INITIAL RATE OF BASIC PAY FOR EMPLOYEES OF COUNTY COMMITTEES.

SEC. 10701. INITIAL RATE OF BASIC PAY FOR EMPLOYEES OF COUNTY COMMITTEES. Section 5334 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (e) and inserting the following: “(e) An employee of a county committee established pursuant to section 8(b) of the Soil Conservation and Domestic Allotment Act (16 U.S.C. 590h(b)) may, on appointment to a position subject to this subchapter, have the initial rate of basic pay of the employee fixed at— “(1) the lowest rate of the higher grade that exceeds the rate of basic pay of the employee with the county committee by not less than 2 step-increases of the grade from which the employee was promoted, if the Federal Civil Service position 116 STAT. 516 under this subchapter is at a higher grade than the last grade the employee had while an employee of the county committee; “(2) the same step of the grade as the employee last held during service with the county committee, if the Federal Civil Service position under this subchapter is at the same grade as the last grade the employee had while an employee of the county committee; or “(3) the lowest step of the Federal grade for which the rate of basic pay is equal to or greater than the highest previous rate of pay of the employee, if the Federal Civil Service position under this subchapter is at a lower grade than the last grade the employee had while an employee of the county committee.”.