1. Short title This Act may be cited as the COVID–19 Federal Employee Reinstatement Act . 2. Reinstatement or compensation for impacted employees (a) In general Each impacted Federal employee, other than an impacted Federal employee entitled to a payment under subsection (b), is entitled, in accordance with this Act, to select either— (1) an appointment to a position in the former employing agency of such impacted Federal employee that is the same or similar to the previous Federal position of such impacted Federal employee and payment in an amount equal to the amount that such impacted Federal employee would have been paid by such former employing agency during the period beginning on September 9, 2021, and ending on the date on which such impacted Federal employee is so appointed if such impacted Federal employee had not become an impacted Federal employee; or (2) payment in an amount equal to the amount that such impacted Federal employee would have been paid by the former employing agency during the period beginning on September 9, 2021, and ending on the date that is 180 days after the date on which the impacted Federal employee receives the notice required under section 3(a) if such impacted Federal employee had not become an impacted Federal employee. (b) Subsequent Federal employment (1) In general An impacted Federal employee that was appointed to a new Federal position is entitled to the payments described in paragraph (2). (2) Payment described The payments described in this subparagraph are— (A) a payment in an amount equal to the sum of— (i) the sum of the difference in pay between the previous Federal position of the impacted Federal employee and any new Federal positions of the impacted Federal employee for each pay period that the impacted Federal employee held such new Federal position during the period beginning on the date on which such impacted Federal employee became an impacted Federal employee and ending on the date of the enactment of this Act