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Title 5 — Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§6308 Transfers between positions under different leave systems

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart E— - Attendance and Leave › Chapter CHAPTER 63— - LEAVE › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - ANNUAL AND SICK LEAVE › § 6308

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

When an employee moves from a job under one leave system to a job under a different leave system and has no break in service, their annual and sick leave balances must move with them on an adjusted basis under rules set by the Office of Personnel Management. People who are excepted by section 6301(2)(ii), (iii), (vi), or (vii) are not covered. A former member getting a retirement annuity under sections 521–535 of title 4, District of Columbia Code, may not have sick leave put back on their account when later reemployed. Nonappropriated fund employees of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard described in section 2105(c) who move to DoD or Coast Guard positions without a break in service of more than 3 days must have their annual leave, sick leave, and home leave transferred. The same applies in reverse when employees covered by these rules move to nonappropriated fund jobs. The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security may transfer funds equal to the value of the moved annual leave to pay the gaining organization.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §6308

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)The annual and sick leave to the credit of an employee who transfers between positions under different leave systems without a break in service shall be transferred to his credit in the employing agency on an adjusted basis under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, unless the individual is excepted from this subchapter by section 6301(2)(ii), (iii), (vi), or (vii) of this title. However, when a former member receiving a retirement annuity under section 521–535 of title 4, District of Columbia Code, is reemployed in a position to which this subchapter applies, his sick leave balance may not be recredited to his account on the later reemployment.
(b)The annual leave, sick leave, and home leave to the credit of a nonappropriated fund employee of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard described in section 2105(c) who moves without a break in service of more than 3 days to a position in the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, respectively, that is subject to this subchapter shall be transferred to the employee’s credit. The annual leave, sick leave, and home leave to the credit of an employee of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard who is subject to this subchapter and who moves without a break in service of more than 3 days to a position under a nonappropriated fund instrumentality of the Department of Defense or the Coast Guard, respectively, described in section 2105(c), shall be transferred to the employee’s credit under the nonappropriated fund instrumentality. The Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of Homeland Security, as appropriate, may provide for a transfer of funds in an amount equal to the value of the transferred annual leave to compensate the gaining entity for the cost of a transfer of annual leave under this subsection.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Historical and Revision Notes

DerivationU.S. CodeRevised Statutes andStatutes at Large 5 U.S.C. 2064(e).July 2, 1953, ch. 178, § 4(b), 67 Stat. 138. Aug. 18, 1959, Pub. L. 86–168, § 202(e), 73 Stat. 389. Aug. 21, 1964, Pub. L. 88–471, § 6(d), 78 Stat. 583. In the last sentence, the word “officer” is omitted as covered by the word “member”, and the words “section 521–535 of title 4, District of Columbia Code” are substituted for “the Policemen and Firemen’s Retirement and Disability Act, as amended”. Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2006—Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 109–241 substituted “Secretary of Homeland Security” for “Secretary of Transportation”. 1990—Pub. L. 101–508 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b). 1978—Pub. L. 95–454 substituted “Office of Personnel Management” for “Civil Service Commission”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 1990 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 101–508 applicable with respect to any individual who, on or after Jan. 1, 1987, moves from employment in nonappropriated fund instrumentality of Department of Defense or Coast Guard, that is described in section 2105(c) of this title, to employment in Department or Coast Guard, that is not described in section 2105(c), or who moves from employment in Department or Coast Guard, that is not described in section 2105(c), to employment in nonappropriated fund instrumentality of Department or Coast Guard, that is described in section 2105(c), see section 7202(m)(1) of Pub. L. 101–508, set out as a note under section 2105 of this title.

Effective Date

of 1978 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 95–454 effective 90 days after Oct. 13, 1978, see section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454, set out as a note under section 1101 of this title.

Transfer of Functions

For transfer of authorities, functions, personnel, and assets of the Coast Guard, including the authorities and functions of the Secretary of Transportation relating thereto, to the Department of Homeland Security, and for treatment of related references, see section 468(b), 551(d), 552(d), and 557 of Title 6, Domestic Security, and the Department of Homeland Security Reorganization Plan of November 25, 2002, as modified, set out as a note under section 542 of Title 6. Election of Leave or Lump-Sum Payment for Certain Employees Pub. L. 102–484, div. A, title X, § 1077, Oct. 23, 1992, 106 Stat. 2512, authorized an employee referred to in section 6308(b) of this title, who made an employment move described in such subsection after Dec. 31, 1986, and before Apr. 16, 1991, to elect to repay the lump-sum payment received based on such employment move in lieu of annual leave and have the annual leave recredited to the employee’s leave account, or to keep the lump-sum payment in lieu of that annual leave.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 6308

Title 5 — Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73