[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 953 Introduced in Senate (IS)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 953

To amend chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, to provide special 
 pay for board certified Federal employees who are employed in health 
               science positions, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 30, 2003

 Ms. Landrieu introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
        referred to the Committee on Governmental AffairsYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, to provide special 
 pay for board certified Federal employees who are employed in health 
               science positions, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SPECIAL PAY FOR FEDERAL BOARD CERTIFIED HEALTH SCIENTISTS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 5377 the following:
``Sec. 5377a. Special pay for board certified health scientists
    ``(a) In this section--
            ``(1) the term `agency'--
                    ``(A) has the meaning given under section 5102; and
                    ``(B) shall not include the government of the 
                District of Columbia;
            ``(2) the term `board certified' means certification of a 
        scientific specialty by a nationally recognized professional 
        body;
            ``(3) the term `creditable service' means creditable 
        service under chapter 83 or 84; and
            ``(4) the term `health science position' means a position 
        relating to--
                    ``(A) dentistry;
                    ``(B) human medicine;
                    ``(C) nursing;
                    ``(D) veterinary medicine;
                    ``(E) pharmacy;
                    ``(F) psychology; or
                    ``(G) optometry.
    ``(b) Subject to subsection (d), an employee is entitled to special 
pay as provided under subsection (c) if the employee is--
            ``(1) employed in a health science position in an agency; 
        and
            ``(2) board certified in a specialty directly related to 
        that position.
    ``(c)(1) The rate of special pay to which an employee is entitled 
under subsection (b) shall be--
            ``(A) $2,500 per year, if the employee has less than 10 
        years of creditable service;
            ``(B) $3,500 per year, if the employee has at least 10 but 
        less than 12 years of creditable service;
            ``(C) $4,000 per year, if the employee has at least 12 but 
        less than 14 years of creditable service;
            ``(D) $5,000 per year, if the employee has at least 14 but 
        less than 18 years of creditable service; or
            ``(E) $6,000 per year, if the employee has 18 or more years 
        of creditable service.
    ``(2)(A) With respect to employees of Executive agencies, the 
President may provide for an inflation adjustment in any calendar year 
of the amounts under paragraph (1) by a percentage not to exceed the 
percentage adjustment under section 5303 (including any locality-based 
comparability payment under section 5304) for that calendar year.
    ``(B) With respect to employees of any agency (other than an 
Executive agency), the head of an agency may provide for an inflation 
adjustment in any calendar year of the amounts under paragraph (1) by a 
percentage not to exceed the percentage adjustment made under 
subparagraph (A).
    ``(d) Pay under this section--
            ``(1) is not an equivalent increase in pay within the 
        meaning of section 5335;
            ``(2) is not part of basic pay; and
            ``(3) shall be subject to section 5307.
    ``(e)(1) With respect to employees of Executive agencies, the 
Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations to carry out 
this section after consultation with agencies, including regulations 
that designate--
            ``(A) scientific health positions;
            ``(B) scientific specialties; and
            ``(C) boards which provide certification.
    ``(2) With respect to employees of any agency (other than an 
Executive agency), the head of that agency shall prescribe regulations 
to carry out this section, including regulations that designate--
            ``(A) scientific health positions;
            ``(B) scientific specialties; and
            ``(C) boards which provide certification.''.
    (b) Technical and Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for 
chapter 53 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 5377 the following:

``5377a. Special pay for board certified health scientists.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--This Act shall take effect on the first day of 
the first applicable pay period beginning on or after 180 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act.
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