PUBLIC LAW 107-296—NOV. 25, 2002 116 STAT. 2231 "(2) to fix pay for any employee or position at an annual rate greater than the maximum amount of cash compensation allowable under section 5307 of such title 5 in a year; or "(3) to exempt any employee from the application of such section 5307. "(e) PROVISIONS TO ENSURE COLLABORATION WITH EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVES.— "(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to ensure that the authority of this section is exercised in collaboration with, and in a manner that ensures the participation of employee representatives in the planning, development, and implementation of any human resources management system or adjustments to such system under this section, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall provide for the following: "(A) NOTICE OF PROPOSAL.— The Secretary and the Director shall, with respect to any proposed system or adjustment— "(i) provide to each employee representative representing any employees who might be affected, a written description of the proposed system or adjustment (including the reasons why it is considered necessary); "(ii) give each representative 30 calendar days (unless extraordinary circumstances require earlier action) to review and make recommendations with respect to the proposal; and "(iii) give any recommendations received from any such representatives under clause (ii) full and fair consideration in deciding whether or how to proceed with the proposal. "(B) PRE-IMPLEMENTATION CONGRESSIONAL NOTIFICA- TION, CONSULTATION, AND MEDIATION.— Following receipt of recommendations, if any, from employee representatives with respect to a proposal described in subparagraph (A), the Secretary and the Director shall accept such modifications to the proposal in response to the recommendations as they determine advisable and shall, with respect to any parts of the proposal as to which they have not accepted the recommendations— "(i) notify Congress of those parts of the proposal, together with the recommendations of employee representatives; "(ii) meet and confer for not less than 30 calendar days with any representatives who have made recommendations, in order to attempt to reach agreement on whether or how to proceed with those parts of the proposal; and "(iii) at the Secretary's option, or if requested by a majority of the employee representatives who have made recommendations, use the services of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service during such meet and confer period to facilitate the process of attempting to reach agreement. "(C) IMPLEMENTATION.— "(i) Any part of the proposal as to which the representatives do not make a recommendation, or as to which their recommendations are accepted by the
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