2 U.S.C. § 296 — Step increases; waiting periods; service in

Page 133 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 296 (2) The position descriptions shall— (A) describe in detail the actual duties, re- sponsibilities, 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 re- sponsibilities, 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 Gen- eral 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 com- mittee 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 author- ity, which may be exercised at any time in its discretion, to— (1) conduct surveys and studies of all organi- zation 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 descrip- tion 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 war- rant; 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 bind- ing 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. (Pub. L. 88–652, § 5, Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1080; Pub. L. 104–53, title I, § 108(3), (4), Nov. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 522; Pub. L. 104–186, title II, § 209(2), Aug. 20, 1996, 110 Stat. 1743.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original ‘‘this Act’’, meaning Pub. L. 88–652, Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1079, known as the House Employees Position Classification Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 291 of this title and Tables. AMENDMENTS 1996—Subsec. (b)(1)(C). Pub. L. 104–186 substituted ‘‘Chief Administrative Officer’’ for ‘‘Doorkeeper’’. 1995—Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 104–53 substituted ‘‘Chief Administrative Officer, and the Inspector General’’ for ‘‘Doorkeeper, and the Postmaster’’. Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 104–53 substituted ‘‘Chief Admin- istrative Officer, and the Inspector General’’ for ‘‘Door- keeper, and the Postmaster,’’. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Jan. 1, 1965, see section 17 of Pub. L. 88–652, set out as a note under section 291 of this title. TRANSFER OF FUNCTIONS Certain functions of Recording Studio and Officers of House of Representatives transferred to Director of Non-legislative and Financial Services by section 7 of House Resolution No. 423, One Hundred Second Con- gress, Apr. 9, 1992. Director of Non-legislative and Fi- nancial Services replaced by Chief Administrative Offi- cer of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Fourth Congress, Jan. 4, 1995. § 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 ac- cordance with the position standards and posi- tion 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 pay- ment of compensation and for other personnel benefits and transactions until otherwise changed by the committee. (Pub. L. 88–652, § 6, Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1081.) Editorial Notes REFERENCES IN TEXT This chapter, referred to in text, was in the original ‘‘this Act’’, meaning Pub. L. 88–652, Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1079, known as the House Employees Position Classification Act, which is classified principally to this chapter. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 291 of this title and Tables. Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Jan. 1, 1965, see section 17 of Pub. L. 88–652, set out as a note under section 291 of this title. § 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 scheduled rate of com- pensation for the compensation level (HS level) in which his position is placed, shall be ad- vanced successively to the next higher step of such HS level, as follows: Page 134 TITLE 2—THE CONGRESS § 297 (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 satisfac- tory 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 satisfac- tory service in the next lower step; and (4) to steps 11 and 12, respectively—at the be- ginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of five years of satisfac- tory 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 sec- tion shall not be held or considered to be an in- crease in compensation for the purposes of sub- section (b) of this section. (d) The benefit of successive step increases under subsection (a) of this section shall be pre- served, under regulations prescribed by the com- mittee, for employees whose continuous service is interrupted by service in the Armed Forces of the United States. (e) The committee shall establish and main- tain, and, from time to time, may revise, a sys- tem 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 employ- ees 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 compensa- tion during any of the waiting periods of serv- ice required for advancement by step increases under such system shall cause a new full wait- ing 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 in- creases 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. (Pub. L. 88–652, § 7, Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1081.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Jan. 1, 1965, see section 17 of Pub. L. 88–652, set out as a note under section 291 of this title. § 297. Appointments and reclassifications to high- er compensation levels (a) Each employee in a compensation level of the House Employees Schedule (HS), who is ap- pointed 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 ap- plicable 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 compensa- tion level from which he is appointed, which is two steps above the step in such level which he had attained immediately prior to such ap- pointment; (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 compensa- tion 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 ap- pointment, whichever rate is the higher. (b) The committee may provide by regulations for the payment of compensation, at an appro- priate compensation step determined in accord- ance with such regulations, to each employee subject to the House Wage Schedule (HWS) who is appointed to a position in a higher compensa- tion level of such schedule or whose position is placed in a higher compensation level of such schedule pursuant to a reclassification of such position. (Pub. L. 88–652, § 8, Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1082.) Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries EFFECTIVE DATE Section effective Jan. 1, 1965, see section 17 of Pub. L. 88–652, set out as a note under section 291 of this title. § 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 employ- ment 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 compensa- tion level of such schedule pursuant to a reclas- sification of such position, shall be placed by the committee in such step of such lower compensa- tion level as the committee deems appropriate. (Pub. L. 88–652, § 9, Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1083.)