Title 5Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-73

§9812 Annual leave enhancements

Title 5 › Part PART III— - EMPLOYEES › Subpart Subpart I— - Miscellaneous › Chapter CHAPTER 98— - NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION › § 9812

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

New hires or people rehired after at least 90 days away from federal work can have some rules that treat certain past jobs as if they were federal service for leave purposes. A "newly appointed employee" means someone starting federal work for the first time or returning after a 90-day break, but not when the prior work was short student jobs, a law clerk trainee post, certain vacation or short-term student hires, a provisional job immediately followed by a permanent appointment, or a part-time temporary job that was not their main work. A "period of qualified non‑Federal service" is past non‑federal work that involved duties directly related to the new federal job. "Directly related" means the same line of work with similar qualifications. The Administration’s head may count that related non‑federal work as federal service for leave credit, and that choice stays in effect while the person works in or under the Administration. Employees in certain top Administration pay categories (those paid under pay rates 5376 or 5383, or anyone paid more than the GS‑15, step 10 rate) earn 1 day of annual leave for each full biweekly pay period, and they keep that accrual while serving in or under the Administration.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §9812

Government Organization and Employees — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In this section—
(1)the term “newly appointed employee” means an individual who is first appointed—
(A)as an employee of the Federal Government; or
(B)as an employee of the Federal Government following a break in service of at least 90 days after that individual’s last period of Federal employment, other than—
(i)employment under the Student Educational Employment Program administered by the Office of Personnel Management;
(ii)employment as a law clerk trainee;
(iii)employment under a short-term temporary appointing authority while a student during periods of vacation from the educational institution at which the student is enrolled;
(iv)employment under a provisional appointment if the new appointment is permanent and immediately follows the provisional appointment; or
(v)employment under a temporary appointment that is neither full-time nor the principal employment of the individual;
(2)the term “period of qualified non-Federal service” means any period of service performed by an individual that—
(A)was performed in a position the duties of which were directly related to the duties of the position in the Administration which that individual will fill as a newly appointed employee; and
(B)except for this section, would not otherwise be service performed by an employee for purposes of section 6303; and
(3)the term “directly related to the duties of the position” means duties and responsibilities in the same line of work which require similar qualifications.
(b)(1)For purposes of section 6303, the Administrator may deem a period of qualified non-Federal service performed by a newly appointed employee to be a period of service of equal length performed as an employee.
(2)A decision under paragraph (1) to treat a period of qualified non-Federal service as if it were service performed as an employee shall continue to apply so long as that individual serves in or under the Administration.
(c)(1)Notwithstanding section 6303(a), the annual leave accrual rate for an employee of the Administration in a position paid under section 5376 or 5383, or for an employee in an equivalent category whose rate of basic pay is greater than the rate payable at GS–15, step 10, shall be 1 day for each full biweekly pay period.
(2)The accrual rate established under this subsection shall continue to apply to the employee so long as such employee serves in or under the Administration.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

GS–15, referred to in subsec. (c)(1), is contained in the General Schedule, which is set out under section 5332 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 9812

Title 5Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73