COVERAGE

SEC. 4. (a) Not later than the first day of the first pay period which begins more than six months after the effective date of this Act, the Civil Service Commission, hereinafter referred to as "the Commission" is hereby authorized and directed to place in the Federal Professional Schedule all positions held by professionals, as described in this Act, and for which the rates of compensation are fixed, immediately prior to this Act, by the General Schedule of the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, or by Public Law 313, Eightieth Congress, as amended, and Public Law 167, Eighty-first Congress, as amended.

(b) For purposes of this Act

PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS

A person may be registered as a Federal professional and shall sign all reports, letters, or written communications clearly showing professional status with suffix showing type of professional; upon his request, who has been examined by an examining committe composed of at least five registered professionals of the same profession and found qualified according to the following:

Any person of good character and repute who is a citizen of the United States, at least twenty-five years of age, and who speaks and writes the English language, if such person

(1) holds a license or certificate of registration to engage in the practice of the profession issued by proper authority of a State or Territory of the United States in which the requirements and qualifications for obtaining such license or certificate of registration are reasonably equivalent to the standards set forth; or

(2) holds a certificate of qualification issued by the National Bureau of Engineering Registration of the National Council of State Boards of Engineering Examiners, or a certificate of qualification issued by the National Society of Federal Engineers, Scientists, and Allied Professionals of a certificate by other professional board; Provided, however, The requirements and qualifications of said body for obtaining such certificate are reasonably equivalent to the standards set forth; or

(3) has had four or more years' experience in professional work of a grade or character satisfactory and indicating that he is qualified to assume responsible charge of the work involved in the practice of the profession and either holds a certificate as a professional-in-training issued to him by the proper authority of the examining boards, or by a professional board in which the requirements and qualifications of said bodies for obtaining such certificate are reasonably equivalent to the standards set forth, or is a graduate in the profession from an institution having a course in the profession of four years or more, and who, in either event, successfully passes a written, or written and oral, examination prescribed by the examining committee. In the case of the examination of a professional-in-training, his examination shall be directed and limited to those matters which will test the applicant's ability to apply the principles of the profession to the actual practice of the profession. In the case of an applicant who is not a professional-in-training, the examination shall be for the purpose of testing the applicant's knowledge of fundamental subjects, including mathematics and the physical sciences, and those matters which will test the applicant's ability to apply the principles of the profession to the actual practice of the profession; or

(4) has completed an approved secondary school course of study or equivalent and has had twelve or more years of combined education and experience in the profession of a grade and character satisfactory to the Examiner Committee and indicating that he is qualified to assume responsible charge of the work involved in the practice of the profession, and who successfully passes a written, or written and oral, examination prescribed by the examining committee for the purpose of testing the applicant's knowledge of fundamental professional subjects, including mathematics and the physical sciences, and those matters which will test the applicant's ability to apply the principles of the profession to the actual practice of the profession; or

(5) submits evidence that he is a professional of established and recognized standing in the profession and that he has been lawfully engaged in the practice of the profession for twelve or more years, of which at least five

years shall have been in responsible charge of important professional work of a grade and character satisfactory to the examining committee. A person may be registered under this subdivision without examination; or (6) submits evidence that he was engaged in the practice of the profession, prior to 1963 and for one year immediately preceding the date of his application, and submits evidence of experience in the profession of a grade and character satisfactory to the examining committee, indicating that he is qualified to assume responsible charge of the work involved in the practice of the profession. Registration shall not be granted under the provisions of this subdivision unless the application therefor is filed with the Civil Service examining committee within one year after passage of this Act. A person may be registered under this subdivision without examination. (c) The Commission shall review through a committee of professionals (five or more) of the profession involved, at least once every two years beginning with the second full calendar year after the effective date of this Act, the positions placed in the Federal Professional Schedule under authority of this schedule, for the purpose of determining the professional responsibility and the propriety of continuing such positions in the schedule.

(d) The Commission may from time to time, upon its own initiative or otherwise through a committee (five or more) of professionals of the profession involved make such studies as it deems necessary or desirable, of positions in any department or agency to determine whether or to what extent additional engineering, scientific, or allied professional positions should be placed in the Federal Professional Schedule.

(e) The head of each department or agency may, from time to time in his discretion, submit to the Commission recommendations that positions under his department or agency be placed in or removed from the Federal Professional Schedule, accompanied by statements and a report of the committee, consisting of at least five registered professionals of the profession involved, explaining the reasons for such recommendations. The Commission shall (1) consider such recommendations and the reasons in the light of the needs and requirements of the professional responsibility of such department or agency and of the entire Government, (2) advise the head of such department or agency of its approval thereof, and (3) take such action as is necessary to carry out any such recommendations as have its approval.

STEP INCREASES

SEC. 5. (a) Each employee in a position subject to this Act who occupies such position under a career or career-conditional appointment and who has not attained the maximum scheduled rate of compensation for the grade of the Federal Professional Schedule in which his position is placed in the manner provided by this Act shall be advanced in compensation successively to the next higher rate within such grade at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion of (1) each fifty-two calendar weeks of service if such position is in grade FP-1, FP-2, FP-3, or FP-4 of such schedule, or (2) each seventy-eight calendar weeks of such service if such position is in grade FP-5, FP-6, FP-7, FP-8, or FP-9 of such schedule.

(b) The term "satisfactory" as used in this section shall have the same meaning as when used in the systems of efficiency rating established pursuant to the Performance Rating Act of 1950.

PROMOTIONS, APPOINTMENTS, TRANSFERS

SEC. 6. (a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section, any new appointment to a position in the Federal Professional Schedule shall be a registered professional and shall be made at the minimum rate of the appropriate grade of such schedule, except as otherwise authorized by law.

(b) The rate of basic compensation of any employee to whom this Act applies shall be governed by regulations issued by the Commission in conformity with this Act when

(1) he is transferred to the Federal Professional Schedule from a position to which this Act does not apply;

(2) he is transferred from one position to another position in the Federal Positional Schedule;

(3) he is demoted from a position in one grade to a position in a lower grade in the Federal Professional Schedule;

(4) his type of appointment is changed;

(5) his employment status is otherwise changed; or

(6) the position in which he is employed from one grade to another grade in the Federal Professional Schedule, only after a board of registered professionals has checked and recommended such a change according to the professional responsibilities of the position.

(c) No person in a position in a grade of the Federal Professional Schedule shall be promoted or transferred to a position in a higher grade of such schedule without having served

(1) at least twelve months in the next lower grade, if the position is in grades FP-1, FP-2, or FP-3 of such schedule;

(2) at least eighteen months in the next lower grade, if the position from which promoted or transferred is in grade FP-4, FP-5, or FP-6 of such schedule; and

(3) at least twenty-four months in the next lower grade, if the position from which promoted or transferred is in grade FP-7, FP-8, or FP-9 of such schedule.

OVERTIME

SEC. 7. (a) All hours of work officially ordered or approved in excess of forty hours in any administrative workweek, performed by any employee in grade FP-1, FP-2, FP-3, FP-4, or FP-5 of the Federal Professional Schedule, shall be considered overtime work and compensation for such overtime work shall be at the following rates:

(1) For each employee whose basic compensation is at a rate which does not exceed the minimum scheduled rate of compensation for grade FP-2 in the Federal Professional Schedule, the overtime hourly rate of compensation shall be an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of basic compensation of such employee, and all such amount shall be considered premium compensation.

(2) For each employee whose basic compensation is at a rate which exceeds the minimum scheduled rate of basic compensation provided for in grade FP-2 of the Federal Professional Schedule the overtime hourly rate of compensation shall be an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of such minimum scheduled rate of basic compensation, and all of such amount shall be considered premium compensation.

(b) The head of any department or agency may grant such employee compensatory time off from his scheduled tour of duty, in lieu of payment, for an equal amount of time spent in overtime work or holiday work.

GENERAL PROVISIONS

SEC. 8. (a) This Act shall apply to all professionals as determined by a Board of Registered Professionals, five or more with one from each profession, who have been appointed by the Commission to serve on this Board, in each executive department, each independent establishment and agency in the executive branch, each corporation wholly owned by the United States, the General Accounting Office, the Government Printing Office, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Library of Congress, the Botanic Garden, and the municipal government of the District of Columbia.

(b) This Act shall not apply to (1) persons appointed to Federal Professional Schedule appointed positions for less than one year, (2) aliens or persons not citizens of the United States who occupy positions outside the several States and the District of Columbia, or (3) any officer appointed, and any position to which appointment is required by law to be made, by the President alone or by the President by and with the consent of the Senate.

APPEALS

SEC. 9. Any employee, either individually or together with one or more other employees with a similar grievance may appeal at any time, in person or through his representative specifically designed for that purpose, to a Board of Professionals, five or more, one from each profession, who have been appointed by the Commission, to review any action placing or refusing to place him in the Federal Professional Schedule, or the assignment of such position to a grade or per annum salary rate in such a schedule, in order to determine whether or not such action has been taken or such assignment has been made in accordance with this Act.

The Commission shall act upon receipt of the report from the Board, upon such appeal to the earliest practical time, and its decision thereon shall be certified forthwith to the department or departments concerned which shall take action in accordance with such certificate.

SAVING CLAUSE

SEC. 10. Except to the extent that they are either expressly, or by implication in this Act made inapplicable to positions placed in the Federal Professional Schedule, all statutes, regulations, orders, standards, and procedures applicable generally to employees of the Government (including, but not limited to, those relating to national security, political activity, obligations, travel, compensation for injuries, welfare, leave, retirement, health benefits, veteran preference, and other benefits) shall apply to persons in positions placed in the Federal Professional Schedule.

EFFECTIVE DATE

SEC. 11. This Act shall become effective on the first day of the month after the month in which this Act is approved.

Mr. RAFFENSPERGER. Our main objective is to stress more the economy of that program, and we feel economy at this moment is of vital interest and importance so that the Government will get a dollar's worth of work for a dollar spent in Federal pay.

We think that can be done only by the appointment of the persons properly qualified in the professions.

We represent a professional organization of about 3 years of life and we are now worldwide. We have chapters in various foreign countries and practically every State in the Union, and we again are trying to, as the other professional organizations, present an image of the professional in the Federal service.

Therefore, we believe appointment of the proper professional people in the Government service will build up the economy even though there would be more money involved, we will get dollar for dollar spent. We heartily endorse H.R. 11049 with a few suggestions respectfully submitted.

The section that is accompanying our statement is a section that we would like to see included in any bill passed on Federal pay legislation. It is set up on a separate professional pay schedule which is nothing new in the Government. We had this type of schedule up to 1949.

We believe this separate pay schedule for professional employee, again I repeat, will aid in the appointment of the proper and right person in the job with professional status.

In addition to this is one item in this bill on line 16, page 6, of the bill that we respectfully suggest a change at the end of line 16. It says that the President or agency or agent shall designate the rate within the grade to be received by any officer or employee occupying or appointed to such a position.

Here we would like to have an addition at end of line 16 stating that such officer or employee shall be registered or certified in the profession involved.

This again, as you can see without further explanation, is getting the proper professional in the position involved in the appointment. We do not want to take up a lot of your time; these were just a few comments in addition to our prepared statement. We thank you for inviting us and we know that some equitable adjustment will come forth from the committee. We have no fear of that. We know com

parability is what you are striving for. We know whatever comes up will be right. If I could talk as Senator Dirksen did Monday, I would be happy. I think he made a good presentation and anything we could say would be superfluous.

We thank you for your courtesy.

The CHAIRMAN. We appreciate your coming and we liked your comments.

Mr. RAFFENSPERGER. Thank you.

The CHAIRMAN. We will now hear from Mr. John G. Brady, chairman of the committee on legislation, from the National Association of Internal Revenue Employees.

Mr. BRADY. Mr. Chairman, I have with me this morning Mr. George Bursach, our executive secretary and treasurer.

The CHAIRMAN. We are glad to have you.

Mr. BRADY. Mr. Chairman and members, I would like to read my brief and then I will comment on several points in it and give some examples.

The CHAIRMAN. You may proceed as it best suits you.

STATEMENT OF JOHN G. BRADY, CHAIRMAN, COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATION, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF INTERNAL REVENUE EMPLOYEES; ACCOMPANIED BY GEORGE BURSACH, EXECUTIVE

SECRETARY-TREASURER

Mr. BRADY. Mr. Chairman, and members of the committee, I am especially pleased to have this opportunity to appear before you, because all of us here today are well aware of sections 502 through 504 of title I of the Federal Salary Reform Act of 1962 which spells out in detail the contractual agreement the Congress made with Federal careerists.

Since Congress endorsed the comparability feature by its action last year, we believe that this 88th Congress will pass legislation so that Federal salaries will be brought into line and kept in line with general national salary levels.

In the past 30 years, teacher salaries have risen 106 percent. The salaries of all wage earners in America have increased 91 percent, but the salaries of civilian employees of Government have gone up only 73 percent.

The late President Kennedy lamented the fact that good, competent men in this country were frequently kept from Government service because of the low compensation accorded them.

Why should men be denied a fruitful career in public service simply because they cannot earn the same return for effort they receive in industry and the professions? The survival of the American system of Government may well depend upon its ability to attract and to hold the ablest members of our society, and yet the frightening fact is that in top Government service today the average tenure of Government service is very low.

STUDY OF FEDERAL PAY

Study of Federal pay conditions explicitly indicate that the reason Government employees' salaries lag so far behind wages in private industry, is that increases in Federal pay come too infrequently. Pay