# § 9509. General workforce classification and pay
**(a)** For purposes of this section, the term “broad-banded system” means a system for grouping positions for pay, job evaluation, and other purposes that is different from the system established under chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 as a result of combining grades and related ranges of rates of pay in one or more occupational series.
**(b)**
**(1)**
**(A)** The Secretary of the Treasury may, subject to criteria to be prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, establish one or more broad-banded systems covering all or any portion of the Internal Revenue Service workforce.
**(B)** With the approval of the Office of Personnel Management, a broad-banded system established under this section may either include or consist of positions that otherwise would be subject to subchapter IV of chapter 53 or section 5376.
**(2)** The Office of Personnel Management may require the Secretary of the Treasury to submit information relating to broad-banded systems at the Internal Revenue Service.
**(3)** Except as otherwise provided under this section, employees under a broad-banded system shall continue to be subject to the laws and regulations covering employees under the pay system that otherwise would apply to such employees.
**(4)** The criteria to be prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management shall, at a minimum—
**(A)** ensure that the structure of any broad-banded system maintains the principle of equal pay for substantially equal work;
**(B)** establish the minimum and maximum number of grades that may be combined into pay bands;
**(C)** establish requirements for setting minimum and maximum rates of pay in a pay band;
**(D)** establish requirements for adjusting the pay of an employee within a pay band;
**(E)** establish requirements for setting the pay of a supervisory employee whose position is in a pay band or who supervises employees whose positions are in pay bands; and
**(F)** establish requirements and methodologies for setting the pay of an employee upon conversion to a broad-banded system, initial appointment, change of position or type of appointment (including promotion, demotion, transfer, reassignment, reinstatement, placement in another pay band, or movement to a different geographic location), and movement between a broad-banded system and another pay system.
**(c)** With the approval of the Office of Personnel Management and in accordance with a plan for implementation submitted by the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary may, with respect to Internal Revenue Service employees who are covered by a broad-banded system established under this section, provide for variations from the provisions of subchapter VI of chapter 53.
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**Source Credit**: (Added Pub. L. 105–206, title I, § 1201(a), July 22, 1998, 112 Stat. 716.)