Sponsors (3)
Last progress June 12, 2025 (8 months ago)
Introduced on June 12, 2025 by Bill Cassidy
Treats certain Bureau of Prisons (BOP) worksites that are currently placed in the "Rest of U.S." pay and wage areas as if they are located in the nearest other established locality or wage area, so affected BOP employees may receive the higher locality pay or prevailing‑rate wage from that nearby area. The rule uses distance and tie‑break methods (including a 200‑mile test and choosing the locality/wage area with the highest comparability payment or wage schedule) and excludes employees whose worksites are not within 200 miles of any other locality. Implementation requires administrative steps to identify covered worksites and applicable higher pay/wage schedules; the change takes effect for pay periods that begin on or after 180 days after enactment.
Redesignate existing subsection (i) of 5 U.S.C. §5304 as subsection (j) and insert a new subsection (i) after subsection (h).
Notwithstanding other provisions of the chapter, the official worksite of an employee of the Bureau of Prisons that is otherwise located in the pay locality designated as "Rest of U.S." shall be considered to be located in the nearest other pay locality established under §5304.
If more than one pay locality is within 200 miles of the BOP employee’s official worksite, the worksite shall be considered located in the pay locality with the highest comparability payment.
A BOP employee is not subject to the rule assigning a "Rest of U.S." worksite to the nearest other pay locality if the official worksite is not within 200 miles of the nearest boundary of any pay locality other than "Rest of U.S.".
Adds a new subsection (h) to section 5343 of title 5, United States Code, that establishes rules described below.
Who is affected and how:
Primary affected group: employees who work at Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities that are currently categorized in the Rest of U.S. locality or wage area but are physically close to other established localities or wage areas. Those employees may receive higher General Schedule locality comparability payments or higher prevailing‑rate (wage area) schedules when their worksite is reassigned under the distance/tie‑break rules.
Agencies and administrators: the Department of Justice (BOP) payroll offices, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and payroll systems must identify covered worksites, compute distances to locality/wage area boundaries, determine applicable higher pay/wage tables, and update pay records. This requires staff time, systems updates, and procedural guidance.
Budgetary impact: affected employees will receive higher pay where the reassignment yields a larger locality or prevailing rate, which increases personnel costs for the Bureau of Prisons and corresponding federal outlays. The bill does not specify funding; implementation costs and ongoing higher pay run through standard payroll appropriations.
Operational and equity effects: the change narrows pay differences between BOP employees in remote Rest of U.S. assignments and nearby locality employees, potentially improving recruitment and retention at impacted facilities. It may raise equity questions for employees who remain in Rest of U.S. because their worksites are beyond the distance threshold.
Timeline and transition: agencies have up to 180 days from enactment to implement changes for the first eligible pay period; employees do not see immediate pay changes prior to that pay period.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.