An Act to clarify the status of National Guard technicians, and for other purposes.
PL 90-486 (S.3865), enacted 08/13/1968

Ante, 
p. 751. 
82 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 90-486-AUG. 13, 1968 
755 
month following the date of enactment. However, notwithstanding any 
other provision of this Act, any member to whom section 1431 of title 
10, United States Code, applies on the date of enactment of this Act 
may, before the first day of the thirteenth calendar month beginning 
after the date of enactment of this Act, submit a written application to 
the Secretary concerned requesting that an election or a change or revo-
cation of election made by such member prior to the date of enactment 
of this Act shall continue to be governed by the provisions of section 
1431 (b) or (c) of title 10, United States Code, as in eflfect on the day 
before the date of enactment of this Act. 
Approved August 13, 1968. 
Public Law 90-486 
AN ACT 
August 13, 1968 
To clarify the status of National Guard technicians, and for other purposes. 
[_38^^j 
National Guard 
Technicians Act 
70A Stat. 604. 
Be it enacted hy the SeTuite and House of RepreHentatlveH of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may 
be cited as the "National Guard Technicians Act of 1968". 
0^1968" 
SEC. 2. Title 32, United States Code, is amended as follows: 
(1) Section 709 is amended to read as follows: 
^°^ ^'^*- ^^^ 
"§ 709. Technicians: employment, use, status 
"(a.) Under regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army or 
the Secretary of the Air Force, as the case may be, and subject to sub-
section (b) of this section persons may be employed as technicians in— 
"(1) the administration and training of the National Guard; 
and 
'"(2) the maintenance and repair of supplies issued to the 
National Guard or the armed forces. 
''(b) Except as prescribed by the Secretary concerned, a technician 
employed under subsection (a) shall, while so employed, be a member 
of the National Guard and hold the military grade specified by the 
Secretary concerned for that position. 
"(c) The Secretary concerned shall designate the adjutants general 
referred to in section 314 of this title, to employ and administer the 
technicians authorized by this section. 
"(d) A technician employed under subsection (a) is an employee 
of the I)epa,rtment of the Army or the Department of the Air Force, 
as the case may be, and an employee of the United States. However, a 
position authorized by this section is outside the competitive service if 
the technician employed therein is required under subsection (b) to 
be a member of the National Guard. 
"(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law and under regu-
lations prescribed by the Secretary concerned— 
"(1) a technician who is employed in a position in which 
National Guard membership is required as a condition of employ-
ment and who is separated from the National Guard or ceases to 
hold the military grade specified for his position by the Secretary 
concerned shall be promptly separated from his technician 
employment by the adjutant general of the jurisdiction concerned; 
"(2) a technician who is employed in a position in which 
National Guard membership is required as a condition of employ-
ment and who fails to meet the military security standards estab-
lished by the Secretary concerned for a member of a reserve 
component of the armed force under his jurisdiction may be sepa-
756 
PUBLIC LAW 90-486-AUG. 13, 1968 
[82 STAT. 
80 Stat. 410-
528; 81 Stat. 196. 
80 Stat. 486, 
515; 81 Stat. 200, 
641. 
Compensatory 
time. 
80 Stat. 485; 
81 Stat. 200. 
Numerical limi-
tation. 
74 Stat. 878. 
Claims, 
provision. 
rated from his employment as a technician and concurrently dis-
charged from the National Guard by the adjutant general of the 
jurisdiction concerned; 
" (3) a technician may, at any time, be separated from his tech-
nician employment for cause by the adjutant general of the juris-
diction concerned; 
" (4) a reduction in force, removal, or an adverse action involv-
ing discharge from technician employment, suspension, furlough 
without pay, or reduction in rank or compensation shall be accom-
plished by the adjutant general of the jurisdiction concerned; 
"(5) a right of appeal which may exist with respect to clause 
(1), (2), (3), or (4) shall not extend beyond the adjutant general 
of the jurisdiction concerned; and 
"(6) a technician shall be notified in writing of the termination 
of his employment as a technician and such notification shall be 
given at least thirty days prior to the termination date of such 
employment. 
"(f) Sections 2108, 3502, 7511, and 7512 of title 5, United States 
Code, do not apply to any person employed under this section. 
"(g)(1) Notwithstanding sections 5544(a) and 6102 of title 5, 
Lliited States Code, or any other provision of law, the Secretary 
concerned may, in the case of technicians assigned to perform opera-
tional duties at air defense sites— 
"(A) prescribe the hours of duties; 
"(B) fix the rates of basic compensation; and 
"(C) fix the rates of additional compensation; 
to reflect unusual tours of duty, irregular additional duty, and work on 
days that are ordinarily nonworkdays. Additional compensation under 
this subsection may be fixed on an annual basis and is determined as 
an appropriate percentage, not in excess of 12 percent, of such part of 
the rate of basic pay for the position as does not exceed the minimum 
rate of basic pay for GS-10 of the General Schedule under section 5332 
of title 5, United States Code. 
"(2) Notwithstanding sections 5544(a) and 6102 of title 5, United 
States Code, or any other provision of law, the Secretary concerned 
may, for technicians other than those described in clause (1) of this 
subsection, prescribe the hours of duty for technicians. Notwithstand-
ing sections 5542 and 5543 of title 5, United States Code, or any other 
provision of law, such technicians shall be granted an amount of com-
jjensatory time off from their scheduled tour of dut^ equal to the 
amount of any time spent by them in irregular or overtime work, and 
shall not be entitled to compensation for such work. 
"(h) In no event shall the number of technicians employed under 
this section at any one time exceed 42,500." 
(2) The analysis of chapter 7 is amended by striking out the follow-
ing item: 
"709. Caretakers and clerks." 
and inserting in place thereof the following item: 
"709. Technicians: employment, use, status." 
(3) Section 715(a) is amended by striking out "caused by a person 
employed under section 709 of this title acting within the scope of his 
employment;". 
SEC. 3. (a) A claim accrued under section 715 of title 32, United 
States Code, before the effective date of this Act by reason of the act 
or omission of a person employed under section 709 of title 32, United 
States Code, may, if otherwise allowable, be settled and paid under 
section 715 of title 32, United States Code. 
82 
STAT.] 
PUBLIC LAW 90-486-AUG. 13, 1968 
757 
(b) Except as provided in this Act and in the amendments made by 
this Act, and notwithstanding any law, rule, regulation, or decision to 
the contrary, the positions of persons employed under section 709 of 
title 32, United States Code, existing on the day before the effective 
date of this Act, and the persons holding those positions on that day, 
shall, on and after that effective date, be considered to be positions in 
and employees of the Department of the Army or the Department of 
the Air Force, as the case may be, and employees of the United States 
io the same extent as other positions in and employees of the Depart-
ment of the Army or the Department of the Air Force. Such positions 
shall be outside the competitive service, if, as a condition of employ-
ment, the persons employed therein were, on the day before the effec-
tive date of this Act, required to be members of the Army National 
Gua,rd or the Air National Guard. 
(c) All service under section 709 of title 32, United States Code, or 
prior corresponding provision of law, performed before the effective 
date of this Act shall be included and credited in the determination of 
length of service for the purposes of leave, Federal employees death 
and disability compensation, group life and health insurance, severance 
pay, tenure, and status. This subsection shall apply only in the case of 
l>ersons who perform service under section 709 of title 32, United States 
Code, on or after the effective date of this Act. 
(d) Annual leave and sick leave to which a technician was entitled 
on the day before the conversion of his position, as provided in sub-
section (b) of this section, shall be credited to him in his new position. 
SEC. 4. Section 2105 (a) of title 5, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) by striking out "or" at the end of clause (1) (D); 
(2) by adding "or" at the end of clause (1) ( E ) ; and 
(3) by adding the following new subclause (F) at the end of 
clause (1) : 
"(F) the adjutants general designated by the Secretary con-
cerned under section 709(c) of title 32, United States Code;". 
SEC. 5. (a) Section 8332(b) of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) by striking out "and" at the end of clause (4); 
(2) by striking out the period at the end of clause (5) and 
inserting in place thereof "; and"; and 
(3) by adding the following new clause: 
"(6) employment under section 709 of title 32, United States 
Code or any prior corresponding provision of law."; and 
(4) by adding at the end thereof the following: 
"Service referred to in paragraph (6) is allowable only in the case 
of persons performing service under section 709 of title 32, United 
States Code, on or after the effective date of the National Guard Tech-
nicians Act of 1968." 
(b) Section 8334(c) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end thereof the following: "Notwithstanding the fore-
going provisions of this subsection, the deposit with respect to a period 
of service referred to in section 8332 (b) (6) w^hich was performed prior 
to the effective date of the National Guard Technicians Act of 1968 
shall be an amount equal to 55 per centum of a deposit computed in 
accordance with such jirovisions." 
(c) Section 8339 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end thereof the following new subsection: 
" (1) In determining service for the purpose of computing an annuity 
under each paragraph of this section, 45 per centum of each year, 
or fraction tnereof, of service referred to in section 8332(b) (6) which 
was performed prior to the effective date of the National Guard Tech-
nicians Act of 1968 shall be disregarded." 
Technicians, 
conversion to 
Federal employee 
status. 
Past service, 
credit. 
Leave credit. 
80 Stat. 409. 
Ante, p. 755. 
Civil service 
retirement. 
80 Stat. 567. 
80 Stat. 570. 
80 Stat. 574. 
758 
PUBLIC LAW 90-486-AUG. 13, 1968 
[82 STAT. 
80 Stat. 564. 
5 u s e 8331-
8348. 
State retirement 
system, election. 
Reemployed 
technicians, elec-
tion. 
70A Stat. 
159, 491. 
Ante, 
p. 755. 
79 Stat. 396; 
!1 Stat. 836,837. 
80 Stat. 569. 
Ante, 
p. 757. 
(d) Clause (4) of subsection (a) of this section and subsections (b) 
and (c) of this section do not apply to any person employed prior to the 
effective date of this Act under section 709 of title 32, United States 
Code, whose employment under that section was covered by subchapter 
III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code. 
SEC. 6. (a) Notwithstanding section 709(d) of title 32, United 
States Code, a person who, on the date of enactment of this Act, is 
employed under section 709 of title 32, United States Code, and is 
covered by an employee retirement system of, or plan sponsored by, a 
State or the Commonwealth of Puerto Eico, may elect, not later than 
the effective date of this Act, not to be covered by subchapter III of 
chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code, and with the consent of the 
State concerned or Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, to remain covered 
by the employee retirement system of, or plan sponsored hj, that State 
or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. Unless such an election, together 
with a statement of approval by the State concerned or the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico, is filed with the Secretary of the Army or the 
Secretary of the Air Force, as appropriate, on or before the effective 
date of this Act, the person concerned is covered by subchapter III of 
chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code, as of that date. 
(b) A member of the National Guard of a State or the Common-
wealth of Puerto Rico who was employed as a technician under section 
709 of title 32, United States Code, or prior corresponding provision 
of law, who— 
(1) was involuntarily ordered to active duty after January 1, 
1968, from that employment and has not been released from that 
duty prior to the effective date of this Act; or 
(2) is on active duty under section 265, 3015, 3033, 3496, 8033 or 
8496 of title 10, United States Code, on the effective date of this 
Act; 
and was covered by a retirement system or plan of a State or the Com-
monwealth of Puerto Rico, may, if he is reemployed within sixty days 
under section 709 of title 32, United States Code, make the election 
described in subsection (a) of this section, within thirty days following 
the date of his reemployment. 
(c) In the case of any person who files a valid election under this 
section to remain covered by an employee retirement system of, or plan 
sponsored by, a State or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United 
States may pay the amount of the employer's contributions to that sys-
tem or plan that become due for periods beginning on or after the 
effective date of this Act. However, the payment by the United States, 
including any contribution that may be made by the United States 
toward the employer's tax imposed by section 3111 of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1954, as amended (26 U.S.C. 3111), may not exceed 
the amount which the employing agency would otherwise contribute 
on behalf of the person to the Civil Service Retirement and Disability 
Fund under section 8334(a) of title 5, United States Code. Notwith-
standing section 8332(b) of title 5, United States Code, as amended by 
section 5 of this Act, the service under section 709 of title 32, United 
States Code, or prior corresponding provision of law, of a person w^ho 
has made an election to remain covered by the einployee retirement 
system of, or plan sponsored by, a State or the Commonwealth of 
Puerto Rico, shall not be creditable toward eligibility for or amount of 
annuity under subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States 
Code. A person who retires pursuant to his valid election shall not be 
eligible for any rights, benefits, or privileges to which retired civilian 
employees of the L^nited States may be entitled. 
82 STAT. ] 
PUBLIC LAW 90-486-AUG. 13, 1968 
759 
SEC. 7. The fourth sentence of section 218(b)(5) of the Social /"^^^^J/^"'"*^ 
Security Act, as amended (42 U.S.C. 418(b) (5)), is amended to read ^Trsrar.'5i4; 
as follows: "Persons employed under section 709 of title 32, United es stat. 1059. 
States Code, who elected under section 6 of the National Guard Tech-
nicians Act of 1968 to remain covered by an employee retirement sys-
tem of, or plan sponsored by, a State or the Commonwealth of Puerto 
Rico, shall, for the purposes of this Act, be employees of the State or 
the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and (notwithstanding the pre-
ceding provisions of this paragraph), shall be deemed to be a separate 
coverage group.". 
SEC. 8. (a) Except as provided in section 709(g) of title 82, United 
compensation^ 
States Code, the Secretary concerned shall fix the rate of basic com- "^Vnfe! p^Tse!"" 
pensation of positions existing on the date of enactment of this Act 
in accordance with the General Schedule set forth in section 5332, or 
under the appropriate prevailing rate schedule in accordance with 
section 5341 of title 5, United States Code, as applicable. In fixing such „,^° ^'^'j^l,!^' 
. 
81 Stat. 220^ 
rate— 
_ ^ 
_ 
_ 
Post, p. 997. 
(1) If the technician is receiving a rate of basic compensation 
which is less than the minimum rate of the appropriate grade of 
the General Schedule, or which is less than the minimum rate of 
the appropriate grade or compensation level of the appropriate 
prevailing rate schedule, as applicable, in which his position is 
placed, his basic compensation shall be increased to that minimum 
rate. 
(2) If the technician is receiving a rate of basic compensation 
which is equal to a rate of the appropriate grade of the General 
Schedule, or which is equal to a rate of the appropriate grade or 
compensation level under the appropriate prevailing rate schedule, 
as applicable, in which his position is placed, he shall receive basic 
compensation at that rate of the General Schedule, or at that rate 
under the prevailing rate schedule, as applicable. 
(3) If the technician is receiving a rate of basic compensation 
which is between two rates of the appropriate grade of the General 
Schedule, or which is between two rates of the appropriate grade 
or compensation level under the appropriate prevailing rate sched-
ule, as applicable, in which his position is placed, he shall receive 
basic compensation at the higher of those two rates under the 
General Schedule or appropriate prevailing rate schedule, as 
applicable. 
(4) If the technician is receiving a rate of basic compensation 
which is in excess of the maximum rate of the appropriate grade of 
the General Schedule, or which is in excess of the maximum rate 
of the appropriate grade or compensation level of the appropriate 
prevailing rate schedule, as applicable, in w^hich his position is 
placed, he shall continue to receive basic compensation without 
change in rate until— 
(A) he leaves that position, or 
(B) he is entitled to receive basic compensation at a higher 
rate, 
but, when any such position becomes vacant, the rate of basic com-
pensation of any subsequent appointee thereto shall be fixed in the man-
ner provided by applicable law and regulation. 
(b) The conversion of positions and employees to appropriate 
grades of the General Schedule set forth in section 5332 of title 5, 
United States Code, and the initial adjustment of rat«s of basic com-
pensation of those positions and technicians, provided for by this Act, 
B-600 O - 69 - Rl 
760 
PUBLIC LAW 90-486-AUG. 13, 1968 
[82 STAT. 
80 Stat. 471. 
Army National 
Guard. 
72 Stat. 1485, 
1486. 
Air National 
Guard. 
72 Stat. 1537; 
74 Stat. 279, 280. 
Regulations. 
Effective date. 
shall not be considered to be transfers or promotions within the mean-
ing of section 5334(b) of title 5, United States Code, and the regula-
tions issued thereunder. 
(c) Each technician on the effective date of this Act whose position 
is converted to the General Schedule set forth in section 5332 of title 
5, United States Code, or to the appropriate prevailing rate schedule, 
as applicable, who prior to the initial adjustment of his rate of basic 
compensation under subsection (a) of this section, has earned, but has 
not been credited with, an increase in that rate, shall be granted credit 
for such increase before his rate of basic compensation is initially 
adjusted under that subsection. 
(d) Each technician on the effective date of this Act whose position 
is converted to the General Schedule set forth in section 5332 of title 5, 
r^^nited States Code, or to the appropriate prevailing rate schedule, 
as applicable, shall be granted credit, for purposes of his first step 
increase under the General Schedule or prevailing rat© schedule, for 
all satisfactory service performed by him since his last increase in com-
X)ensation prior to the initial adjustment of his rate of basic compensa-
tion under subsection (a) of this section. 
(e) An increase in rate of basic compensation by reason of the 
enactment of subsection (a) of this section shall not be considered to 
be an equivalent increase with respect to step increases for technicians 
whose positions are converted to the General Schedule set forth in 
section 5332 of title 5, United States Code, or the appropriate prevail-
ing rate schedule under authority of this section. 
SEC. 9. Title 10, United States Code, is amended as follows: 
(1) Sections 3848 (c) and 3851(c) are each amended to read as 
follows: 
"(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the 
Secretary of the Army may authorize the retention in an active status 
until age 60 of any officer of the Army National Guard of the United 
States who would otherwise be removed from an active status under 
this section and who— 
" (1) is assigned to a headquarters or headquarters detachment 
of a State or territory, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the 
Canal Zone, or the District of Columbia; or 
"(2) is employed as a technician under section 709 of title 32, 
United States Code, in a position for which Army National Guard 
membership is prescribed by the Secretary." 
(2) Sections 8848 and 8851 are each amended by adding the follow-
ing new subsection: 
"(c) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the 
Secretary of the Air Force may authorize the retention in an active 
status until age 60 of any officer of the Air National Guard of the 
United States who would otherwise be removed from an active status 
under this section and who is employed as a technician under section 
709 of title 32, United States Code, in a position for which Air National 
Guard membership is prescribed by the Secretary." 
SEC. 10. Regulations prescribed by the Secretary of the Army and 
Secretary of the Air Force under this Act shall be approved by the 
Secretary of Defense and shall, so far as practicable, be uniform. 
SEC. 11. This Act becomes effective January 1, 1969, except that no 
deductions or withholding from salary which result therefrom shall 
conmience before the first day of the first pay period that begins on or 
after January 1,1969. 
Approved August 13, 1968.