Sponsors (7)
The bill gives BPA flexibility to pay and hire outside traditional civil‑service rules to improve recruitment and operations, but does so at the cost of weakened civil‑service protections, higher potential costs for ratepayers/taxpayers, and greater risk of noncompetitive hiring.
Federal BPA employees and the agency can offer higher, market‑competitive pay and hire specialized experts more quickly, improving recruitment, retention, and the agency's capacity to operate and maintain power facilities.
Taxpayers and the public gain greater transparency because BPA must publicly disclose salaries above Executive Schedule Level IV, increasing oversight of senior pay.
BPA power customers and taxpayers could face higher electricity costs if the customized pay authority increases BPA compensation expenses that are passed through in rates.
BPA federal employees would lose many Title 5 civil‑service protections and standardized pay safeguards, reducing job security and established procedural protections.
Exempting BPA from civil service hiring rules reduces competitive hiring safeguards and could increase the risk of favoritism or politicized hiring if merit principles are not enforced.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Allows the BPA to set its own employee compensation plan outside most Title 5 pay rules, with OPM consultation and Energy Secretary confirmation.
Introduced January 15, 2025 by Marie Gluesenkamp Perez · Last progress January 15, 2025
Authorizes the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) to create and maintain its own employee compensation plan outside most Title 5 federal pay rules, with oversight from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and confirmation by the Secretary of Energy. The administrator must develop an initial plan within one year of enactment, implement it within one year after development, review and publish the plan annually, and disclose salaries for employees paid above Executive Schedule Level IV.