Salaries; character of service

Each bankruptcy judge shall serve on a full-time basis and shall receive as full compensation for his services, a salary at an annual rate that is equal to 92 percent of the salary of a judge of the district court of the United States as determined pursuant to section 135, to be paid at such times as the Judicial Conference of the United States determines. A bankruptcy judge may not engage in the practice of law and may not engage in any other practice, business, occupation, or employment inconsistent with the expeditious, proper, and impartial performance of such bankruptcy judge’s duties as a judicial officer. The Conference may promulgate appropriate rules and regulations to implement this subsection. Each individual appointed under this chapter shall take the oath or affirmation prescribed by section 453 of this title before performing the duties of the office of bankruptcy judge. A bankruptcy judge appointed under this chapter shall be exempt from the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 63 of title 5. If an individual who is exempted from the Leave Act by operation of amendments under this section [amending this section and sections 156, 631, 634, 712, 752, and 794 of this title] and who was previously subject to the provisions of subchapter I of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, without a break in service, again becomes subject to this subchapter on completion of his service as an exempted officer, the unused annual leave and sick leave standing to his credit when he was exempted from this subchapter is deemed to have remained to his credit. In computing an annuity under section 8339 of title 5, United States Code, the total service of a person specified in paragraph (1) of this subsection who retired on an immediate annuity or dies leaving a survivor or survivors entitled to an annuity includes, without regard to the limitations imposed by subsection (f) of section 8339 of title 5, United States Code, the days of unused sick leave standing to his credit when he was exempted from subchapter I of chapter 63 of title 5, United States Code, except that these days will not be counted in determining average pay or annuity eligibility.” (Source: (Added Pub. L. 98–353, title I, § 104(a), July 10, 1984, 98 Stat. 338; amended Pub. L. 100–202, § 101(a), [title IV, § 408(a)], Dec. 22, 1987, 101 Stat. 1329, 1329–26; Pub. L. 100–702, title X, § 1003(a)(1), Nov. 19, 1988, 102 Stat. 4665.))