[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 200 (Wednesday, December 19, 2018)]
[Senate]
[Page S7936]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4169. Mr. VAN HOLLEN (for himself, Mr. Cardin, Ms. Hirono, Mr. 
Schatz, Mr. Kaine, Mr. Brown, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Merkley, Mrs. Murray, 
Ms. Warren, Mr. Warner, Mr. Udall, Mr. Coons, and Ms. Collins) 
submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 4163 
proposed by Mr. McConnell to the bill H.R. 695, of 1993 to establish a 
voluntary national criminal history background check system and 
criminal history review program for certain individuals who, related to 
their employment, have access to children, the elderly, or individuals 
with disabilities, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on 
the table; as follows:

       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. COLA.

       (a) The adjustment in rates of basic pay for employees 
     under the statutory pay systems that takes effect in fiscal 
     year 2019 under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code, 
     shall be an increase of 1.4 percent, and the overall average 
     percentage of the adjustments taking effect in such fiscal 
     year under sections 5304 and 5304a of such title 5 shall be 
     an increase of 0.5 percent (with comparability payments to be 
     determined and allocated among pay localities by the 
     President). All adjustments under this subsection shall be 
     effective as of the first day of the first applicable pay 
     period beginning on or after January 1, 2019.
       (b) Notwithstanding section 737 of the Financial Services 
     and General Government Appropriations Act, 2018 (division E 
     of Public Law 115-141), the adjustment in rates of basic pay 
     for the statutory pay systems that take place in fiscal year 
     2019 under sections 5344 and 5348 of title 5, United States 
     Code, shall be no less than the percentages in subsection (a) 
     as employees in the same location whose rates of basic pay 
     are adjusted pursuant to the statutory pay systems under 
     section 5303, 5304, and 5304a of title 5, United States Code. 
     Prevailing rate employees at locations where there are no 
     employees whose pay is increased pursuant to sections 5303, 
     5304, and 5304a of such title 5 and prevailing rate employees 
     described in section 5343(a)(5) of such title 5 shall be 
     considered to be located in the pay locality designated as 
     ``Rest of U.S.'' pursuant to section 5304 of such title 5 for 
     purposes of this subsection.
       (c) Funds used to carry out this section shall be paid from 
     appropriations, which are made to each applicable department 
     or agency for salaries and expenses for fiscal year 2019.

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