H.R. 447

119 HR 447 IH: Reliability for Ratepayers Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-01-15
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 447  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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Reliability for Ratepayers Act  .
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:
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.
 .