Annuities and pay on reemployment

5 U.S.C. § 8468

• Title: 5 — Government Organization and Employees
• Chapter: SUBCHAPTER VI—GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS

Text

(a) If an annuitant, except a disability annuitant whose annuity is terminated because of the annuitant's recovery or restoration of earning capacity, becomes employed in an appointive or elective position, an amount equal to the annuity allocable to the period of actual employment shall be deducted from the annuitant's pay, except for lump-sum leave payment purposes under section 5551. Unless the annuitant's appointment is on an intermittent basis or is to a position as a justice or judge (as defined by section 451 of title 28) or as an employee subject to another retirement system for Government employees, or unless the annuitant is serving as President, deductions for the Fund shall be withheld from the annuitant's pay under section 8422(a) and contributions under section 8423 shall be made. The deductions and contributions referred to in the preceding provisions of this subsection shall be deposited in the Treasury of the United States to the credit of the Fund. The annuitant's lump-sum credit may not be reduced by annuity paid during the reemployment.
(b)(1)(A) If an annuitant subject to deductions under the second sentence of subsection (a) serves on a full-time basis for at least 1 year, or on a part-time basis for periods equivalent to at least 1 year of full-time service, the annuitant's annuity on termination of reemployment shall be increased by an annuity computed under section 8415(a) through (i) as may apply based on the period of reemployment and the basic pay, before deduction, averaged during the reemployment.
(B)(i) If the annuitant is receiving a reduced annuity as provided in section 8419, the increase in annuity payable under subparagraph (A) is reduced by 10 percent and the survivor annuity or combination of survivor annuities payable under section 8442 or 8445 (or both) is increased by 50 percent of the increase in annuity payable under subparagraph (A), unless, at the time of claiming the increase payable under subparagraph (A), the annuitant notifies the Office in writing that the annuitant does not desire the survivor annuity to be increased.
(ii) If an annuitant who is subject to the deductions referred to in subparagraph (A) dies while still reemployed, after having been reemployed for not less than 1 year of full-time service (or the equivalent thereof, in the case of full-time 1 employment), the survivor annuity payable is increased as though the reemployment had otherwise terminated.
(2)(A) If an annuitant subject to deductions under the second sentence of subsection (a) serves on a full-time basis for at least 5 years, or on a part-time basis for periods equivalent to at least 5 years of full-time service, the annuitant may elect, instead of the benefit provided by paragraph (1), to have such annuitant's rights redetermined under this chapter.
(B) If an annuitant who is subject to the deductions referred to in subparagraph (A) dies while still reemployed, after having been reemployed for at least 5 years of full-time service (or the equivalent thereof in the case of part-time employment), any person entitled to a survivor annuity under section 8442 or 8445 based on the service of such annuitant shall be permitted to elect, in accordance with regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, to have such person's rights under subchapter IV redetermined. A redetermined survivor annuity elected under this subparagraph shall be in lieu of an increased annuity which would otherwise be payable in accordance with paragraph (1)(B)(ii).
(3) If an annuitant subject to deductions under the second sentence of subsection (a) serves on a full-time basis for a period of less than 1 year, or on a part-time basis for periods equivalent to less than 1 year of full-time service, the total amount withheld under section 8422(a) from the annuitant's basic pay for the period or periods involved shall, upon written application to the Office, be payable to the annuitant (or the appropriate survivor or survivors, determined in the order set forth in section 8424(d)).
(c) This section does not apply to an individual appointed to serve as a Governor of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service.
(d) If an annuitant becomes employed as a justice or judge of the United States, as defined by section 451 of title 28, the annuitant may, at any time prior to resignation or retirement from regular active service as such a justice or judge, apply for and be paid, in accordance with section 8424(a), the amount (if any) by which the lump-sum credit exceeds the total annuity paid, notwithstanding the time limitation contained in such section for filing an application for payment.
(e) A reference in this section to an "annuity" shall not be considered to include any amount payable from a source other than the Fund.
(f)(1) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management may, at the request of the head of an Executive agency—
(A) waive the application of the preceding provisions of this section on a case-by-case basis for employees in positions for which there is exceptional difficulty in recruiting or retaining a qualified employee; or
(B) grant authority to the head of such agency to waive the application of the preceding provisions of this section, on a case-by-case basis, for an employee serving on a temporary basis, but only if, and for so long as, the authority is necessary due to an emergency involving a direct threat to life or property or other unusual circumstances.
(2) The Office shall prescribe regulations for the exercise of any authority under this subsection, including criteria for any exercise of authority and procedures for terminating a delegation of authority under paragraph (1)(B).
(g)(1) If warranted by circumstances described in subsection (f)(1)(A) or (B) (as applicable), the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts shall, with respect to an employee in the judicial branch, have the same waiver authority as would be available to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, or a duly authorized agency head, under subsection (f) with respect to an employee of an Executive agency.
(2) Authority under this subsection may not be exercised with respect to a justice or judge of the United States, as defined in section 451 of title 28.
(h)(1) If warranted by circumstances described in subsection (f)(1)(A) or (B) (as applicable), an official or committee designated in paragraph (2) shall, with respect to the employees specified in the applicable subparagraph of such paragraph, have the same waiver authority as would be available to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, or a duly authorized agency head, under subsection (f) with respect to an employee of an Executive agency.
(2) Authority under this subsection may be exercised—
(A) with respect to an employee of an agency in the legislative branch, by the head of such agency;
(B) with respect to an employee of the House of Representatives, by the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives; and
(C) with respect to an employee of the Senate, by the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate.
(3) Any exercise of authority under this subsection shall be in conformance with such written policies and procedures as the agency head, the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives, or the Committee on Rules and Administration of the Senate (as applicable) shall prescribe, consistent with the provisions of this subsection.
(4) For the purpose of this subsection, "agency in the legislative branch", "employee of the House of Representatives", "employee of the Senate", and "congressional employee" each has the meaning given to it in section 5531 of this title.
(i)(1) For purposes of this subsection—
(A) the term "head of an agency" means—
(i) the head of an Executive agency, other than the Department of Defense or the Government Accountability Office;
(ii) the head of the United States Postal Service;
(iii) the Director of the Administrative Office of the United States Courts, with respect to employees of the judicial branch; and
(iv) any employing authority described under subsection (h)(2), other than the Government Accountability Office; and
(B) the term "limited time appointee" means an annuitant appointed under a temporary appointment limited to 1 year or less.
(2) The head of an agency may waive the application of subsection (a) with respect to any annuitant who is employed in such agency as a limited time appointee, if the head of the agency determines that the employment of the annuitant is necessary to—
(A) fulfill functions critical to the mission of the agency, or any component of that agency;
(B) assist in the implementation or oversight of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111–5) or the Troubled Asset Relief Program under title I of the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 (12 U.S.C. 5201 et seq.);
(C) assist in the development, management, or oversight of agency procurement actions;
(D) assist the Inspector General for that agency in the performance of the mission of that Inspector General;
(E) promote appropriate training or mentoring programs of employees;
(F) assist in the recruitment or retention of employees; or
(G) respond to an emergency involving a direct threat to life of property or other unusual circumstances.
(3) The head of an agency may not waive the application of subsection (a) with respect to an annuitant—
(A) for more than 520 hours of service performed by that annuitant during the period ending 6 months following the individual's annuity commencing date;
(B) for more than 1040 hours of service performed by that annuitant during any 12-month period; or
(C) for more than a total of 3120 hours of service performed by that annuitant.
(4)(A) The total number of annuitants to whom a waiver by the head of an agency under this subsection or section 8344(l) applies may not exceed 2.5 percent of the total number of full-time employees of that agency.
(B) If the total number of annuitants to whom a waiver by the head of an agency under this subsection or section 8344(l) applies exceeds 1 percent of the total number of full-time employees of that agency, the head of that agency shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate, the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives, and the Office of Personnel Management—
(i) a report with an explanation that justifies the need for the waivers in excess of that percentage; and
(ii) not later than 180 days after submitting the report under clause (i), a succession plan.
(5)(A) The Director of the Office of Personnel Management may promulgate regulations providing for the administration of this subsection.
(B) Any regulations promulgated under subparagraph (A) may—
(i) provide standards for the maintenance and form of necessary records of employment under this subsection;
(ii) to the extent not otherwise expressly prohibited by law, require employing agencies to provide records of such employment to the Office or other employing agencies as necessary to ensure compliance with paragraph (3);
(iii) authorize other administratively convenient periods substantially equivalent to 12 months, such as 26 pay periods, to be used in determining compliance with paragraph (3)(B);
(iv) include such other administrative requirements as the Director of the Office of Personnel Management may find appropriate to provide for effective operation of, or to ensure compliance with, this subsection; and
(v) encourage the training and mentoring of employees by any limited time appointee employed under this subsection.
(6)(A) Any hours of training or mentoring of employees by any limited time appointee employed under this subsection shall not be included in the hours of service performed for purposes of paragraph (3), but those hours of training or mentoring may not exceed 520 hours.
(B) If the primary service performed by any limited time appointee employed under this subsection is training or mentoring of employees, the hours of that service shall be included in the hours of service performed for purposes of paragraph (3).
(7) The authority of the head of an agency under this subsection to waive the application of subsection (a) shall terminate on December 31, 2024.
(j)(1) For the purpose of subsections (f) through (i), "Executive agency" shall not include the Government Accountability Office.
(2) An employee as to whom a waiver under subsection (f), (g), (h), or (i) is in effect shall not be considered an employee for purposes of this chapter or chapter 83 of this title.

History

(Added Pub. L. 99–335, title I, §101(a), June 6, 1986, 100 Stat. 576; amended Pub. L. 100–238, title I, §134(a), Jan. 8, 1988, 101 Stat. 1762; Pub. L. 101–509, title V, §529 [title I, §108(c)], Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1427, 1450; Pub. L. 101–510, div. A, title XII, §1206(j)(3), Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1664; Pub. L. 102–190, div. A, title VI, §655(c), Dec. 5, 1991, 105 Stat. 1392; Pub. L. 102–378, §8(a), Oct. 2, 1992, 106 Stat. 1359; Pub. L. 105–55, title I, §107, Oct. 7, 1997, 111 Stat. 1184; Pub. L. 105–61, title V, §516(a)(9), Oct. 10, 1997, 111 Stat. 1307; Pub. L. 108–176, title II, §226(b)(2)(C), Dec. 12, 2003, 117 Stat. 2530; Pub. L. 108–271, §8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814; Pub. L. 111–84, div. A, title XI, §1122(b), Oct. 28, 2009, 123 Stat. 2507; Pub. L. 112–96, title V, §5001(c)(2)(C), Feb. 22, 2012, 126 Stat. 200; Pub. L. 113–291, div. A, title XI, §1107(b), Dec. 19, 2014, 128 Stat. 3527; Pub. L. 116–92, div. A, title XI, §1117(b), Dec. 20, 2019, 133 Stat. 1605.)

Editorial Notes

Editorial Notes

References in Text
The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, referred to in subsec. (i)(2)(B), is Pub. L. 111–5, Feb. 17, 2009, 123 Stat. 115. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title of 2009 Amendment note set out under section 1 of Title 26, Internal Revenue Code, and Tables.
The Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008, referred to in subsec. (i)(2)(B), is div. A of Pub. L. 110–343, Oct. 3, 2008, 122 Stat. 3765. Title I of the Act is classified principally to subchapter I (§5211 et seq.) of chapter 52 of Title 12, Banks and Banking. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5201 of Title 12 and Tables.

Amendments
2019—Subsec. (i)(7). Pub. L. 116–92 substituted "December 31, 2024" for "December 31, 2019".
2014—Subsec. (i)(7). Pub. L. 113–291 substituted "on December 31, 2019" for "5 years after the date of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010".
2012—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 112–96 substituted "section 8415(a) through (i)" for "section 8415(a) through (h)".
2009—Subsec. (i). Pub. L. 111–84, §1122(b)(2), added subsec. (i). Former subsec. (i) redesignated (j).
Subsec. (j). Pub. L. 111–84, §1122(b)(1), redesignated subsec. (i) as (j).
Subsec. (j)(1). Pub. L. 111–84, §1122(b)(3)(A), substituted "(i)" for "(h)".
Subsec. (j)(2). Pub. L. 111–84, §1122(b)(3)(B), substituted "(h), or (i)" for "or (h)".
2004—Subsec. (i)(1). Pub. L. 108–271 substituted "Government Accountability Office" for "General Accounting Office".
2003—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 108–176 substituted "through (h)" for "through (g)".
1997—Subsec. (b)(1)(A). Pub. L. 105–61 substituted "through (g)" for "through (f)".
Subsec. (h)(2)(B), (3). Pub. L. 105–55 substituted "the Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives" for "the Speaker of the House of Representatives".
1992—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 102–378 repealed Pub. L. 101–510, §1206(j)(3). See 1990 Amendment note below.
1991—Subsec. (f)(3). Pub. L. 102–190, §655(c)(2), struck out par. (3) which read as follows: "An employee to whom a waiver under subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (1) applies shall not be deemed an employee for the purposes of chapter 83 or this chapter while such waiver is in effect."
Subsecs. (g) to (i). Pub. L. 102–190, §655(c)(1), added subsecs. (g) to (i).
1990—Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 101–510, §1206(j)(3), added a subsec. (f) identical to that added by Pub. L. 101–509, see below. Pub. L. 102–378, §8(a), repealed Pub. L. 101–510, §1206(j)(3), and provided that this title shall read as if section 1206(j)(3) had not been enacted.
Pub. L. 101–509 added subsec. (f).
1988—Pub. L. 100–238 amended section generally, substituting subsecs. (a) to (e) for former subsecs. (a) to (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Change of Name
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 6, One Hundred Sixteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2019. Committee on Oversight and Reform of House of Representatives changed to Committee on Oversight and Accountability of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Eighteenth Congress, Jan. 9, 2023.
Committee on House Oversight of House of Representatives changed to Committee on House Administration of House of Representatives by House Resolution No. 5, One Hundred Sixth Congress, Jan. 6, 1999.

Effective Date of 2014 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 113–291 effective as of Oct. 28, 2014, see section 1107(c) of Pub. L. 113–291, set out as a note under section 8344 of this title.

Effective Date of 2003 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 108–176 effective on 60th day after Dec. 12, 2003, and applicable with respect to any annuity entitlement based on an individual's separation from service occurring on or after such effective date, and any service performed by any such individual before, on, or after such effective date, subject to special rule relating to deposit requirement, see section 226(c) of Pub. L. 108–176, set out as a note under section 8401 of this title.

Effective Date of 1997 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 105–61 applicable to any annuity commencing before, on, or after Oct. 10, 1997, and effective with regard to any payment made after the first month following Oct. 10, 1997, see section 516(b) of Pub. L. 105–61, set out as a note under section 8334 of this title.

Effective Date of 1992 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 102–378 effective Nov. 5, 1990, see section 9(b)(6) of Pub. L. 102–378, set out as a note under section 6303 of this title.

Effective Date of 1990 Amendment
Amendment by Pub. L. 101–509 effective on such date as the President shall determine, but not earlier than 90 days, and not later than 180 days, after Nov. 5, 1990, see section 529 [title III, §305] of Pub. L. 101–509, set out as an Effective Date of 1990 Amendment note under section 5301 of this title.

Effective Date of 1988 Amendment
Pub. L. 100–238, title I, §134(d), Jan. 8, 1988, 101 Stat. 1765, provided that:
"(1) Generally.—The amendments made by this section [amending this section and provisions set out as notes under section 8331 of this title] shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 8, 1988], and as provided in paragraph (2), shall apply with respect to any individual who becomes a reemployed annuitant on or after such date.
"(2) Exception.—The amendment made by subsection (b) [amending provisions set out as a note under section 8331 of this title] shall apply with respect to any election made by a reemployed annuitant on or after the date of the enactment of this Act [Jan. 8, 1988]."

Construction of 2009 Amendment
Nothing in amendment by section 1122 of Pub. L. 111–84 to be construed to authorize the waiver of the hiring preferences under chapter 33 of this title in selecting annuitants to employ in an appointive or elective position, see section 1122(c) of Pub. L. 111–84, set out as a note under section 8344 of this title.

Annual Report to Congress
Each agency in legislative branch to submit to Speaker of House of Representatives and Committee on Rules and Administration of Senate, for each calendar year, a written report on how authority made available as result of amendment by Pub. L. 102–190 was used by such agency during the period covered by such report, see section 655(d) of Pub. L. 102–190, set out as a note under section 8344 of this title.