(a) Appropriations or funds available to an Executive agency, except a Government controlled corporation, for pay of employees stationed outside the continental United States or in Alaska whose rates of basic pay are fixed by statute, are available for allowances to these employees. The allowance is based on—
(1) living costs substantially higher than in the District of Columbia;
(2) conditions of environment which differ substantially from conditions of environment in the continental United States and warrant an allowance as a recruitment incentive; or
(3) both of these factors.
The allowance may not exceed 25 percent of the rate of basic pay. Except as otherwise specifically authorized by statute, the allowance is paid only in accordance with regulations prescribed by the President establishing the rates and defining the area, groups of positions, and classes of employees to which each rate applies. Notwithstanding any preceding provision of this subsection, the cost-of-living allowance rate based on paragraph (1) shall be the cost-of-living allowance rate in effect on the date of enactment of the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009, except as adjusted under subsection (c).
(b) This section shall apply only to areas that are designated as cost-of-living allowance areas as in effect on December 31, 2009.
(c)
(1) The cost-of-living allowance rate payable under this section shall be adjusted on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after—
(A) January 1, 2010; and
(B) January 1 of each calendar year in which a locality-based comparability adjustment takes effect under paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively, of section 1914 of the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009.
(2)
(A) In this paragraph, the term "applicable locality-based comparability pay percentage" means, with respect to calendar year 2010 and each calendar year thereafter, the applicable percentage under paragraph (1), (2), or (3) of section 1914 of Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009.
(B) Each adjusted cost-of-living allowance rate under paragraph (1) shall be computed by—
(i) subtracting 65 percent of the applicable locality-based comparability pay percentage from the cost-of-living allowance percentage rate in effect on December 31, 2009; and
(ii) dividing the resulting percentage determined under clause (i) by the sum of—
(I) one; and
(II) the applicable locality-based comparability payment percentage expressed as a numeral.
(3) No allowance rate computed under paragraph (2) may be less than zero.
(4) Each allowance rate computed under paragraph (2) shall be paid as a percentage of basic pay (including any applicable locality-based comparability payment under section 5304 or similar provision of law and any applicable special rate of pay under section 5305 or similar provision of law).
(d) An employee entitled to a cost-of-living allowance under section 5924 of this title may not be paid an allowance under subsection (a) of this section based on living costs substantially higher than in the District of Columbia.
Open TableDerivation | U.S. Code |
Revised Statutes and Statutes at Large |
---|---|---|
5 U.S.C. 118h. | Apr. 20, 1948, ch. 219, §207, 62 Stat. 194. | |
June 30, 1948, ch. 775, §104, 62 Stat. 1205. |
The section is reorganized and restated for clarity and conciseness.
The word "allowances" is substituted for "additional compensation" as a more apt term and for consistency.
In subsection (a), the words "Executive agency" are substituted for "executive departments, independent establishments, and wholly owned Government corporations" in view of the definition of "Executive agency" in section 105. The exception of a "Government controlled corporation" is added to preserve the application to "wholly owned Government corporation".
Subsection (b) is based on the second proviso of former section 118h and is restated to reflect the provisions of sections 511(b), (c)(7) and 521 of the Act of Sept. 6, 1960, Pub. L. 86–707, 74 Stat. 800–802. The reference to section 204 of the Act of Apr. 20, 1948, is omitted as obsolete, since the section was applicable only to fiscal year 1949.
The last proviso of former section 118h which provided the effective date of the section is omitted as executed.
Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.
References in Text
The date of enactment of the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009, referred to in subsec. (a), is the date of enactment of Pub. L. 111–84, which was approved Oct. 28, 2009.
Section 1914 of the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009, referred to in subsec. (c)(1)(B), (2)(A), is section 1914 of Pub. L. 111–84, which is set out in a Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance note under section 5304 of this title.
Amendments
2009—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 111–84, §1912(b)(1), inserted at end "Notwithstanding any preceding provision of this subsection, the cost-of-living allowance rate based on paragraph (1) shall be the cost-of-living allowance rate in effect on the date of enactment of the Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance Act of 2009, except as adjusted under subsection (c)."
Subsecs. (b) to (d). Pub. L. 111–84, §1912(b)(2), (3), added subsecs. (b) and (c) and redesignated former subsec. (b) as (d).
Effective Date of 2009 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 111–84 effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2010, with transition and savings provisions, see sections 1914, 1915, and 1919(b) of Pub. L. 111–84, set out in a Non-Foreign Area Retirement Equity Assurance note under section 5304 of this title.
Prohibition of Reduction of Allowance; Study and Report on Adjusting Calculation of Geographic Factors
Pub. L. 102–141, title IV, §1, Oct. 28, 1991, 105 Stat. 861, as amended by Pub. L. 103–329, title V, §532, Sept. 30, 1994, 108 Stat. 2413; Pub. L. 104–52, title IV, §5, Nov. 19, 1995, 109 Stat. 490; Pub. L. 105–61, title V, §515, Oct. 10, 1997, 111 Stat. 1306, provided that: "The allowances provided to employees at rates set under section 5941 of title 5, United States Code, and Executive Order Numbered 10000 [set out below] as in effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 28, 1991] may not be reduced during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act through December 31, 2000: Provided, That no later than March 1, 2000, the Office of Personnel Management shall conduct a study and submit a report to the Congress proposing appropriate changes in the method of fixing compensation for affected employees, including any necessary legislative changes. Such study shall include—
"(1) an examination of the pay practices of other employers in the affected areas;
"(2) a consideration of alternative approaches to dealing with the unusual and unique circumstances of the affected areas, including modifications to the current methodology for calculating allowances to take into account all cost of living in the geographic areas of the affected employee; and
"(3) an evaluation of the likely impact of the different approaches on the Government's ability to recruit and retain a well-qualified workforce.
For the purpose of conducting such study and preparing such report, the Office may accept and utilize (without regard to any restriction on unanticipated travel expenses imposed in an Appropriations Act) funds made available to the Office pursuant to court approval."
Ex. Ord. No. 10000. Regulations Governing Additional Compensation and Credit Granted Certain Federal Employees Serving Outside the United States
Ex. Ord. No. 10000, Sept. 16, 1948, 13 F.R. 5453, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 10636, Sept. 16, 1955, 20 F.R. 7025; Ex. Ord. No. 11938, Sept. 29, 1976, 41 F.R. 43383; Ex. Ord. No. 12107, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1055; Ex. Ord. No. 12510, Apr. 17, 1985, 50 F.R. 15535; Ex. Ord. No. 13207, Apr. 5, 2001, 66 F.R. 18399, provided:
By virtue of the authority vested in me by section 207 of the Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1949, approved April 20, 1948 (Public Law 491, 80th Congress), as amended by section 104 of the Supplemental Independent Offices Appropriation Act, 1949, approved June 30, 1948 (Public Law 862, 80th Congress), and by sections 303, 443, and 853 of the Foreign Service Act of 1946 (60 Stat. 1002, 1006, 1024), and as President of the United States, I hereby prescribe the following regulations (1) governing the payment of additional compensation to personnel of the United States employed outside the continental United States or in Alaska, under the provisions of the said section 207, as amended, (2) governing the payment of salary differentials to Foreign Service staff officers and employees serving at certain posts, pursuant to the said section 443, and (3) relating to unhealthful foreign posts, pursuant to the said section 853:
Part I—Additional Compensation in Foreign Areas
(b) Subject to the provisions of section 105(a) hereof, the classes of persons eligible to receive the foreign post differentials fixed pursuant to section 102 hereof shall include:
(1) Persons recruited or transferred from the United States.
(2) Persons employed locally but (a) who were originally recruited from the United States and have been in substantially continuous employment by other Federal agencies, United States firms, interests, or organizations, international organizations in which the United States Government participates, or foreign governments, and whose conditions of employment provide for their return transportation to the United States, or (b) who were at the time of employment temporarily absent from the United States for purposes of travel or formal study and maintained residence in the United States during such temporary absence. When used in a geographical sense in section 105(b) hereof, "United States" includes the areas included within the definition of non-foreign areas as set forth in section 201 hereof.
(3) Persons who are not normally residents of the area concerned and who are discharged from the military service of the United States in such area to accept employment therein with an agency of the Federal Government.
(a) The following regulations shall govern the payment of foreign post differentials under this Part:
(1) Payments shall begin as of the date of arrival at the post on assignment or transfer and shall end as of the date of departure from the post for separation or transfer, except that in case of local recruitment such payments shall begin and end as of the beginning and the end of employment, respectively.
(2) Payments for periods of leave and of detail shall begin and end as determined in regulations prescribed under section 102(c) hereof.
(3) Payments to persons serving on a part-time basis shall be pro-rated to cover only those periods of time for which such persons receive basic compensation.
(4) Payment shall not be made for any time for which an employee does not receive basic compensation.
Part II—Additional Compensation in Non-Foreign Areas
(b) Subject to the provisions of section 204(a) hereof, the classes of persons eligible to receive the non-foreign area post differentials fixed pursuant to section 202 hereof shall include:
(1) Persons recruited or transferred from outside the area concerned.
(2) Persons employed in the area concerned but (a) who were originally recruited from outside such area and have been in substantially continuous employment by other Federal agencies, contractors of Federal agencies, or international organizations in which the U. S. Government participates, and whose conditions of employment provide for their return transportation to places outside the area concerned, or (b) who were at the time of employment temporarily present in the area concerned for purposes of travel or formal study and maintained residence outside such area during the period so present.
(3) Persons who are not normally residents of the area concerned and who are discharged from the military service of the United States in such area to accept employment therein with an agency of the Federal Government.
(a) The following regulations shall govern the payment of non-foreign area post differentials and non-foreign area cost-of-living allowances under this Part:
(1) Payments shall begin as of the date of arrival at the post on assignment or transfer and shall end as of the date of departure from the post for separation or transfer, except that in case of local recruitment such payments shall begin and end as of the beginning and end of employment, respectively.
(2) Payments for periods of leave and of detail shall begin and end as determined in regulations prescribed under section 202(c) hereof.
(3) Payments to persons serving on a part-time basis shall be prorated to cover only those periods of time for which such persons receive basic compensation.
(4) Payment shall not be made for any time for which an employee does not receive basic compensation.
Part III—Interim Arrangements
Part IV—Foreign Service Salary Differentials
[Part IV relating to Foreign Service salary differentials terminated June 30, 1951, pursuant to section 404 of this Executive Order.]
Part V—Unhealthful Posts
[Part V relating to Unhealthful Posts terminated June 30, 1951, pursuant to section 503 of this Executive Order.]
Part VI—General Provisions
Executive Order No. 12070
Ex. Ord. No. 12070, June 30, 1978, 43 F.R. 28977, as amended by Ex. Ord. No. 12107, Dec. 28, 1978, 44 F.R. 1055, which related to suspension of certain requirements in determination of cost of living allowance rates, was superseded by Ex. Ord. No. 12510, Apr. 17, 1985, 50 F.R. 15535.