(a) General. If you are a civilian employee of the United States Government or an instrumentality of the United States, your employer will determine the amount of remuneration paid for your work and the periods in or for which such remuneration was paid. We will determine whether your employment is covered under Social Security, the periods of such covered employment, and whether remuneration paid for your work constitutes wages for purposes of Social Security. To make these determinations we will consider the date of your appointment to Federal service, your previous Federal employing agencies and positions (if any), whether you were covered under Social Security or a Federal civilian retirement system, and whether you made a timely election to join a retirement system established by the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 or the Foreign Service Pension System Act of 1986. Using this information and the following rules, we will determine that your service is covered unless -
(1) The service would have been excluded if the rules in effect in January 1983 had remained in effect; and
(i) You have been continuously performing such service since December 31, 1983; or
(ii) You are receiving an annuity from the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund or benefits for service as an employee under another retirement system established by a law of the United States and in effect on December 31, 1983, for employees of the Federal Government other than a system for members of the uniformed services.
(2) The service is under the provisions of 28 U.S.C. 294, relating to the assignment of retired Federal justices and judges to active duty.
(b) Covered services -
(1) Federal officials. Any service for which you received remuneration after 1983 is covered if performed -
(i) As the President or the Vice President of the United States;
(ii) In a position placed in the Executive Schedule under 5 U.S.C. 5312 through 5317;
(iii) As a noncareer appointee in the Senior Executive Service or a noncareer member of the Senior Foreign Service;
(iv) In a position to which you are appointed by the President, or his designee, or the Vice President under 3 U.S.C. 105(a)(1), 106(a)(1), or 107(a)(1) or (b)(1) if the maximum rate of basic pay for such position is at or above the rate for level V of the Executive Schedule;
(v) As the Chief Justice of the United States, an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, a judge of a United States court of appeals, a judge of a United States district court, including the district court of a territory, a judge of the United States Claims Court, a judge of the United States Court of International Trade, a judge of the United States Tax Court, a United States magistrate, or a referee in bankruptcy or United States bankruptcy judge; or
(vi) As a Member, Delegate, or Resident Commissioner of or to the Congress.
(2) Legislative Branch Employees. Service you perform for the legislative branch of the Federal Government for which you are paid remuneration after 1983 is generally covered by Social Security if such service is not covered by the Civil Service Retirement System or by another retirement system established by a law of the United States and in effect on December 31, 1983, for employees of the Federal Government other than a system for members of the uniformed services.
(3) Election to become subject to the Federal Employees' Retirement System or the Foreign Service Pension System. Your service is covered if:
(i) You timely elect after June 30, 1987, under either the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act or the Central Intelligence Agency Retirement Act, to become subject to the Federal Employees Retirement System provided in 5 U.S.C. 8401 through 8479; or
(ii) You timely elect after June 30, 1987, to become subject to the Foreign Service Pension System provided in 22 U.S.C. 4071 through 4071(k).
(4) Subsequent Federal civilian service. If you perform Federal civilian service on or after November 10, 1988, which is described in paragraph (b)(1), (b)(2), or (b)(3) of this section you will continue to be covered for any subsequent Federal Civilian Service not excluded under paragraph (c) of this section.
(c) Excluded Service. Notwithstanding § 404.1018a and this section, your service is not covered if performed -
(1) In a penal institution of the United States as an inmate thereof;
(2) As an employee included under 5 U.S.C. 5351(2) relating to certain interns, student nurses, and other student employees of hospitals of the Federal Government, other than as a medical or dental intern or a medical or dental resident in training;
(3) As an employee serving on a temporary basis in case of fire, storm, earthquake, flood, or other similar emergency; or
(4) Under any other statutory provisions that would require exclusion for reasons other than being in the employ of the Federal Government or an instrumentality of such.
(d) Work as a Peace Corps Volunteer. Work performed as a volunteer or volunteer leader within the meaning of the Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C. 2501 through 2523, is covered as employment.
(e) Work as Job Corps Enrollee. Work performed as an enrollee in the Job Corps is considered to be performed in the employ of the United States.
(f) Work by Volunteer in Service to America. Work performed and training received as a Volunteer in Service to America is considered to be performed in the employ of the United States if the volunteer is enrolled for a period of service of at least 1 year. If the enrollment is for less than 1 year, we use the common-law rules in § 404.1007 to determine the volunteer's status.
(g) Work for international organizations. Work performed for an international organization by an employee who was transferred from a Federal agency is generally covered as employment if, immediately before the transfer, the employee's services for the Federal agency were covered. (See § 404.1004(a)(5) and § 404.1034(c).)
(h) Meaning of “continuously performing” -
(1) Absence of less than 366 days. You are considered to be continuously performing service described in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section if you return to the performance of such service after being separated from such service for a period of less than 366 consecutive days, regardless of whether the period began before, on, or after December 31, 1983.
(2) Other absences. You are considered to be continuously performing service described in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section regardless of the length of separation or whether the period of separation began before, on, or after December 31, 1983, if you -
(i) Return to the performance of such service after being detailed or transferred from such service to an international organization as described under 5 U.S.C. 3343 or under 5 U.S.C. 3581;
(ii) Are reemployed or reinstated after being separated from such service for the purpose of accepting employment with the American Institute of Taiwan as provided under 22 U.S.C. 3310;
(iii) Return to the performance of such service after performing service as a member of a uniformed service including service in the National Guard and temporary service in the Coast Guard Reserve and after exercising restoration or reemployment rights as provided under 38 U.S.C. chapter 43; or
(iv) Return to the performance of such service after employment by a tribal organization to which section 105(e)(2) of the Indian Self-Determination Act applies.
[53 FR 38944, Oct. 4, 1988; 53 FR 44551, Nov. 3, 1988, as amended at 55 FR 24891, June 19, 1990; 61 FR 38365, July 24, 1996; 79 FR 33684, June 12, 2014]