2 U.S.C. § 293 — Compensation schedules

(a) (1) The Committee on House Oversight of the House of Representatives (called "the committee" in this section) must establish, and may from time to time revise, a pay schedule for positions covered by this chapter — other than positions covered by subsection (b), whose pay is instead fixed and adjusted based on prevailing market rates. This schedule is called the "House Employees Schedule," with the symbol "HS," and follows these rules: (A) The committee decides how many pay levels the schedule has. (B) Each pay level has exactly twelve pay steps. (C) The committee decides the pay rate for each step of each level — except that the top step of the highest level cannot pay more than the maximum allowed under chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of title 5. (2) Employees in these positions are paid according to this schedule. (b) The committee must also establish, and may revise, a separate pay schedule for positions under the Clerk, the Sergeant at Arms, the Chief Administrative Officer, and the Inspector General of the House of Representatives — for positions where the committee decides pay should be fixed and adjusted based on prevailing rates. This schedule can use per-year rates, per-hour rates, or both, with however many pay levels and steps the committee decides are appropriate, set according to prevailing rates. It is called the "House Wage Schedule," with the symbol "HWS." Employees in these positions are paid according to this schedule. Despite any other provision of this chapter, when the committee applies its adjustment under this subsection for 2002 and each year after that (except during any period when a memorandum of understanding described in section 2168(a) of this title is in effect), positions under the Chief Administrative Officer include the positions of the United States Capitol telephone exchange under the Chief Administrative Officer.