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Code · U.S. Code · Title 5 - GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION AND EMPLOYEES · CHAPTER 53— PAY RATES AND SYSTEMS · SUBCHAPTER III— GENERAL SCHEDULE PAY RATES · § 5335

§ 5335. Periodic step-increases

1,890 words·~9 min read·/usc/title-5/section-5335

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(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.
(Pub. L. 89–554, Sept. 6, 1966, 80 Stat. 469; Pub. L. 90–83, § 1(20), Sept. 11, 1967, 81 Stat. 199; Pub. L. 95–251, § 2(a)(1), Mar. 27, 1978, 92 Stat. 183; Pub. L. 95–454, title V, § 503(g), title IX, § 906(a)(2), (8), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1184, 1224, 1225; Pub. L. 96–54, § 2(a)(28), Aug. 14, 1979, 93 Stat. 383; Pub. L. 98–615, title II, §§ 203, 204(a)(1), Nov. 8, 1984, 98 Stat. 3216; Pub. L. 101–508, title VII, § 7202(e), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1388–336; Pub. L. 101–509, title V, § 529 [title I, § 104(d)(2)], Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1427, 1447; Pub. L. 103–89, § 3(b)(1)(H), Sept. 30, 1993, 107 Stat. 982.)
In subsection (a), the words “General Schedule” are substituted for “compensation schedules fixed by this chapter” since the General Schedule is now the only compensation schedule in that chapter. 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.
In subsection (a)(B), the words “except a hearing examiner appointed under section 3105 of this title” are added on authority of the third sentence of former section 1010 and the fifth sentence of former section 1011, which are carried into sections 5362 and 559, respectively, and of section 1106(a) of the Act of Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, 63 Stat. 972.
Title VII (sections 701–705) of the Act of Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782, 63 Stat. 967–969, as amended by the following Acts is omitted from the derivation and repealed (see Table II) as superseded by the Act of Oct. 11, 1962, Pub. L. 87–793, § 603, 76 Stat. 847, which is carried into this section and section 5336:
June 28, 1950, ch. 382, § 2, 64 Stat. 262.
Sept. 30, 1950, ch. 1123, §§ 9, 10, 64 Stat. 1100.
Oct. 24, 1951, ch. 554, § 1(e), 65 Stat. 613.
Sept. 1, 1954, ch. 1208, §§ 102(a), 103(a), 112 (less applicability to § 802(b)), 305(a), 68 Stat. 1105, 1108, 1113.
June 28, 1955, ch. 189, § 2(e), 69 Stat. 175.
Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.
The word “officer” is omitted as included in “employee”, and the word “agency” is substituted for “department” to conform to the definition in 5 U.S.C. 5331.
Connections71 cite this · traces to 13
Cited by 71 sections · top 59
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61 references not yet in our index
  • Pub. L. 89–554
  • 80 Stat. 469
  • Pub. L. 90–83, § 1(20)
  • 81 Stat. 199
  • Pub. L. 95–251, § 2(a)(1)
  • 92 Stat. 183
  • Pub. L. 95–454, title V, § 503(g)
  • 92 Stat. 1184
  • Pub. L. 96–54, § 2(a)(28)
  • 93 Stat. 383
  • Pub. L. 98–615, title II
  • 98 Stat. 3216
  • Pub. L. 101–508, title VII, § 7202(e)
  • 104 Stat. 1388–336
  • Pub. L. 101–509, title V, § 529 [title I, § 104(d)(2)]
  • 104 Stat. 1427
  • Pub. L. 103–89, § 3(b)(1)(H)
  • 107 Stat. 982
  • section 603 of the Act of Oct. 11, 1962
  • Pub. L. 87–793
  • 76 Stat. 847
  • section 1106(a) of the Act of Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782
  • 63 Stat. 972
  • Act of Oct. 28, 1949, ch. 782
  • 63 Stat. 967–969
  • Pub. L. 87–793, § 603
  • June 28, 1950, ch. 382, § 2
  • 64 Stat. 262
  • Sept. 30, 1950, ch. 1123
  • 64 Stat. 1100
  • Oct. 24, 1951, ch. 554, § 1(e)
  • 65 Stat. 613
  • Sept. 1, 1954, ch. 1208
  • 68 Stat. 1105
  • June 28, 1955, ch. 189, § 2(e)
  • 69 Stat. 175
  • Pub. L. 103–89, § 3(b)(1)(H)(i)
  • Pub. L. 103–89, § 3(b)(1)(H)(ii)
  • Pub. L. 101–509
  • Pub. L. 101–508
+ 21 more
Citation graph
cites case law
§ 5335
Periodic step-increases
Fed. Reg.×55
U.S.C.×8
IRM×3
Stat.×3
Pub. L.×1
Stat. Comp.×1
Pub. L.Pub. L. 89–554
Stat.80 Stat. 469
Pub. L.Pub. L. 90–83, § 1(20)
Cites 74 · showing 12Cited by 71 across 6 sources
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