(a) The Public Printer may employ journeymen, apprentices, laborers, and other persons necessary for the work of the Government Printing Office at rates of wages and salaries, including compensation for night and overtime work, he considers for the interest of the Government and just to the persons employed, except as otherwise provided by this section. He may not employ more persons than the necessities of the public work require nor more than four hundred apprentices at one time. The minimum pay of journeymen printers, pressmen, and bookbinders employed in the Government Printing Office shall be at the rate of 90 cents an hour for the time actually employed. Except as provided by the preceding part of this section the rate of wages, including compensation for night and overtime work, for more than ten employees of the same occupation shall be determined by a conference between the Public Printer and a committee selected by the trades affected, and the rates and compensation so agreed upon shall become effective upon approval by the Joint Committee on Printing. When the Public Printer and the committee representing the trade fail to agree as to wages, salaries, and compensation, either party may appeal to the Joint Committee on Printing, and the decision of the Joint Committee is final. The wages, salaries, and compensation so determined are not subject to change oftener than once a year.
(b) The Public Printer may grant an employee paid on an annual basis compensatory time off from duty instead of overtime pay for overtime work.
(Pub. L. 90–620, Oct. 22, 1968, 82 Stat. 1240; Pub. L. 91–167, Dec. 26, 1969, 83 Stat. 453; Pub. L. 91–369, July 31, 1970, 84 Stat. 693.)
Based on 44 U.S. Code, 1964 ed., §40 (Jan. 12, 1895, ch. 23, §§39, 49, 50, 28 Stat. 607, 608; June 6, 1900, ch. 791, §1, 31 Stat. 643; Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 299, §1, 35 Stat. 1021, 1024; Aug. 24, 1912, ch. 355, §1, 37 Stat. 482; July 8, 1918, ch. 139, §1, 40 Stat. 836; Aug. 2, 1919, ch. 30, 41 Stat. 272; Feb. 20, 1923, ch. 98, 42 Stat. 1278; June 7, 1924, ch. 354, §1, 43 Stat. 658).
Last sentence of this section was deleted as executed.
1970—Pub. L. 91–369 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).
1969—Pub. L. 91–167 substituted “four hundred” for “two hundred” as the number of apprentices which the Public Printer may employ at one time.
General repealer of provisions inconsistent with Pub. L. 92–392 as not repealing or affecting this section, see section 13 of Pub. L. 92–392, set out as a note under section 5341 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees.
Pub. L. 105–275, title III, §309, Oct. 21, 1998, 112 Stat. 2454, as amended by Pub. L. 107–68, title II, §210(a), Nov. 12, 2001, 115 Stat. 590, provided that:
“(a)
“(b)
“(A) voluntarily separates from service on or after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1998] and before October 1, 2004; and
“(B) on such date of separation—
“(i) has completed 25 years of service as defined under section 8331(12) or 8401(26) of title 5, United States Code; or
“(ii) has completed 20 years of such service and is at least 50 years of age.
“(2) Notwithstanding any provision of chapter 83 or 84 of title 5, United States Code, an employee described under paragraph (1) is entitled to an annuity which shall be computed consistent with the provisions of law applicable to annuities under section 8336(d) or 8414(b) of title 5, United States Code.
“(c)
“(A) a reemployed annuitant under subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code, or another retirement system for employees of the Government;
“(B) an employee having a disability on the basis of which such employee is or would be eligible for disability retirement under any of the retirement systems referred to in subparagraph (A); or
“(C) an employee who is employed on a temporary when actually employed basis.
“(2) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, in order to avoid or minimize the need for involuntary separations due to a reduction in force, reorganization, transfer of function, or other similar action affecting the agency, the Public Printer shall establish a program under which voluntary separation incentive payments may be offered to encourage eligible employees to separate from service voluntarily (whether by retirement or resignation) during the period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act [Oct. 21, 1998] through September 30, 2004.
“(3) Such voluntary separation incentive payments shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of section 5597(d) of title 5, United States Code. Any such payment shall not be a basis of payment, and shall not be included in the computation, of any other type of Government benefit.
“(4)(A) Not later than January 15, 1999, the Public Printer shall submit a plan described under subparagraph (C) to the Joint Committee on Printing (or any applicable successor committees).
“(B) No voluntary separation incentive payment may be paid under this section unless the Public Printer submits a plan described under subparagraph (C) to the Joint Committee on Printing (or any applicable successor committees) and the Joint Committee on Printing approves the plan (or such successor committees approve the plan).
“(C) The plan referred to under subparagraph (B) shall include—
“(i) the positions and functions to be reduced or eliminated, identified by organizational unit, occupational category, and pay or grade level;
“(ii) the number and amounts of voluntary separation incentive payments to be offered; and
“(iii) a description of how the Government Printing Office will operate without the eliminated positions and functions.
“(5)(A) In addition to any other payments which the Public Printer is required to make under subchapter III of chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code, the Public Printer shall remit to the Office of Personnel Management for deposit in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund an amount equal to 15 percent of the final basic pay of each employee who is covered under subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code, to whom a voluntary separation incentive has been paid under this section.
“(B) For the purpose of this paragraph, the term ‘final basic pay’, with respect to an employee—
“(i) means the total amount of basic pay which would be payable for a year of service by such employee, computed using the employee's final rate of basic pay; and
“(ii) includes an appropriate adjustment to the amount computed under clause (i) if the employee is last serving on other than a full-time basis.
“(6)(A) Subject to subparagraph (B), an employee who has received a voluntary separation incentive payment under this section and accepts employment with the Government of the United States within 5 years after the date of the separation on which the payment is based shall be required to repay the entire amount of the incentive payment to the agency that paid the incentive payment.
“(B)(i) If the employment is with an Executive agency (as defined by section 105 of title 5, United States Code), the Director of the Office of Personnel Management may, at the request of the head of the agency, waive the repayment if the individual involved possesses unique abilities and is the only qualified applicant available for the position.
“(ii) If the employment is with an entity in the legislative branch, the head of the entity or the appointing official may waive the repayment if the individual involved possesses unique abilities and is the only qualified applicant available for the position.
“(iii) If the employment is with the judicial branch, the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts may waive the repayment if the individual involved possesses unique abilities and is the only qualified applicant available for the position.
“(C) For purposes of subparagraph (A) (but not subparagraph (B)), the term ‘employment’ includes employment under a personal services contract with the United States.
“(7) Not later than January 15, 1999, the Public Printer shall prescribe regulations to carry out this subsection.
“(d)
“(A) means an employee of the Government Printing Office; and
“(B) shall not include—
“(i) a reemployed annuitant under subchapter III of chapter 83 or chapter 84 of title 5, United States Code, or another retirement system for employees of the Government; or
“(ii) an employee who is employed on a temporary when actually employed basis.
“(2) The Public Printer may establish a program to provide retraining, job placement, and counseling services to employees and former employees.
“(3) A former employee may not participate in a program established under this subsection, if—
“(A) the former employee was separated from service with the Government Printing Office for more than 1 year; or
“(B) the separation was by removal for cause on charges of misconduct or delinquency.
“(4) Retraining costs for the program established under this subsection may not exceed $5,000 for each employee or former employee.
“(e)
“(A) may use employees of the Government Printing Office to establish and administer programs and carry out the provisions of this section; and
“(B) may procure temporary and intermittent services under section 3109(b) of title 5, United States Code, to carry out such provisions—
“(i) not subject to the 1 year of service limitation under such section 3109(b); and
“(ii) at rates for individuals which do not exceed the daily equivalent of the annual rate of basic pay prescribed for level V of the Executive Schedule under section 5316 of such title.
“(2) Funds to carry out subsections (a) and (c) may be expended only from funds available for the basic pay of the employee who is receiving the applicable payment.
“(3) Funds to carry out subsection (d) may be expended from any funds made available to the Public Printer.”
[Pub. L. 107–68, title II, §210(b), Nov. 12, 2001, 115 Stat. 590, provided that: “The amendments made by this section [amending section 309 of Pub. L. 105–275, set out above] shall take effect as if included in the enactment of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1999 [Pub. L. 105–275].”]