5 CFR § 1201.191 - Savings provisions.

(a) Civil Service Reform Act of 1978 (Pub.L. 95–454)—(1) Scope. All executive orders, rules and regulations relating to the Federal service that were in effect prior to the effective date of the Civil Service Reform Act shall continue in effect and be applied by the Board in its adjudications until modified, terminated, superseded, or repealed by the President, Office of Personnel Management, the Merit Systems Protection Board, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, or the Federal Labor Relations Authority, as appropriate.

(2) Administrative proceedings and appeals therefrom. No provision of the Civil Service Reform Act shall be applied by the Board in such a way as to affect any administrative proceeding pending at the effective date of such provision. “Pending” is considered to encompass existing agency proceedings, and appeals before the Board or its predecessor agencies, that were subject to judicial review or under judicial review on January 11, 1979, the date on which the Act became effective. An agency proceeding is considered to exist once the employee has received notice of the proposed action.

(3) Explanation. Mr. X was advised of agency's intention to remove him for abandonment of position, effective December 29, 1978. Twenty days later Mr. X appealed the agency action to the Merit Systems Protection Board. The Merit Systems Protection Board docketed Mr. X's appeal as an “old system case,” i.e., one to which the savings clause applied. The appropriate regional office processed the case, applying the substantive laws, rules and regulations in existence prior to the enactment of the Act. The decision, dated February 28, 1979, informed Mr. X that he is entitled to judicial review if he files a timely notice of appeal in the appropriate United States district court or the United States Court of Claims under the statute of limitations applicable when the adverse action was taken.

(b) Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 (Pub. L. 101–12)—(1) Scope. All orders, rules, and regulations issued by the Board and the Special Counsel before the effective date of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 shall continue in effect, according to their terms, until modified, terminated, superseded, or repealed by the Board or the Special Counsel, as appropriate.

(2) Administrative proceedings and appeals therefrom. No provision of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989 shall be applied by the Board in such a way as to affect any administrative proceeding pending at the effective date of such provision. “Pending” is considered to encompass existing agency proceedings, including personnel actions that were proposed, threatened, or taken before July 9, 1989, the effective date of the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989, and appeals before the Board or its predecessor agencies that were subject to judicial review on that date. An agency proceeding is considered to exist once the employee has received notice of the proposed action.