Sponsor
Robert Menendez
Representative · D-NJ
Representative · D-NJ
This bill lets the NRC offer and retroactively apply pay above the SES maximum to help retain and recruit staff while keeping performance rules and adding transparency — at the trade‑off of higher taxpayer costs and increased centralized discretion that could raise fairness and governance concerns.
NRC career appointees can be paid up to 110% of the Commission's maximum SES rate, helping the NRC retain and recruit experienced staff by offering higher salaries.
Current NRC career appointees receive the pay authority retroactively, so incumbents immediately benefit from higher pay regardless of when they were appointed.
The bill preserves the NRC's certified performance appraisal requirements, maintaining performance-based accountability for those receiving enhanced pay.
If broadly used, higher authorized pay could raise federal payroll costs that are ultimately borne by taxpayers.
Concentrating enhanced pay-setting authority with the NRC Chairman gives a single official more discretion over salary fixes, raising concerns about centralized decision-making and inconsistent pay decisions.
Retroactive pay authority for NRC appointees may create perceptions of unfairness among other federal employees who are not covered by this special pay authority.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Permits the NRC Chairman to set career appointee basic pay up to 110% of the SES maximum, applies retroactively, and adds reporting requirements.
Official title: To amend the Atomic Energy Act of 1954 to provide compensation authority for certain career appointees, and for other purposes.
Introduced July 9, 2026 by Robert Menendez · Last progress July 9, 2026
Allows the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Chairman to set the basic pay of career NRC appointees up to 110% of the federal Senior Executive Service (SES) maximum rate. The change is retroactive to current incumbents, preserves existing NRC performance-certification requirements, adjusts statutory cross-references, and adds a reporting data element and GAO reporting scope for the number of career appointees paid under the new authority.