Title 2The CongressRelease 119-73

§4532 Rates of compensation disbursed by Chief Administrative Officer of House; adjustments by Speaker; “Member of the House of Representatives” defined

Title 2 › Chapter CHAPTER 45— - CONGRESSIONAL PAY AND BENEFITS › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES › Part Part A— - Amount and Type › § 4532

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Starting December 22, 1987, even if other laws say otherwise, whenever the President pro tempore of the Senate uses certain pay powers for Senate-paid staff or when the events below happen, the Speaker may change pay rates (including minimums, maximums, limits, or allowances) for House staff paid by the Chief Administrative Officer. The Speaker can only change pay as needed to keep proper pay levels inside the House, to keep pay in line between those House jobs and (1) certain other House positions listed elsewhere, (2) jobs paid by the Secretary of the Senate, and (3) jobs on the General Schedule, and to keep a specific pay relationship described next. The other triggering events are an adjustment under section 5303 of title 5 (General Schedule) or an adjustment in House Members’ pay that is not caused by that General Schedule change. The pay relationship to keep is the one that existed on the effective date of the changes made by section 212 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2020 between an annual rate of $173,900 and the annual pay of a House Member who is not the Speaker, Majority Leader, or Minority Leader. “Member of the House of Representatives” here means a Member, a Delegate, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §4532

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(1)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, or any other provision of law, rule, or regulation, on and after December 22, 1987, each time the President pro tempore of the Senate exercises any authority pursuant to any of the amendments made by this section with respect to rates of pay or any other matter relating to personnel whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate, or whenever any of the events described in paragraph (2) occurs, the Speaker of the House of Representatives may adjust the rates of pay (and any minimum or maximum rate, limitation, or allowance) applicable to personnel whose pay is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives to the extent necessary to ensure—
(A)appropriate pay levels and relationships between and among positions held by personnel of the House of Representatives;
(B)appropriate pay relationships between—
(i)positions referred to in subparagraph (A); and
(ii)(I)positions under subparagraphs (A) through (D) of section 356 of this title;
(II)positions held by personnel whose pay is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate; and
(III)positions to which the General Schedule applies; and
(C)the maintenance of the pay relationship described in paragraph (3).
(2)The other events permitting an exercise of authority under this section are either—
(A)an adjustment under section 5303 of title 5 in rates of pay under the General Schedule; or
(B)an adjustment in rates of pay for Members of the House of Representatives (other than an adjustment which occurs by virtue of an adjustment described in subparagraph (A)).
(3)The pay relationship described in this paragraph is the relationship in existence as of the effective date of the amendments made by section 212 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2020 between—
(A)an annual rate of pay of $173,900; and
(B)the annual rate of pay of a Member of the House of Representatives who is not the Speaker, Majority Leader, or Minority Leader of the House.
(4)For the purpose of this section, the term “Member of the House of Representatives” means a Member of the House of Representatives, a Delegate to the House of Representatives, and the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

This Act, referred to in par. (1), probably means the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1988, Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(i), Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–290. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables. The

Amendments

made by this section, referred to in par. (1), means the

Amendments

made by section 101(i) [title III, § 311] of Pub. L. 100–202, Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329–290, 1329–310, which enacted this section, amended section 4571 of this title, and enacted provisions set out as a note under section 4571 of this title. The General Schedule, referred to in pars. (1)(B)(i)(III) and (2)(A), is set out under section 5332 of Title 5, Government Organization and Employees. The

Effective Date

of the

Amendments

made by section 212 of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2020, referred to in par. (3), is the

Effective Date

of section 212 of div. E of Pub. L. 116–94, which is set out in a note below. Codification Section was formerly classified to section 60a–2a of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section. Section is from the Congressional Operations Appropriations Act, 1988, which is title I of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1988.

Amendments

2019—Par. (1)(C). Pub. L. 116–94, § 212(b)(1)(A), added subpar. (C). Pars. (3), (4). Pub. L. 116–94, § 212(b)(1)(B), (C), added par. (3) and redesignated former par. (3) as (4). 1996—Par. (1). Pub. L. 104–186 substituted “Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives” for “Clerk of the House of Representatives”. 1991—Par. (2)(A). Pub. L. 102–90 substituted “5303” for “5305”. 1990—Pub. L. 101–520 designated existing provisions as par. (1), inserted “or whenever any of the events described in par. (2) occurs,” after “Secretary of the Senate,”, substituted “may adjust the rates of pay (and any minimum or maximum rate, limitation, or allowance) applicable to personnel whose pay is disbursed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives to the extent necessary to ensure—” and subpars. (A) and (B) for “may, with respect to personnel whose pay is disbursed by the Clerk of the House of Representatives, exercise the same authority to the extent necessary to ensure parity of treatment between personnel of the respective Houses of Congress having comparable duties and responsibilities.”, and added pars. (2) and (3).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2019 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 116–94 effective on the later of the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2020, or the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after Dec. 20, 2019, see section 212(c) of Pub. L. 116–94, set out as a note under section 282b of this title. Order of the Speaker of the House of Representatives Speaker Johnson, January 17, 2025Pursuant to the authority vested in the Speaker by section 311(d) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 1988, as amended by section 212(b) of the Legislative Branch Appropriations Act, 2020 (2 U.S.C. 4532), in order to ensure parity of treatment and preserve an appropriate pay relationship between employees of the House of Representatives and certain other employees of the Government, it is hereby– Ordered, pay for specified positionsSEC. 1. (a) The annual rate of pay for the Clerk, the Sergeant-at-Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, the Chaplain, the General Counsel to the House, the Inspector General, the Director of Interparliamentary Affairs, the Attending Physician, and one additional position in the Office of the Sergeant at Arms with duties related to emergency preparedness, planning and operations shall be equal to the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code, including any adjustment to such rate after the date of this Order [Jan. 17, 2025]. (b) Subject to the maximum established under subsection (a), the annual rate of pay for the following positions is subject to the approval of the Speaker: (1) The Parliamentarian. (2) The Legislative Counsel. (3) The Law Revision Counsel. maximum and minimum rates of paySEC. 2. (a) The maximum annual rate of pay for any employee whose pay is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer and is not otherwise provided for in this Order or otherwise limited by law, rule, or regulation, shall be equal to the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code, including any adjustment to such rate after the date of this Order. (b) The minimum annual rate of pay for any full-time employee whose pay is disbursed by the Chief Administrative Officer, subject to the

Rules and Regulations

promulgated by the Committee on House Administration, shall be $45,000. (c) The Chief Administrative Officer shall promptly notify the Speaker whenever the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule under section 5313 of title 5, United States Code is adjusted. pay for shared employeesSEC. 3. An employee who, under applicable

Rules and Regulations

, is paid from two (2) or more House sources may receive pay totaling the highest limitation applicable to any of the positions the employee occupies.

Effective Date

SEC. 4. This Order shall be effective
January 1, 2025, and each provision herein shall continue in place until such time as it is superseded by the issuance of a future Order. Prior Orders of the Speaker of the House of Representatives were issued on the following dates:
December 30, 2022, eff. Jan. 1, 2023.
May 6, 2022, eff. for pay periods on or after
May 6, 2022; section 2(b) eff. Sept. 1, 2022. Aug. 12, 2021, eff. Aug. 1, 2021. Jan. 27, 2020, eff. Jan. 1, 2020. Jan. 9, 2009, eff. Jan. 1, 2009, as amended. Jan. 8, 2008, eff. Jan. 1, 2008. Dec. 18, 2005, eff. Jan. 1, 2006. Jan. 7, 2005, eff. Jan. 1, 2005. Feb. 3, 2004, eff. Jan. 1, 2004. Jan. 3, 2004, eff. Jan. 1, 2004. Jan. 9, 2003, eff. Jan. 1, 2003. Jan. 5, 2002, eff. Jan. 1, 2002. Jan. 5, 2001, eff. Jan. 1, 2001. Jan. 5, 2000, eff. Jan. 1, 2000. Feb. 3, 1999, eff. Feb. 1, 1999. Jan. 24, 1997, eff. Feb. 1, 1997. Jan. 17, 1995, eff. Jan. 4, 1995.
May 11, 1993, eff.
May 1, 1993, as amended. Feb. 27, 1992, eff. Jan. 1, 1992. Jan. 28, 1991, eff. Jan. 1, 1991. Feb. 8, 1990, eff. Feb. 1, 1990. Jan. 20, 1988, eff. Jan. 1, 1988.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

2 U.S.C. § 4532

Title 2The Congress

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73