Us Code § 296 - Step increases; waiting periods; service in Armed Forces; automatic advancement

Full text of Us Code United States Code § 296 — Step increases; waiting periods; service in Armed Forces; automatic advancement, with citation guidance and answers to common questions.

§ 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 compensation for the compensation level (HS level) in which his position is placed, shall be advanced successively to the next higher step of such HS level, as follows:

(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 satisfactory 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 satisfactory service in the next lower step; and

(4) to steps 11 and 12, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of five years of satisfactory 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 section shall not be held or considered to be an increase in compensation for the purposes of subsection (b) of this section.

(d) The benefit of successive step increases under subsection (a) of this section 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.

(e) The committee shall establish and maintain, and, from time to time, may revise, a system 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 employees 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 compensation during any of the waiting periods of service required for advancement by step increases under such system shall cause a new full waiting 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 increases 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.

About This Section

2 U.S.C. § 296 is part of Title 2 of the United States Code. The United States Code is the official codification of federal statutes maintained by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel of the U.S. House of Representatives. Congress amends the Code through new public laws, which are eventually incorporated into the relevant title.

This section may be cited in legal writing as 2 U.S.C. § 296. For the most current official text, including any recent amendments, use the official source links below. Do not rely on this page as the sole authority for legal citation or litigation.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Us Code § 296

What does United States Code § 296 cover?

Section 296 ("Step increases; waiting periods; service in Armed Forces; automatic advancement") is part of the United States Code, the codified statutory law of Us Code. It sets out the legal rule or procedure described in the text above. Statutes are amended regularly, so always verify against the official source.

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