Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 93.djvu/503

 PUBLIC LAW 96-70—SEPT. 27, 1979

93 STAT. 471

shall, upon the employee's request, be accorded appropriate assistance for placement in vacant positions in the Government of the United States in the United States. (c) The Office of Personnel Management shall establish and administer a Government-wide placement program for all eligible employees who request appointment to positions under this section. (d) The provisions of this section shall take effect on the date of the Effective date, enactment of this Act. 22 USC 3672 note.

Subchapter IV—Retirement EARLY RETIREMENT ELIGIBILITY

SEC. 1241. (a) Section 8336 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (c), by inserting "(1)" after "(c)" and by adding at the end thereof the following new paragraph: "(2) An employee is entitled to an annuity if the employee— "(A) was a law enforcement officer or firefighter employed by the Panama Canal Company or the Canal Zone Government at any time during the period beginning March 31, 1979, and ending September 30, 1979; and (B) is separated from the service before January 1, 2000, after becoming 48 years of age and completing 18 years of service as a law enforcement officer or firefighter, or any combination of such service totaling at least 18 years."; and (2) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection 0) and by inserting after subsection (h) the following new subsection: "(i)(l) An employee of the Panama Canal Commission or of an Executive agency conducting operations in the Canal Zone or Republic of Panama who is separated from the service before January 1, 2000, who was employed by the Canal Zone Government or the Panama Canal Company at any time during the period beginning March 31, 1979, and ending September 30, 1979, and who has had continuous Panama Canal service, without a break in service of more than 3 days, from that time until separation, is entitled to an annuity if the employee is separated— "(A) involuntarily, after completing 20 years of service or after becoming 48 years of age and completing 18 years of service, if the separation is a result of the implementation of any provision of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements; or "(B) voluntarily, after completing 23 years of service or after becoming 48 years of age and completing 18 years of service. "(2) An employee of the Panama Canal Commission or of an Executive agency conducting operations in the Canal Zone or Republic of Panama who is separateid from the service before January 1, 2000, who was employed, at a permanent duty station in the Canal Zone, by any Executive agency other than the Canal Zone Government or the Panama Canal Company at any time during the period beginning March 31, 1979, and ending September 30, 1979, and who has had continuous Panama Canal service, without a break in service of more than 3 days, from that time until separation, is entitled to an annuity if— (A) the employee is separated involuntarily, after completing 20 years of service oi after becoming 48 years of age and completing 18 years of service; and "(B) the separation is the result of the implementation of any provision of the Panama Canal Treaty of 1977 and related agreements.

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