Public Law 87–93

By amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

“Sec. 216.

(a)(a)

The Secretary of Commerce is hereby authorized and directed, under such rules and regulations as he may prescribe, to establish and maintain the United States Maritime Service as a voluntary organization for the training of citizens of the United States to serve as licensed and unlicensed personnel on American merchant vessels. The Secretary is authorized to determine the number of persons to be enrolled for training and reserve purposes in the said Service, to fix the rates of pay and allowances of such persons, and to prescribe such courses and periods of training as, in his discretion, are necessary to maintain a trained and efficient merchant marine personnel. The ranks, grades, and ratings for personnel of the said Service shall be the same as are now or shall hereafter be prescribed

Uniforms.

for the personnel of the Coast Guard. The Secretary is authorized to prescribe, by rules and regulations, the uniform of the Service and rules governing the wearing and furnishing of such uniform of persons in the Service.”

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By adding at the end of the section, two new subsections to read as follows:

“(e)“(e)

To effectuate the purpose of this section, the Secretary of Commerce is authorized to employ professors, lecturers, and instructors and to compensate them without regard to the Classification Act

63 Stat. 954.

5 USC 1071 note.

Competitive civil service.

of 1949, as amended.

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“(f)“(f)

On such date as may be fixed by the Civil Service Commission with the approval of the Secretary of Commerce, not later than one year from the date of enactment of this subsection, persons then serving as administrative enrollees shall be brought into the competitive civil service or excepted civil service in accordance with the Civil Service Act and rules, and shall thereafter be compensated in accordance with the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, except as otherwise authorized by subsection (e) of this section or other provisions of law, and shall be subject to other laws of general applicability to civilian employees of the United States, subject to the following exceptions and conditions, notwithstanding any other provisions of law:

“(1)“(1)

The rate of basic compensation of any person serving as administrative enrollee on the date immediately preceding the date specified in the first sentence of this subsection (f) shall upon conversion provided for in this subsection be fixed at a rate which is not less than the combined basic pay and quarters and subsistence allowances received immediately preceding conversion, or the value of such allowances when furnished the person in kind at the rate and in the amounts theretofore authorized by regulation for such allowances. In the case of any such person whose combined basic pay and quarters and subsistence allowances, or value thereof when furnished in kind, exceeds the entrance rate of the grade or level in which his position is placed, the basic compensation of such person shall be fixed at that step in the grade or level which is equal to, or if none be equal, which represents the next higher regular or longevity step or level over the person’s combined pay and allowances, as specified above, received im-mediately preceding the date of conversion. In any case in which no such rate exists in the grade of his position, his rate of basic compensation shall be fixed at the next regular salary rate which is not less than his combined basic pay and quarters and subsistence allowances, or value thereof when furnished m kind. For the purposes of determining eligibility for step increases following conversion, the basic compensation as an administrative enrollee prior to conversion shall be considered as the total amount or value of basic pay, subsistence and quarters allowances. Any adjustment in compensation required by this subsection shall not be considered to be an equivalent increase in compensation for the purpose of a periodic step increase, nor an increase in grade or rate of basic compensation for the purpose of a longevity step increase.

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“(2)“(2)

The rate of basic compensation authorized by this paragraph shall continue until the person is separated from his position or receives a higher rate of basic compensation by operation of law or regulation.

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“(3)“(3)

Any person who, as a result of the action required under the

Leave credit.

first sentence of this subsection (f), becomes subject to the Annual and Sick Leave Act of 1951, as amended (5 U.S.C. 2061 and the following),

65 Stat. 672.

shall be credited under that Act with all annual leave remaining to his credit as an administrative enrollee, at the rate of five-sevenths of a day of leave chargeable under the Act (5 U.S.C. 2064) for each calendar day of leave remaining to the credit of the enrollee, without regard to the limitations on maximum leave accumulation provided by the Act, and shall be credited with thirteen days of sick leave in addition to any leave recredit to which the employee may otherwise be entitled.

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“(4)“(4)

Active service of any administrative enrollee performed prior

Service credit.

to the date specified in the first sentence of this subsection (f) shall be considered creditable as civilian employment in the executive branch of the Federal Government for all purposes, except that in computing length of service for the purpose of title VII of the Classification Act of 1949, as amended, continuous service immediately preceding the

63 Stat. 967.

5 USC 1121–1125.

date established under the first sentence of this subsection (f) shall be counted either (1) toward one step increase under section 701, or (2) toward one longevity step increase under section 703, as the case may be.

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“(5)“(5)

Persons converted from their status as administrative enrollees

Restriction.

to positions by or pursuant to this subsection (f) shall not be entitled, upon conversion or subsequent separation from such position, to payment of travel and transportation expenses which otherwise may be authorized under the joint travel regulations on separation from the United States Maritime Service; nor shall such persons upon conversion to positions by or pursuant to this subsection be entitled to free medical, dental, surgical and hospital care under section 322(6) of the Public Health Service Act of 1944 (58 Stat. 696, 42 U.S.C. 249).”

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