5 U.S.C. § 5304a: Authority to fix an alternative level of comparability payments

prepare and transmit to Congress, at least 1 month before those comparability payments (disregarding this section) would otherwise become payable, a report describing the alternative level of payments which the President instead intends to provide, including the reasons why such alternative level is considered necessary; and implement the alternative level of payments beginning on the same date as would otherwise apply, for the year involved, under section 5304. The requirements set forth in paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively, of section 5303(b) shall apply with respect to any decision to exercise any authority to fix an alternative level of comparability payments under this section. in subsection (a), strike ‘If’ and all that follows thereafter through ‘welfare,’ and insert ‘Subject to subsection (c), if’; and add after subsection (b) the following: “ ‘(c)(1) For the purpose of this section— “ ‘(A) the “threshold amount” is $1,800,000,000; and “ ‘(B) “severe economic conditions” shall be considered to exist relative to comparability payments scheduled to take effect on a given date if, during the 12-month period ending 2 calendar quarters before such date, there occurred 2 consecutive quarters of negative growth in the GNP. “ ‘(2) Authority under this section to provide an alternative level of comparability payments in any year may not be exercised except in accordance with the following: “ ‘(A) If the estimated cost of the comparability payments which (but for this section) would otherwise be payable in such year would be equal to the threshold amount or less, no alternative level may be fixed under this section unless necessary because a state of war or severe economic conditions exist. “ ‘(B) If the estimated cost of the comparability payments which (but for this section) would otherwise be payable in such year would be greater than the threshold amount, no alternative level may be fixed— “ ‘(i) at a level which would result in an estimated cost equal to or greater than the threshold amount, unless necessary because of national emergency or serious economic conditions affecting the general welfare; or “ ‘(ii) at a level which would result in an estimated cost less than the threshold amount, unless necessary because of either of the reasons set forth in subparagraph (A). “ ‘(d)(1) The President’s agent (as referred to in section 5304(d)) shall develop and include in the appropriate report under section 5304(d)(1) the methodology for estimating any costs under this section, and any estimate under this section shall be in accordance with such methodology. “ ‘(2) In making any estimate under this section, costs attributable to any authority under section 5304(h) may not be taken into account.’; and the President’s pay agent (referred to in section 5304(d) of such title, as so amended) may use appropriate estimates in lieu of BLS survey data if such data is not available for use in preparing the agent’s report with respect to comparability payments payable during calendar year 1994.”