(B) The amount to be contributed pursuant to an election under subparagraph (A) (or any election allowable by virtue of paragraph (4)) shall be the percentage of basic pay or amount designated by the employee or Member.

(2) Under the regulations

(A) an employee or Member who has not previously been eligible to make an election under this subsection shall not become so eligible until the second period (described in paragraph (1)) beginning after the date of commencing service as an employee or Member;

(B) an employee or Member whose appointment or election to a position or office in the Federal Government follows a previous period of service during which that individual met the requirements of subparagraph (A) shall be eligible to make an election under this subsection notwithstanding any period of separation;

(C) an employee or Member who elects under subparagraph (D) to terminate contributions shall not again become eligible to make an election under this subsection until the second period (described in paragraph (1)) commencing after the election to terminate; and

(D) an election to terminate may be made under this subparagraph at any time other than during a period afforded under paragraph (1).

(3) An employee or Member who elects to become subject to this chapter under section 301 of the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 may make the first election for the purpose of subsection (a) during the period prescribed for such purpose by the Executive Director. The period prescribed by the Executive Director shall commence on the date on which the employee or Member makes the election to become subject to this chapter.

(4) The Executive Director shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to carry out the following:

(A) Notwithstanding subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2), an employee or Member described in such subparagraph shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to first make an election under this subsection beginning on the date of commencing service or, if that is not administratively feasible, beginning on the earliest date thereafter that such an election becomes administratively feasible, as determined by the Executive Direc

tor.

(B) An employee or Member described in subparagraph (B) of paragraph (2) shall be afforded a reasonable opportunity to first make an election under this subsection (based on the appointment or election described in such subparagraph) beginning on the date of commencing service pursuant to such appointment or election or, if that is not administratively feasible, beginning on the earliest date thereafter that such an election becomes administratively feasible, as determined by the Executive Director.

(C) Notwithstanding the preceding provisions of this paragraph, contributions under paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection (c) shall not be payable with respect to any pay period before the earliest pay period for which such contributions would oth

erwise be allowable under this subsection if this paragraph had not been enacted.

(D) Sections 8351(a)(2), 8440a(a)(2), 8440b(a)(2), 8440c(a)(2), and 8440d(a)(2) shall be applied in a manner consistent with the purposes of subparagraphs (A) and (B), to the extent those subparagraphs can be applied with respect thereto.

(E) Nothing in this paragraph shall affect paragraph (3). (c)(1)(A) At the time prescribed by the Executive Director, but no later than 12 days after the end of the pay period that includes the first date on which an employee or Member may make contributions under subsection (a) (without regard to whether the employee or Member has elected to make such contributions during such pay period), and within such time as the Executive Director may prescribe with respect to succeeding pay periods (but no later than 12 days after the end of each such pay period), the employing agency shall contribute to the Thrift Savings Fund for the benefit of such employee or Member the amount equal to 1 percent of the basic pay paid of such employee or Member for such pay period.

(B) In the case of each employee or Member who is an employee or Member on January 1, 1987, and continues as an employee or Member without a break in service through April 1, 1987, the employing agency shall contribute to the Thrift Savings Fund for the benefit of such employee or Member the amount equal to 1 percent of the total basic pay paid to such employee or Member for that period of service.

(C) If an employee or Member

(i) is an employee or Member on January 1, 1987;

(ii) separates from Government employment before April 1, 1987; and

(iii) before separation, completes the number of years of civilian service applicable to such employee or Member under subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (g)(2),

the employing agency shall contribute to the Thrift Savings Fund for the benefit of such employee or Member the amount equal to 1 percent of the total basic pay paid to such employee or Member for service performed on or after January 1, 1987, and before the date of the separation.

(2)(A) In addition to contributions made under paragraph (1), the employing agency of an employee or Member who contributes to the Thrift Savings Fund under subsection (a) for any pay period shall make a contribution to the Thrift Savings Fund for the benefit of such employee or Member. The employing agency's contribution shall be made within such time as the Executive Director may prescribe, but no later than 12 days after the end of each such pay period.

(B) The amount contributed under subparagraph (A) by an employing agency with respect to a contribution of an employee or Member during any pay period shall be the amount equal to the sum of

(i) such portion of the total amount of the employee's or Member's contribution as does not exceed 3 percent of such employee's or Member's basic pay for such period; and

(ii) one-half of such portion of the amount of the employee's or Member's contribution as exceeds 3 percent, but does not exceed 5 percent, of such employee's or Member's basic pay for such pay period.

(C) Notwithstanding subparagraph (B), the amount contributed under subparagraph (A) by an employing agency with respect to any contribution made by an employee or Member during any pay period which begins after the date on which such employee or Member makes an election under subsection (b)(4) and before July 1, 1987, shall be the amount equal to the sum of—

(i) two times such portion of the total amount of the employee's or Member's contribution as does not exceed 3 percent of such employee's or Member's basic pay for such pay period; and

(ii) such portion of the total amount of the employee's or Member's contributions as exceeds 3 percent, but does not exceed 5 percent, of such employee's or Member's basic pay for such pay period.

(3)(A) There shall be contributed to the Thrift Savings Fund on behalf of each employee or Member described in subparagraph (B) the amount determined under subparagraph (C).

(B) An employee or Member referred to in subparagraph (A) is an employee or Member who

(i) is an employee or Member on January 1, 1987;

(ii) has creditable service described in section 8411(b)(2) of this title; and

(iii) has not received a refund of the amount of the retirement deductions made with respect to such service under section 204 of the Federal Employees' Retirement Contribution Temporary Adjustment Act of 1983.

(C) The amount referred to in subparagraph (A) in the case of an employee or Member is equal to the sum of—

(i) 1 percent of the total basic pay paid to such employee or Member for service described in section 8411(b)(2) of this title: and

(ii) interest on such amount computed with respect to such service in the manner provided in paragraphs (2) and (3) of section 8334(e) of this title.

(D) The Secretary of the Treasury shall credit to the Thrift Savings Fund, out of any sums in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the amounts determined by the Director to be necessary to carry out this paragraph.

(d) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, no contribution may be made under this section for any year to the extent that such contribution, when added to prior contributions for such year, exceeds any limitation under section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. However, no contribution made under subsection (c)(3) shall be subject to, or taken into account, for purposes of the preceding sentence.

(e) The sums required to be contributed to the Thrift Savings Fund by an employing agency under subsection (c) for the benefit of an employee or Member shall be paid from the appropriation or fund available to such agency for payment of salaries of the employee's or Member's office or establishment. When an employee

or Member in the legislative branch is paid by the Chief Administrative Officer of the House of Representatives, the Chief Administrative Officer may pay from the applicable accounts of the House of Representatives the contribution that otherwise would be contributed from the appropriation or fund used to pay the employee or Member.

(f) Amounts contributed by an employee or Member under subsection (a) and amounts contributed with respect to such employee or Member under subsection (c) shall be deposited in the Thrift Savings Fund to the credit of that employee's or Member's account in accordance with such procedures as the Secretary of the Treasury may, in consultation with the Executive Director, prescribe in regulations.

(g)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, all contributions made under this section shall be fully nonforfeitable when made.

(2) Contributions made for the benefit of an employee under subsection (c)(1) and all earnings attributable to such contributions shall be forfeited if the employee separates from Government employment before completing—

(A) 2 years of civilian service in the case of an employee who, at the time of separation, is serving in

(i) a position in the Senior Executive Service as a noncareer appointee (as defined in section 3132(a)(7) of this title);

(ii) a position listed in section 5312, 5313, 5314, 5315, or 5316 of this title or a position placed in level IV or V of the Executive Schedule under section 5317 of this title;

or

(iii) a position in the Executive branch which is excepted from the competitive service by the Office by reason of the confidential and policy-determining character of the position; or

(B) 3 years of civilian service in the case of an employee who is not serving in a position described in subparagraph (A) at the time of separation.

(3) Contributions made for the benefit of a Member or Congressional employee under subsection (c)(1) and all earnings attributable to such contributions shall be forfeited if the Member or Congressional employee separates from Government employment before completing 2 years of civilian service.

(4) Nothing in paragraph (2) or (3) shall cause the forfeiture of any contributions made for the benefit of an employee, Member, or Congressional employee under subsection (c)(1), or any earnings attributable thereto, if such employee, Member, or Congressional employee is not separated from Government employment as of date of death.

(5) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, contributions made by the Government for the benefit of an employee or Member under subsection (c), and all earnings attributable to such contributions, shall be forfeited if the annuity of the employee or Member, or that of a survivor or beneficiary, is forfeited under subchapter II of chapter 83.

(h) No transfers or contributions may be made to the Thrift Savings Fund except as provided in this chapter or section 8351 of this title.

(i)(1) This subsection applies to any employee

(A) to whom section 8432b applies; and

(B) who, during the period of such employee's absence from civilian service (as referred to in section 8432b(b)(2)(B))—

(i) is eligible to make an election described in subsection (b)(1); or

(ii) would be so eligible but for having either elected to terminate individual contributions to the Thrift Savings Fund within 2 months before commencing military service or separated in order to perform military service.

(2) The Executive Director shall prescribe regulations to ensure that any employee to whom this subsection applies shall, within a reasonable time after being restored or reemployed (in the manner described in section 8432b(a)(2)), be afforded the opportunity to make, for purposes of this section, any election which would be allowable during a period described in subsection (b)(1)(A). (j)(1) For the purpose of this subsection

(A) the term "eligible rollover distribution" has the meaning given such term by section 402(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; and

(B) the term "qualified trust" has the meaning given such term by section 402(c)(8) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. (2) An employee or Member may contribute to the Thrift Savings Fund an eligible rollover that a qualified trust could accept under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. A contribution made under this subsection shall be made in the form described in section 401(a)(31) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. In the case of an eligible rollover distribution, the maximum amount transferred to the Thrift Savings Fund shall not exceed the amount which would otherwise have been included in the employee's or Member's gross income for Federal income tax purposes.

(3) The Executive Director shall prescribe regulations to carry out this subsection.

§ 8432a. Payment of lost earnings

(a)(1) The Executive Director shall prescribe regulations under which an employing agency shall be required to pay to the Thrift Savings Fund amounts representing lost earnings resulting from errors (including errors of omission) made by such agency in carrying out this subchapter, subject to paragraph (2).

(2) If the error involves an employing agency's failure to deduct from basic pay contributions (in whole or in part) on behalf of an individual in accordance with section 8432(a), the regulations shall not provide for the payment of any lost earnings which would be attributable to—

(A) the contributions that the agency failed to deduct from basic pay in accordance with section 8432(a); or

(B) any related contributions under section 8432(c)(2) that the employing agency is not required (by statute or otherwise) to make up.

(b) The regulations