The pay of employees, described under section 5102(c)(7) of this title, in the Library of Congress, the Botanic Garden, the Government Publishing Office, the Government Accountability Office, the Office of the Architect of the Capitol, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, and the government of the District of Columbia, shall be fixed and adjusted from time to time as nearly as is consistent with the public interest in accordance with prevailing rates and in accordance with such provisions of this subchapter, including the provisions of section 5344, relating to retroactive pay, and subchapter VI of this chapter, relating to grade and pay retention, as the pay-fixing authority of each such agency may determine. Subject to section 213(f) of title 29, the rates may not be less than the appropriate rates provided for by section 206(a)(1) of title 29. If the pay-fixing authority concerned determines that the provisions of subchapter VI of this chapter should apply to any employee under his jurisdiction, then the employee concerned shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements of section 5361(1) of this title if the tenure of his appointment is substantially equivalent to the tenure of any appointment referred to in such paragraph.

Subsection (a) of this section does not modify or otherwise affect section 5102(d) of this title, section 305 of title 44, and section 5141 of title 31.

(Added Pub. L. 92–392, § 1(a), Aug. 19, 1972, 86 Stat. 572; amended Pub. L. 95–454, title VIII, § 801(a)(3)(H), Oct. 13, 1978, 92 Stat. 1222; Pub. L. 97–258, § 3(a)(11), Sept. 13, 1982, 96 Stat. 1063; Pub. L. 100–426, title III, § 301, Sept. 9, 1988, 102 Stat. 1602; Pub. L. 101–474, § 5(j), Oct. 30, 1990, 104 Stat. 1100; Pub. L. 108–271, § 8(b), July 7, 2004, 118 Stat. 814; Pub. L. 113–235, div. H, title I, § 1301(b), Dec. 16, 2014, 128 Stat. 2537.)