each employee or former employee.

"(e) Administrative Provisions.—(1) The Director of the Government Publishing Office—

"(A) may use employees of the Government Publishing Office to establish and administer programs and carry out the provisions of this section; and

"(B) may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, to carry out such provisions—

"(i) not subject to the 1 year of service limitation under such section 3109(b); and

"(ii) at rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.

"(2) Funds to carry out subsections (a) and (c) may be expended only from funds available for the basic pay of the employee who is receiving the applicable payment.

"(3) Funds to carry out subsection (d) may be expended from any funds made available to the Director of the Government Publishing Office."

[Pub. L. 112–10, div. B, title IX, §1926(b), Apr. 15, 2011, 125 Stat. 172, provided that: "The amendment made by subsection (a) [amending section 309 of Pub. L. 105–275, set out above] shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1999 [Pub. L. 105–275]."]

[Pub. L. 107–68, title II, §210(b), Nov. 12, 2001, 115 Stat. 590, provided that: "The amendments made by this section [amending section 309 of Pub. L. 105–275, set out above] shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1999 [Pub. L. 105–275]."]