---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 5524a"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "5524a"
heading: "Advance payments for new appointees and employees relocating within the United States and its territories"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/5524a"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart D — Pay and Allowances"
  - "Chapter 55 — Pay Administration"
  - "Subchapter III — Advancement, Allotment, and Assignment of Pay"
---

# §5524a. Advance payments for new appointees and employees relocating within the United States and its territories

- (a)
  - (1) The [head of each agency](/usc/5/5521.md?p=3) may provide for the advance payment of [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4), covering not more than 2 [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) periods, to any individual who is newly appointed to a [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) in the [agency](/usc/5/5521.md?p=1).
  - (2) The [head of each agency](/usc/5/5521.md?p=3) may provide for the advance payment of [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4), covering not more than 4 [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) periods, to an [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2) who is assigned to a [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) in the [agency](/usc/5/5521.md?p=1) that is located—
    - (A) outside of the [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2)’s commuting area; and
    - (B) in the [United States](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-18), the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, or any territory or possession of the [United States](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-18).
- (b)
  - (1) Subject to adjustment of the [account](/usc/5/8401.md?p=1) of an [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2) under [paragraph (2)](#b-2) and other applicable statutes, the advance payment of [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4) shall be made, under [agency](/usc/5/5521.md?p=1) procedures governing advance payments under this section, at the initial rate of [basic pay](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4) to be payable to the [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2) upon the commencement of [service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) in the [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) to which appointed or assigned.
  - (2) The [head of each agency](/usc/5/5521.md?p=3) shall provide for—
    - (A) the review of the [account](/usc/5/8401.md?p=1) of each [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2) of the [agency](/usc/5/5521.md?p=1) 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](/usc/5/8401.md?p=4) to which the [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2) would have been entitled under applicable statute other than this section for the respective periods covered by the payments, if the [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2) had performed [active service](/usc/5/3501.md?p=a-1) under the terms of such [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2)’s appointment or assignment during each period in the [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) to which appointed or assigned.
- (c) An advance payment under this section is recoverable by the [Government](/usc/5/4101.md?p=3) of the [United States](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-18) or the [government](/usc/5/4101.md?p=3) of the District of Columbia, as the case may be, from the [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2) or such [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2)’s estate by—
  - (1) setoff against accrued [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4), amount of retirement credit, or other amount due to the [employee](/usc/5/5521.md?p=2) from the [Government](/usc/5/4101.md?p=3) of the [United States](/usc/5/7103.md?p=a-18) or the [government](/usc/5/4101.md?p=3) of the District of Columbia; and
  - (2) such other method as is provided by law.

  The head of the [agency](/usc/5/5521.md?p=1) 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.


## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 101–509, title V, § 529 [title I, § 107(a)], Nov. 5, 1990, 104 Stat. 1427, 1449; amended Pub. L. 114–328, div. A, title XI, § 1134(a)–(c)(1), Dec. 23, 2016, 130 Stat. 2459.)

## Notes

### 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.