Title 2, The CongressRelease 119-110

§4504 Nonpay Status for Congressional Employees Studying Under Congressional Staff Fellowships

Title 2 › CHAPTER 45 — CONGRESSIONAL PAY AND BENEFITS › SUBCHAPTER I — GENERAL › Part A — Amount and Type › § 4504

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Counts time spent on an American Political Science Association congressional staff fellowship as service for certain benefits. If a Senate or House employee whose pay is handled by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House left work on or after January 1, 1963 to take that fellowship, the fellowship period is treated as employment time even though they were not paid. It is figured at the pay rate they had just before leaving, including any law-required pay increases while on the fellowship. This treatment applies for civil service retirement (subchapter III of chapter 83, title 5), Federal Employees Group Life Insurance (chapter 87, title 5), and Federal Employees Health Benefits (chapter 89, title 5). The fellowship must be certified to the Secretary or Chief Administrative Officer by the appointing official, or, if that official died or became disabled, proved to their satisfaction by records or other evidence.

Full Legal Text

Title 2, §4504

The Congress, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)With respect to each employee of the Senate or House of Representatives—
(1)whose compensation is disbursed by the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, and
(2)who, on or after January 1, 1963 shall have been separated from employment with the Senate or House of Representatives in order to pursue certain studies under a congressional staff fellowship awarded by the American Political Science Association,
the period of time covered by such fellowship shall be held and considered to be service (in a nonpay status) in employment with the Senate or House of Representatives, as the case may be, at the rate of compensation received immediately prior to separation (including any increases in compensation provided by law during the period covered by such fellowship) for the purposes of the provisions of law specified in subsection (b), if the award of such fellowship to such employee is certified to the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, as appropriate, by the appointing authority concerned or, in the event of the death or disability of such appointing authority, is established to the satisfaction of the Secretary of the Senate or the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives by records or other evidence.
(b)The provisions of law referred to in subsection (a) are—
(1)subchapter III (relating to civil service retirement) of chapter 83 of title 5;
(2)chapter 87 (relating to Federal employees group life insurance) of title 5; and
(3)chapter 89 (relating to Federal employees group health insurance) of title 5.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Codification Section was formerly classified to section 130a of this title prior to editorial reclassification and renumbering as this section.

Amendments

1996—Pub. L. 104–186 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), in par. (1) substituted “Chief Administrative Officer” for “Clerk”, in provisions following par. (2) substituted “the purposes of the provisions of law specified in subsection (b), if the award” for “the purposes of— “(A) subchapter III (relating to civil service retirement) of chapter 83 of title 5, “(B) chapter 87 (relating to Federal employees group life insurance) of title 5, and “(C) chapter 89 (relating to Federal employees group health insurance) of title 5, if the award”, “Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, as appropriate” for “Clerk of the House of Representatives, as appropriate”, and “Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives by records” for “Clerk of the House by records”, and added subsec. (b).

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

2 U.S.C. § 4504

Title 2, The Congress

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110