USC Subchapter III

USC Subchapter III
in effect

5 U.S.C. § 5331 Definitions; application

(a) For the purpose of this subchapter, “agency”, “employee”, “position”, “class”, and “grade” have the meanings given them by section 5102 of this title. (b) This subchapter applies to employees and positions to which chapter 51 applies, other than Senior Executive Service positions, positions in the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Drug Enforcement Administration Senior Executive Service, and positions to which section 5376 applies.

5 U.S.C. § 5332 The General Schedule

(a)(1) The General Schedule, the symbol for which is “GS”, is the basic pay schedule for positions to which this subchapter applies. Each employee to whom this subchapter applies is entitled to basic pay in accordance with the General Schedule. (2) The General Schedule is a schedule of annual rates of basic pay, consisting of 15 grades, designated “GS–1” through “GS–15”, consecutively, with 10 rates of pay for each such grade. The rates of pay of the General Schedule are adjusted in accordance with section 5303. (b) When payment is made on the basis of an hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rate, the rate is computed from the appropriate annual rate of basic pay named by subsection (a) of this section in accordance with the rules prescribed by section 5504(b) of this title.

5 U.S.C. § 5332a Special base rates of pay for wildland firefighters

(a) Definitions.—In this section—(1) the term “firefighter” means an employee who—(A) is a firefighter within the meaning of section 8331(21) or section 8401(14); (B) 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 otherwise qualify if the employee had transferred directly to that position after serving as a firefighter within the meaning of that section; (C) 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 otherwise qualify if the employee had transferred directly to that position after performing duties described in section 8401(14)(A) for at least 3 years; or (D) 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 subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) if the employee were subject to subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84; (2) the term “General Schedule base rate” means an annual rate of basic pay established under section 5332 before any additions, such as a locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or 5304a or a special rate supplement under section 5305; (3) the term “special base rate” means an annual rate of basic pay payable to a wildland firefighter, before any additions or reductions, that replaces the General Schedule base rate otherwise applicable to the wildland firefighter and that is administered in the same manner as a General Schedule base rate; and (4) the term “wildland firefighter” means a firefighter—(A) who is employed by the Forest Service or the Department of the Interior; and (B) the duties of the position of whom primarily relate to fires occurring in forests, range lands, or other wildlands, as opposed to structural fires. (b) Special Base Rates of Pay.—(1) Entitlement to special rate.—Notwithstanding section 5332, a wildland firefighter is entitled to a special base rate at grades 1 through 15, which shall—(A) replace the otherwise applicable General Schedule base rate for the wildland firefighter; (B) be basic pay for all purposes, including the purpose of computing a locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or 5304a; and (C) be computed as described in paragraph (2) and adjusted at the time of adjustments in the General Schedule. (2) Computation.—(A) In general.—The special base rate for a wildland firefighter shall be derived by increasing the otherwise applicable General Schedule base rate for the wildland firefighter by the following applicable percentage for the grade of the wildland firefighter and rounding the result to the nearest whole dollar:(i) For GS–1, 42 percent. (ii) For GS–2, 39 percent. (iii) For GS–3, 36 percent. (iv) For GS–4, 33 percent. (v) For GS–5, 30 percent. (vi) For GS–6, 27 percent. (vii) For GS–7, 24 percent. (viii) For GS–8, 21 percent. (ix) For GS–9, 18 percent. (x) For GS–10, 15 percent. (xi) For GS–11, 12 percent. (xii) For GS–12, 9 percent. (xiii) For GS–13, 6 percent. (xiv) For GS–14, 3 percent. (xv) For GS–15, 1.5 percent. (B) Hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rates.—When the special base rate with respect to a wildland firefighter is expressed as an hourly, daily, weekly, or biweekly rate, the special base rate shall be computed from the appropriate annual rate of basic pay derived under subparagraph (A) in accordance with the rules under section 5504(b).

5 U.S.C. § 5333 Minimum rate for new appointments

New appointments shall be made at the minimum rate of the appropriate grade. However, under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management which provide for such considerations as the existing pay or unusually high or unique qualifications of the candidate, or a special need of the Government for his services, the head of an agency may appoint, with the approval of the Office in each specific case, an individual to a position at such a rate above the minimum rate of the appropriate grade as the Office may authorize for this purpose. The approval of the Office in each specific case is not required with respect to an appointment made by the Librarian of Congress.

5 U.S.C. § 5334 Rate on change of position or type of appointment; regulations

(a) The rate of basic pay to which an employee is entitled is governed by regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management in conformity with this subchapter and chapter 51 of this title when—(1) he is transferred from a position in the legislative, judicial, or executive branch to which this subchapter does not apply; (2) he is transferred from a position in the legislative, judicial, or executive branch to which this subchapter applies to another such position; (3) he is demoted to a position in a lower grade; (4) he is reinstated, reappointed, or reemployed in a position to which this subchapter applies following service in any position in the legislative, judicial, or executive branch; (5) his type of appointment is changed; (6) his employment status is otherwise changed; or (7) his position is changed from one grade to another grade. For the purpose of this subsection, an individual employed by the Appalachian Regional Commission under section 14306(a)(2) of title 40, who was a Federal employee immediately prior to such employment by a commission and within 6 months after separation from such employment is employed in a position to which this subchapter applies, shall be treated as if transferred from a position in the executive branch to which this subchapter does not apply. (b) An employee who is promoted or transferred to a position in a higher grade is entitled to basic pay at the lowest rate of the higher grade which exceeds his existing rate of basic pay by not less than two step-increases of the grade from which he is promoted or transferred. If, in the case of an employee so promoted or transferred who is receiving basic pay at a rate in excess of the maximum rate of his grade, there is no rate in the higher grade which is at least two step-increases above his existing rate of basic pay, he is entitled to—(1) the maximum rate of the higher grade; or (2) his existing rate of basic pay, if that rate is the higher. If an employee so promoted or transferred is receiving basic pay at a rate saved to him under subchapter VI of this chapter on reduction in grade, he is entitled to— (A) basic pay at a rate two steps above the rate which he would be receiving if subchapter VI of this chapter were not applicable to him; or (B) his existing rate of basic pay, if that rate is the higher. If an employee’s rate after promotion or transfer is greater than the maximum rate of basic pay for the employee’s grade, that rate shall be treated as a retained rate under section 5363. The Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe by regulation the circumstances under which and the extent to which special rates under section 5305 (or similar provision of law) or locality-adjusted rates under section 5304 (or similar provision of law) are considered to be basic pay in applying this subsection. (c) An employee in the legislative branch who is paid by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, and who has completed two or more years of service as such an employee, and a Member of the Senate or House of Representatives who has completed two or more years of service as such a Member, may, on appointment to a position to which this subchapter applies, have his initial rate of pay fixed—(1) at the minimum rate of the appropriate grade; or (2) at a step of the appropriate grade that does not exceed the highest previous rate of pay received by him during that service in the legislative branch. (d) The rate of pay established for a teaching position as defined by section 901 of title 20 held by an individual who becomes subject to subsection (a) of this section is deemed increased by an amount determined under regulations which the Secretary of Defense shall prescribe for the determination of the yearly rate of pay of the position. The amount by which a rate of pay is increased under the regulations may not exceed the amount equal to 20 percent of that rate of pay. (e) An employee of a county committee established pursuant to section 8(b) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)) may, on appointment to a position subject to this subchapter, have the initial rate of basic pay of the employee fixed at—(1) the lowest rate of the higher grade that exceeds the rate of basic pay of the employee with the county committee by not less than 2 step-increases of the grade from which the employee was promoted, if the Federal Civil Service position under this subchapter is at a higher grade than the last grade the employee had while an employee of the county committee; (2) the same step of the grade as the employee last held during service with the county committee, if the Federal Civil Service position under this subchapter is at the same grade as the last grade the employee had while an employee of the county committee; or (3) the lowest step of the Federal grade for which the rate of basic pay is equal to or greater than the highest previous rate of pay of the employee, if the Federal Civil Service position under this subchapter is at a lower grade than the last grade the employee had while an employee of the county committee. (f)(1) An employee of a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard described in section 2105(c) who moves, without a break in service of more than 3 days, to a position in the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, respectively, that is subject to this subchapter, may have such employee’s initial rate of basic pay fixed at the minimum rate of the appropriate grade or at any step of such grade that does not exceed—(A) if the highest previous rate of basic pay received by that employee during the employee’s service described in section 2105(c) is equal to a rate of the appropriate grade, such rate of the appropriate grade; (B) if the employee’s highest previous rate of basic pay (as described in subparagraph (A)) is between two rates of the appropriate grade, the higher of those two rates; or (C) if the employee’s highest previous rate of basic pay (as described in subparagraph (A)) exceeds the maximum rate of the appropriate grade, the maximum rate of the appropriate grade. (2) In the case of a nonappropriated fund employee who is moved involuntarily from such nonappropriated fund instrumentality without a break in service of more than 3 days and without substantial change in duties to a position that is subject to this subchapter, the employee’s pay shall be set at a rate (not above the maximum for the grade, except as may be provided for under section 5365) that is not less than the employee’s rate of basic pay under the nonappropriated fund instrumentality immediately prior to so moving. (g) In the case of an employee who—(1) moves to a new official duty station, and (2) by virtue of such move, becomes subject to a different pay schedule, any rate adjustment under the preceding provisions of this section, with respect to such employee in connection with such move, shall be made— (A) first, by determining the rate of pay to which such employee would be entitled at the new official duty station based on such employee’s position, grade, and step (or relative position in the rate range) before the move, and (B) then, by applying the provisions of this section that would otherwise apply (if any), treating the rate determined under subparagraph (A) as if it were the rate last received by the employee before the rate adjustment.

5 U.S.C. § 5335 Periodic step-increases

(a) An employee paid on an annual basis, and occupying a permanent position within the scope of the General Schedule, who has not reached the maximum rate of pay for the grade in which his position is placed, shall be advanced in pay successively to the next higher rate within the grade at the beginning of the next pay period following the completion of—(1) each 52 calendar weeks of service in pay rates 1, 2, and 3; (2) each 104 calendar weeks of service in pay rates 4, 5, and 6; or (3) each 156 calendar weeks of service in pay rates 7, 8, and 9; subject to the following conditions: (A) the employee did not receive an equivalent increase in pay from any cause during that period; and (B) the work of the employee is of an acceptable level of competence as determined by the head of the agency. (b) Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, the benefit of successive step-increases shall be preserved for employees whose continuous service is interrupted in the public interest by service with the armed forces or by service in essential non-Government civilian employment during a period of war or national emergency. (c) When a determination is made under subsection (a) of this section that the work of an employee is not of an acceptable level of competence, the employee is entitled to prompt written notice of that determination and an opportunity for reconsideration of the determination within his agency under uniform procedures prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management. If the determination is affirmed on reconsideration, the employee is entitled to appeal to the Merit Systems Protection Board. If the reconsideration or appeal results in a reversal of the earlier determination, the new determination supersedes the earlier determination and is deemed to have been made as of the date of the earlier determination. The authority of the Office to prescribe procedures and the entitlement of the employee to appeal to the Board do not apply to a determination of acceptable level of competence made by the Librarian of Congress. (d) An increase in pay granted by statute is not an equivalent increase in pay within the meaning of subsection (a) of this section. (e) This section does not apply to the pay of an individual appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. (f) In computing periods of service under subsection (a) in the case of an employee who moves without a break in service of more than 3 days from a position under a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard described in section 2105(c) to a position under the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, respectively, that is subject to this subchapter, service under such instrumentality shall, under regulations prescribed by the Office, be deemed service in a position subject to this subchapter.

5 U.S.C. § 5336 Additional step-increases

(a) Within the limit of available appropriations and under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, the head of each agency may grant additional step-increases in recognition of high quality performance above that ordinarily found in the type of position concerned. However, an employee is eligible under this section for only one additional step-increase within any 52-week period. (b) A step-increase under this section is in addition to those under section 5335 of this title and is not an equivalent increase in pay within the meaning of section 5335(a) of this title. (c) This section does not apply to the pay of an individual appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.

5 U.S.C. § 5338 Regulations

The Office of Personnel Management may prescribe regulations necessary for the administration of this subchapter.

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