Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 110 Part 4.djvu/548

 110 STAT. 3009-385 PUBLIC LAW 104-208—SEPT. 30, 1996 the total amount of basic pay which would be payable for a year of service by such employee, computed using the employ- ee's final rate of basic pay, and, if last serving on other than a full-time basis, with appropriate adjustment therefor. (e) EFFECT OF SUBSEQUENT EMPLOYMENT WITH THE GOVERN- MENT. —An individual who has received a voluntary separation incentive payment under this section and accepts any employment for compensation with the Government of the United States, or who works for any agency of the United States Government through a personal services contract, within 5 years after the date of the separation on which the payment is based shall be required to pay, prior to the individual's first day of employment, the entire amount of the incentive payment to the agency that paid the incentive payment. (f) REDUCTION OF AGENCY EMPLOYMENT LEVELS. — (1) IN GENERAL. — The total number of funded employee positions in the agency shall be reduced by one position for each vacancy created by the separation of any employee who has received, or is due to receive, a voluntary separation incentive payment under this section. For the purposes of this subsection, positions shall be counted on a full-time-equivalent basis. (2) ENFORCEMENT. — The President, through the Office of Management and Budget, shall monitor the agency and take any action necessary to ensure that the requirements of this subsection are met. (g) EFFECTIVE DATE. —This section shall take effect October 1, 1996. SECTION 664. ELECTRONIC BENEFIT TRANSFER PILOT. Title 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 3335 the following new section: "SEC. 3336. Electronic beneHt transfer pilot "(a) The Congress finds that: "(1) Electronic benefit transfer (EBT) is a safe, reliable, and economical way to provide benefit payments to individuals who do not have an account at a financial institution. "(2) The designation of financial institutions as financial agents of the Federal Government for EBT is an appropriate and reasonable use of the Secretary's authority to designate financial agents. "(3) A joint federal-state EBT system offers convenience and economies of scale for those states (and their citizens) that wish to deliver state-administered benefits on a single card by entering into a partnership with the federal government. "(4) The Secretary's designation of a financial agent to deliver EBT is a specialized service not available through ordinary business channels and may be offered to the states pursuant to section 6501 et seq. of this title. "(b) The Secretary shall continue to carry out the existing EBT pilot to disburse benefit payments electronically to recipients who do not have an account at a financial institution, which shall include the designation of one or more financial institution as a financial agent of the Government, and the offering to the participating states of the opportunity to contract with the financial agent

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