5 U.S.C. § 9804 — Recruitment, redesignation, and relocation bonuses

(a) Despite section 5753, and under the workforce plan^* and this section’s limits, the Administrator^* may pay a bonus if the Administration^* would likely have difficulty filling the position without it and the person is (1) newly appointed to federal service, (2) already a federal employee^* newly appointed to another position in the same geographic area, or (3) a federal employee who must move to another geographic area to accept an Administration position. (b) For a position identified in the workforce plan as addressing a critical need^*, the bonus may not exceed either (1) 50 percent of annual basic pay, including comparability payments under sections 5304 and 5304a, at the start of service, multiplied by the service period under subsection (d)(1)(B)(i), or (2) 100 percent of that annual basic pay. (c) For another position, it may not exceed 25 percent of annual basic pay, excluding those comparability payments, at the start of service. (d)(1) Payment requires a service agreement. At minimum it must state (i) the service period, (ii) payment method and schedule, including lump sum, installments, or both, (iii) amount and calculation basis, and (iv) early-termination conditions and effects. (2) For subsection (b)(1) and (c)(1) decisions, the service period is full years plus twelfths of a year, with a fraction of a month rounded to the nearest twelfth; it must be at least 6 months and at most 4 years. (3) The bonus is not basic pay. (e) Before paying, the Administration must establish a recruitment, redesignation, and relocation bonus plan approved by the Office of Personnel Management. (f) In any year, no more than 25 percent of all bonuses under subsection (a) may go to supervisors or management officials.