---
kind: "section"
citation: "5 U.S.C. § 9509"
title: "5"
title_heading: "Government Organization and Employees"
number: "9509"
heading: "General workforce classification and pay"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/5/9509"
units:
  - "Part III — Employees"
  - "Subpart I — Miscellaneous"
  - "Chapter 95 — Personnel Flexibilities Relating to the Internal Revenue Service"
---

# §9509. General workforce classification and pay

- (a) For purposes of this section, the term “broad-banded [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29)” means a [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) for grouping [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) for [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4), job evaluation, and other purposes that is different from the [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) established under [chapter 51](/usc/5/chptIII/sptD/ch51.md) and subchapter III of [chapter 53](/usc/5/chptIII/sptD/ch53.md) as a result of combining [grades](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-5) and related ranges of rates of [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) in one or more occupational series.
- (b)
  - (1)
    - (A) The [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) of the Treasury may, subject to criteria to be prescribed by the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of Personnel Management, establish one or more broad-banded [systems](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) covering all or any portion of the Internal Revenue [Service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) workforce.
    - (B) With the approval of the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of Personnel Management, a broad-banded [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) established under this section may either include or consist of [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) that otherwise would be subject to subchapter IV of [chapter 53](/usc/5/chptIII/sptD/ch53.md) or section 5376.
  - (2) The [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of Personnel Management may require the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) of the Treasury to submit information relating to broad-banded [systems](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) at the Internal Revenue [Service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26).
  - (3) Except as otherwise provided under this section, [employees](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) under a broad-banded [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) shall continue to be subject to the laws and regulations covering [employees](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) under the [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) that otherwise would apply to such [employees](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2).
  - (4) The criteria to be prescribed by the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of Personnel Management shall, at a minimum—
    - (A) ensure that the structure of any broad-banded [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) maintains the principle of equal [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) for substantially equal work;
    - (B) establish the minimum and maximum number of [grades](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-5) that may be combined into [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) bands;
    - (C) establish requirements for setting minimum and maximum rates of [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) in a [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) band;
    - (D) establish requirements for adjusting the [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) of an [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) within a [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) band;
    - (E) establish requirements for setting the [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) of a supervisory [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) whose [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) is in a [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) band or who supervises [employees](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) whose [positions](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) are in [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) bands; and
    - (F) establish requirements and methodologies for setting the [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) of an [employee](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) upon conversion to a broad-banded [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29), initial appointment, change of [position](/usc/5/5102.md?p=a-3) or type of appointment (including promotion, demotion, transfer, reassignment, reinstatement, placement in another [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) band, or movement to a different geographic location), and movement between a broad-banded [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) and another [pay](/usc/5/7511.md?p=a-4) [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29).
- (c) With the approval of the [Office](/usc/5/5402.md?p=3) of Personnel Management and in accordance with a plan for implementation submitted by the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) of the Treasury, the [Secretary](/usc/5/9901.md?p=2) may, with respect to Internal Revenue [Service](/usc/5/8401.md?p=26) [employees](/usc/5/4701.md?p=a-2) who are covered by a broad-banded [system](/usc/5/8401.md?p=29) established under this section, provide for variations from the provisions of subchapter VI of chapter 53.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 105–206, title I, § 1201(a), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 716.)