Reliability for Ratepayers Act
This bill modifies provisions concerning the hiring and compensation of employees of the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which is a nonprofit federal power marketing administration that sells hydropower in the Northwest.
Specifically, it directs BPA to develop and implement a plan that specifies and fixes the compensation for its employees, including members of the Senior Executive Service. Within a year, BPA must develop an initial compensation plan, which must be approved by the Department of Energy. BPA must implement the plan no later than one year after the plan is developed.
The compensation plan must be based on an annual survey of the prevailing compensation for similar positions in the public sectors of the electric industry, provide compensation that is competitive with similar positions among consumer-owned utilities in the Western Interconnection, be consistent with BPA's approved annual general and administrative budget, and meet other criteria as outlined in the bill.
BPA must (1) annually review the compensation plan and make any updates as appropriate, and (2) publish the plan and any updates made to the plan.
The bill exempts BPA from certain civil service laws when it is carrying out its hiring authority.
Finally, the bill subjects BPA's employees to certain merit system principles.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 447 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 447
To provide compensation flexibility to address retention and hiring
issues at the Bonneville Power Administration.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 15, 2025
Ms. Perez (for herself and Mr. Newhouse) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide compensation flexibility to address retention and hiring
issues at the Bonneville Power Administration.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Reliability for Ratepayers Act''.
SEC. 2. COMPENSATION FLEXIBILITY TO ADDRESS RETENTION AND HIRING ISSUES
AT THE BONNEVILLE POWER ADMINISTRATION.
Section 10 of the Act of August 20, 1937 (commonly known as the
``Bonneville Project Act of 1937'') (50 Stat. 736, chapter 720; 16
U.S.C. 832i), is amended by striking the section designation and
subsections (a) and (b) and inserting the following:
``SEC. 10. EMPLOYMENT OF PERSONNEL.
``(a) Employee Compensation Program.--
``(1) In general.--Notwithstanding any other law, rule,
regulation, or directive relating to the payment of Federal
employees (other than chapter 83 of title 5, United States
Code), the administrator shall develop, implement, and, as
appropriate, update, based on the results of an annual review
under paragraph (4), a compensation plan that specifies and
fixes the compensation (including salary or any other pay,
bonuses, benefits, incentives, and any other form of
remuneration) for employees of the administrator, including
members of the Senior Executive Service (as defined in section
2101a of title 5, United States Code).
``(2) Initial compensation plan.--
``(A) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of enactment of the Reliability for Ratepayers
Act, the administrator shall, in consultation with the
Director of the Office of Personnel Management, and
subject to confirmation and approval by the Secretary
of Energy, which shall not be unreasonably withheld,
develop an initial compensation plan under paragraph
(1).
``(B) Implementation.--Not later than 1 year after
the date on which the initial compensation plan is
developed under subparagraph (A), the administrator
shall implement the initial compensation plan.
``(3) Requirements.--A compensation plan developed under
paragraph (1) shall--
``(A) be based on an annual survey of the
prevailing compensation for similar positions in the
public sectors of the electric industry;
``(B) be consistent with the approved annual
general and administrative budget of the administrator
and encourage the widest diversified use of electric
power at the lowest possible rates to consumers
consistent with sound business principles;
``(C) provide that education, experience, level of
responsibility, geographic differences, and retention
and recruitment needs are to be taken into account in
determining the compensation of employees of the
administrator; and
``(D) provide that the individual total
compensation of the administrator and any employee of
the administrator shall be comparable to and
competitive with similar positions among consumer-owned
utilities in the Western Interconnection.
``(4) Annual review.--
``(A) In general.--Annually, the administrator
shall review and update, as appropriate, the
compensation plan developed under paragraph (1).
``(B) Compensation of the administrator.--
Notwithstanding any other law, rule, regulation, or
directive relating to the payment of the administrator
(other than chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code),
the Secretary shall periodically review and update, as
appropriate, the compensation of the administrator
consistent with paragraph (3)(D).
``(C) Publication of information.--The
administrator shall include in the quarterly public
business review of the administrator or any other
appropriate public review of the operations and
finances of the administrator information on the
applicable annual compensation plan review under
subparagraph (A), including information on the amount
of salaries of any employees whose annual salaries
would exceed the annual rate payable for positions at
Level IV of the Executive Schedule under section 5315
of title 5, United States Code.
``(5) Annual publication.--Annually, the administrator
shall publish the compensation plan developed under paragraph
(1) or updated under paragraph (4), as applicable.
``(b) Appointment; Employment.--
``(1) In general.--The administrator may, as the
administrator determines to be necessary to carry out this Act,
subject to applicable civil service laws--
``(A) appoint any officers and employees;
``(B) employ laborers, mechanics, and workers for
construction work or the operation and maintenance of
electrical facilities; and
``(C) fix the compensation of individuals appointed
under subparagraph (A) or (B), respectively, consistent
with the applicable compensation plan developed under
subsection (a)(1).
``(2) Exemption from certain civil service laws.--In
carrying out the authority provided by paragraph (1), the
administrator shall be exempt from chapters 34, 43, 51, 53, 57,
and 59 of title 5, United States Code.
``(3) Application of merit system principles.--Employees of
the administrator are subject to the application of the merit
system principles set forth in section 2301 of title 5, United
States Code, to the extent that the principles apply to a
wholly owned Government corporation.
``(4) Employment of physicians.--The administrator may
employ physicians, without regard to the civil service laws
(including regulations), to perform physical examinations of
employees of the administrator or prospective employees of the
administrator who are or may become laborers, mechanics, and
workers described in paragraph (1)(B).
``(5) Employment of experts.--The administrator may
appoint, without regard to the civil service laws (including
regulations), any experts that the administrator determines to
be necessary to carry out the functions of the administrator
under this Act.''.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
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