Short Title

Sec. 1. This Act may be cited as the “Federal Employees Part-Time Career Employment Act of 1978”.

Congressional Findings and Purpose

Sec. 2. (a) The Congress finds that—

(1) many individuals in our society possess great productive potential which goes unused because they cannot meet the requirements of a standard workweek; and

(2) part-time permanent employment—

(A) provides older individuals with a gradual transition into retirement;

(B) provides employment opportunities to handicapped individuals or others who require a reduced workweek;

(C) provides parents opportunities to balance family responsibilities with the need for additional income;

(D) benefits students who must finance their own education or vocational training;

(E) benefits the Government, as an employer, by increasing productivity and job satisfaction, while lowering turnover rates and absenteeism, offering management more flexibility in meeting work requirements, and filling shortages in various occupations; and

(F) benefits society by offering a needed alternative for those individuals who require or prefer shorter hours (despite the reduced income), thus increasing jobs available to reduce unemployment while retaining the skills of individuals who have training and experience.

(b) The purpose of this Act is to provide increased part-time career employment opportunities throughout the Federal Government.

“§3401.   Definitions

“For the purpose of this subchapter—

“(1) ‘agency’ means—

“(A) an Executive agency;

“(B) a military department;

“(C) an agency in the judicial branch;

“(D) the Library of Congress;

“(E) the Botanic Garden; and

“(F) the Office of the Architect of the Capitol; but does not include—

“(i) a Government controlled corporation;

“(ii) the Tennessee Valley Authority;

“(iii) the Alaska Railroad;

“(iv) the Virgin Island Corporation;

“(v) the Panama Canal Company;

“(vi) the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Justice;

“(vii) the Central Intelligence Agency; and

“(viii) the National Security Agency, Department of Defense; and

“(2) ‘part-time career employment’ means part-time employment of 16 to 32 hours a week under a schedule consisting of an equal or varied number of hours per day, whether in a position which would be part-time without regard to this section or one established to allow job-sharing or comparable arrangements, but does not include employment on a temporary or intermittent basis.

“§3402.   Establishment of part-time career employment programs

“(a) (1) In order to promote part-time career employment opportunities in all grade levels, the head of each agency, by regulation, shall establish and maintain a program for part-time career employment within such agency. Such regulations shall provide for—

“(A) the review of positions which, after such positions become vacant, may be filled on a part-time career employment basis (including the establishment of criteria to be used in identifying such positions);

“(B) procedures and criteria to be used in connection with establishing or converting positions for part-time career employment, subject to the limitations of section 3393 of this title;

“(C) annual goals for establishing or converting positions for part-time career employment, and a timetable setting forth interim and final deadlines for achieving such goals;

“(D) a continuing review and evaluation of the part-time career employment program established under such regulations; and

“(E) procedures for notifying the public of vacant part-time positions in such agency, utilizing facilities and funds otherwise available to such agency for the dissemination of information.

“(2) The head of each agency shall provide for communication between, and coordination of the activities of, the individuals within such agency whose responsibilities relate to the part-time career employment program established within that agency.

“(3) Regulations established under paragraph (1) of this subsection may provide for such exceptions as may be necessary to carry out the mission of the agency.

“(b) (1) The Civil Service Commission, by regulation, shall establish and maintain a program under which it shall, on the request of an agency, advise and assist such agency in the establishment and maintenance of its part-time career employment program under this subchapter.

“(2) The Commission shall conduct a research and demonstration program with respect to part-time career employment within the Federal Government. In particular, such program shall be directed to—

“(A) determining the extent to which part-time career employment may be used in filling positions which have not traditionally been open for such employment on any extensive basis, such as supervisory, managerial, and professional positions;

“(B) determining the extent to which job-sharing arrangements may be established for various occupations and positions; and

“(C) evaluating attitudes, benefits, costs, efficiency, and productivity associated with part-time career employment, as well as its various sociological effects as a mode of employment.

“§3403.   Limitations

“(a) An agency shall not abolish any position occupied by an employee in order to make the duties of such position available to be performed on a part-time career employment basis.

“(b) Any person who is employed on a full-time basis in an agency shall not be required to accept part-time employment as a condition of continued employment.

“§3404.   Personnel ceilings

“In administering any personnel ceiling applicable to an agency (or unit therein), an employee employed by such agency on a part-time career employment basis shall be counted as a fraction which is determined by dividing 40 hours into the average number of hours of such employee's regularly scheduled workweek. This section shall become effective on October 1, 1980.

“§340.101   Nonapplicability

“(a) If, on the date of enactment of this subchapter, there is in effect with respect to positions within an agency a collective-bargaining agreement which establishes the number of hours of employment a week, then this subchapter shall not apply to those positions.

“(b) This subchapter shall not require part-time career employment in positions the rate of basic pay for which is fixed at a rate equal to or greater than the minimum rate fixed for GS-16 of the General Schedule.

“§340.101   Regulations

“Before any regulation is prescribed under this subchapter, a copy of the proposed regulation shall be published in the Federal Register and an opportunity provided to interested parties to present written comment and, where practicable, oral comment. Initial regulations shall be prescribed not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this subchapter.

“§3407.   Reports

“(a) Each agency shall prepare and transmit on a biannual basis a report to the Office of Personnel Management on its activities under this subchapter, including—

“(1) details on such agency's progress in meeting part-time career employment goals established under section 3392 of this title; and

“(2) an explanation of any impediments experienced by such agency in meeting such goals or in otherwise carrying out the provisions of this subchapter, together with a statement of the measures taken to overcome such impediments.

“(b) The Commission shall include in its annual report under section 1308 of this title a statement of its activities under this subchapter, and a description and evaluation of the activities of agencies in carrying out the provisions of this subchapter.

“§3408.   Employee organization representation

“If an employee organization has been accorded exclusive recognition with respect to a unit within an agency, then the employee organization shall be entitled to represent all employees within that unit employed on a part-time career employment basis.”.

(b) Subpart B of the table of chapters of part III of the analysis of chapter 33 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 3385 the following:

“SUBCHAPTER VII—PART-TIME CAREER EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

“Sec.

“3401.   Definitions.

“3402.   Establishment of part-time career employment programs.

“3403.   Limitations.

“3404.   Personnel ceilings.

“3405.   Nonapplicability.

“3406.   Regulations.

“3407.   Reports.

“3408.   Employee organization representation.

Sec. 4. (a) Section 8347(g) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end thereof the following: “However, the Commission may not exclude any employee who occupies a position on a part-time career employment basis (as defined in section 3391(2) of this title).”.

(b) Section 8716(b) of such title 5 is amended—

(1) by striking out of the second sentence “or part-time”;

(2) by striking out “or” at the end of clause (1);

(3) by striking out the period at the end of clause (2) and inserting in lieu thereof “; or”; and

(4) by adding at the end thereof the following:

“(3) an employee who is occupying a position on a part-time career employment basis (as defined in section 3391(2) of this title).”.

(c)

(1) Section 8913(b) of such title 5 is amended—

(A) by striking out “or” at the end of clause (1);

(B) by striking out the period at the end of clause (2) and inserting in lieu thereof “; or”; and

(C) by adding at the end thereof the following:

“(3) an employee who is occupying a position on a part-time career employment basis (as defined in section 3391(2) of this title).”.

(2)

(A) Section 8906(b) of such title 5 is amended—

(i) by striking out “paragraph (2)” in paragraph (1) and inserting in lieu thereof “paragraphs (2) and (3)”; and

(ii) by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph:

“(3) In the case of an employee who is occupying a position on a part-time career employment basis (as defined in section 3391 (2) of this title), the biweekly Government contribution shall be equal to the percentage which bears the same ratio to the percentage determined under this subsection (without regard to this paragraph) as the average number of hours of such employee's regularly scheduled workweek bears to the average number of hours in the regularly scheduled workweek of an employee serving in a comparable position on a full-time career basis (as determined under regulations prescribed by the Commission)”.

(B) The amendments made by subparagraph (A) shall not apply with respect to any employee serving in a position on a part-time career employment basis on the date of the enactment of this Act for such period as the employee continues to serve without a break in service in that or any other position on such part-time basis.

Sec. 5. Each report prepared by an agency under section 3397(a) of title 5, United States Code (as added by this Act), shall, to the extent to which part-time career employment opportunities have been extended by such agency during the period covered by such report to each group referred to in subparagraphs (A), (B), (C), and (D), of section 2(a)(2) of this Act.