112 STAT. 2681-519 PUBLIC LAW 105-277—OCT. 21, 1998 or employee with any Member, committee, or subcommittee of the Congress as described in paragraph (1). SEC. 626. Section 626(b) of the Treasury, Postal Service, and General Government Appropriations Act, 1997, as contained in section 101(f) of Public Law 104-208 (110 Stat. 3009-360), the Omnibus Consolidated Appropriations Act, 1997, is amended to read as follows: "(b) Until September 30, 1999, or until the end of the current FTS 2000 contracts, whichever is earlier, subsection (a) shall continue to apply to the use of the funds appropriated by this or any other Act.". SEC. 627. (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section— (1) the term "crime of violence" has the meaning given that term in section 16 of title 18, United States Code; and (2) the term "law enforcement officer" means any employee described in subparagraph (A), (B), or (C) of section 8401(17) of title 5, United States Code; and any special agent in the Diplomatic Security Service of the Department of State. (b) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.— Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for purposes of chapter 171 of title 28, United States Code, or any other provision of law relating to tort liability, a law enforcement officer shall be construed to be acting within the scope of his or her office or employment, if the officer takes reasonable action, including the use of force, to— (1) protect an individual in the presence of the officer from a crime of violence; (2) provide immediate assistance to an individual who has suffered or who is threatened with bodily harm; or (3) prevent the escape of any individual who the officer reasonably believes to have committed in the presence of the officer a crime of violence. SEC. 628. FEDERAL FIREFIGHTERS OVERTIME PAY REFORM ACT OF 1998. (a) IN GENERAL. —Subchapter V of chapter 55 of title 5, United States Code, is amended— (1) in section 5542 by adding at the end the following new subsection: "(f) In applying subsection (a) of this section with respect to a firefighter who is subject to section 5545b— "(1) such subsection shall be deemed to apply to hours of work officially ordered or approved in excess of 106 hours in a biweekly pay period, or, if the agency establishes a weekly basis for overtime pay computation, in excess of 53 hours in an administrative workweek; and "(2) the overtime hourly rate of pay is an amount equal to one and one-half times the hourly rate of basic pay under section 5545b (b)(1)(A) or (c)(1)(B), as applicable, and such overtime hourly rate of pay may not be less than such hourly rate of basic pay in applying the limitation on the overtime rate provided in paragraph (2) of such subsection (a)."; and (2) by inserting after section 5545a the following new section: "*§ 5545b. Pay for firefighters "(a) This section applies to an employee whose position is classified in the firefighter occupation in conformance with the GS-081 standard published by the Office of Personnel Management, and whose normal work schedule, as in effect throughout the year.
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