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Title 5, Government Organization and EmployeesRelease 119-110

§5524a Advance Payments for New Appointees and Employees Relocating Within the United States and Its Territories

Title 5 › PART III — EMPLOYEES › Subpart D — Pay and Allowances › CHAPTER 55 — PAY ADMINISTRATION › SUBCHAPTER III — ADVANCEMENT, ALLOTMENT, AND ASSIGNMENT OF PAY › § 5524a

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Agency heads can give new hires an advance of basic pay for up to 2 pay periods. They can also give an advance of basic pay for up to 4 pay periods to employees who are moved to a job outside their normal commuting area that is in the United States or its territories or possessions (including Puerto Rico and the Northern Mariana Islands). The advance is paid at the starting rate of basic pay that will apply when the person begins the job. Agencies must check each employee’s pay records and adjust the advance if another law would have set a different pay rate for those periods. The government can get back the advance from the employee or the employee’s estate by taking it out of pay, retirement credits, or other amounts owed, or by other legal methods. An agency head can waive recovery if taking the money would be unfair or harm the public interest.

Full Legal Text

Title 5, §5524a

Government Organization and Employees, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)(1)The head of each agency may provide for the advance payment of basic pay, covering not more than 2 pay periods, to any individual who is newly appointed to a position in the agency.
(2)The head of each agency may provide for the advance payment of basic pay, covering not more than 4 pay periods, to an employee who is assigned to a position in the agency that is located—
(A)outside of the employee’s commuting area; and
(B)in the United States, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any territory or possession of the United States.
(b)(1)Subject to adjustment of the account of an employee under paragraph (2) and other applicable statutes, the advance payment of basic pay shall be made, under agency procedures governing advance payments under this section, at the initial rate of basic pay to be payable to the employee upon the commencement of service in the position to which appointed or assigned.
(2)The head of each agency shall provide for—
(A)the review of the account of each employee of the agency in receipt of any payment under this section; and
(B)the adjustment of the amount of any such payment on the basis of the rate of basic pay to which the employee would have been entitled under applicable statute other than this section for the respective periods covered by the payments, if the employee had performed active service under the terms of such employee’s appointment or assignment during each period in the position to which appointed or assigned.
(c)An advance payment under this section is recoverable by the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia, as the case may be, from the employee or such employee’s estate by—
(1)setoff against accrued pay, amount of retirement credit, or other amount due to the employee from the Government of the United States or the government of the District of Columbia; and
(2)such other method as is provided by law.
The head of the agency concerned may waive in whole or in part a right of recovery of an advance payment under this section if it is shown that the recovery would be against equity and good conscience or against the public interest.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2016—Pub. L. 114–328, § 1134(c)(1), inserted “and employees relocating within the United States and its territories” after “appointees” in section catchline. Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1134(a), designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2). Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1134(b)(1), inserted “or assigned” after “appointed”. Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 114–328, § 1134(b)(2), inserted “or assignment” after “appointment” and “or assigned” after “appointed”.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

Section 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.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

5 U.S.C. § 5524a

Title 5, Government Organization and Employees

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110