---
kind: "section"
citation: "2 U.S.C. § 296"
title: "2"
title_heading: "The Congress"
number: "296"
heading: "Step increases; waiting periods; service in Armed Forces; automatic advancement"
release: "119-102"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/2/296"
units:
  - "Chapter 10 — Classification of Employees of House of Representatives"
---

# §296. Step increases; waiting periods; service in Armed Forces; automatic advancement

- (a) Each [employee](/usc/2/4558.md?p=2) in a compensation level of the House [Employees](/usc/2/4558.md?p=2) Schedule (HS), who has not attained the highest scheduled rate of compensation for the compensation level (HS level) in which his position is placed, shall be advanced successively to the next higher step of such HS level, as follows:
  - (1) to steps 2, 3, and 4, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of one year of satisfactory service in the next lower step;
  - (2) to steps 5, 6, and 7, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of two years of satisfactory service in the next lower step;
  - (3) to steps 8, 9, and 10, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of three years of satisfactory service in the next lower step; and
  - (4) to steps 11 and 12, respectively—at the beginning of the first pay period following the completion, without break in service of more than thirty months, of five years of satisfactory service in the next lower step.
- (b) The receipt of an increase in compensation during any of the waiting periods of service specified in [subsection (a)](#a) of this section shall cause a new full waiting period of service to commence for further step increases under such subsection.
- (c) Any increase in compensation granted by law, or granted by reason of an increase made by the committee in the rates of compensation of the House [Employees](/usc/2/4558.md?p=2) Schedule, to [employees](/usc/2/4558.md?p=2) within the purview of [subsection (a)](#a) of this section shall not be held or considered to be an increase in compensation for the purposes of [subsection (b)](#b) of this section.
- (d) The benefit of successive step increases under [subsection (a)](#a) of this section shall be preserved, under regulations prescribed by the committee, for [employees](/usc/2/4558.md?p=2) whose continuous service is interrupted by service in the Armed Forces of the United States.
- (e) The committee shall establish and maintain, and, from time to time, may revise, a system of automatic advancement, by successive step increases in compensation, on the basis of satisfactory service performed, without break in service of more than thirty months, for [employees](/usc/2/4558.md?p=2) subject to the House Wage Schedule (HWS). In the operation of such system of step increases the committee may prescribe regulations to the effect that—
  - (1) the receipt of an increase in compensation during any of the waiting periods of service required for advancement by step increases under such system shall cause a new full waiting period of service to commence for further step increases under such system;
  - (2) any increase in compensation granted by law, or granted by reason of an increase made by the committee in the rates of compensation of the House Wage Schedule, to [employees](/usc/2/4558.md?p=2) within the purview of such system of step increases shall not be held or considered to be an increase in compensation for the purposes of subparagraph (1) of this subsection; and
  - (3) the benefit of successive step increases under such system of step increases shall be preserved, under regulations prescribed by the committee, for [employees](/usc/2/4558.md?p=2) whose continuous service is interrupted by service in the Armed Forces of the United States.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 88–652, § 7, Oct. 13, 1964, 78 Stat. 1081.)

## Notes

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Section effective Jan. 1, 1965, see section 17 of Pub. L. 88–652, set out as a note under section 291 of this title.