Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act
- Bill Number
- S. 1354
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- Last Updated
- 2025-05-07T14:35:29Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
The Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act (S. 1354) aims to enhance congressional oversight of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) by requiring detailed reporting on high-level employee compensation, while protecting that information from public disclosure under certain federal laws. It amends the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933 to specify reporting obligations and exemptions.
Key Provisions
- Salary Reporting Requirement: The TVA Board must submit an annual report to Congress detailing the total number of employees at the management level or above (including executives and Board members) who earn compensation equal to or greater than the maximum basic pay for GS-15 on the General Schedule (a federal pay scale for senior positions). The report includes each employee's name, salary, and duties.
- Exemption from Public Disclosure: Salary information in these reports is protected from release under:
- The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), specifically exemption (b)(3) of 5 U.S.C. § 552, which allows withholding of certain confidential records.
- The Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act (Public Law 117-263), which generally requires public posting of federal reports.
- Technical Updates to Auditing and Reporting:
- Modernizes language in Section 9 of the TVA Act to refer to the Government Accountability Office (GAO) instead of the outdated "General Accounting Office," and updates references to the Comptroller General (head of the GAO) for audits.
- Revises auditing procedures to clarify GAO's role in selecting auditors and conducting reviews.
- Updates statutory citations to current U.S. Code sections related to GAO powers.
- Conforming Amendment: Removes a redundant reporting requirement in Section 14 of the TVA Act related to the cost of power, streamlining existing obligations.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- New Reporting Mandate: Introduces a specific requirement for TVA to disclose high-level salaries and roles to Congress, which was not previously detailed in the 1933 Act. The original Section 9 focused on general financial statements; this expands it to targeted compensation data.
- Added Privacy Protections: Explicitly exempts TVA salary details from FOIA and public reporting laws, creating a shield not present before for this type of information.
- Modernization: Replaces outdated terms and references (e.g., "General Accounting Office" to "Government Accountability Office") and aligns with current federal auditing statutes, without altering core audit processes.
- Streamlining: Eliminates a duplicative power cost reporting clause in Section 14, reducing minor redundancies.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Increases administrative burden on TVA for compiling and submitting detailed compensation reports annually. Enhances GAO's oversight role through updated auditing language, potentially improving accountability without expanding public access.
- On Citizens: Limits public access to TVA executive salaries, prioritizing privacy over transparency for these records. Citizens may indirectly benefit from congressional scrutiny of TVA operations but cannot request this data via FOIA.
- On International Relations: No direct impacts, as the bill focuses on domestic federal agency reporting.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA): Primary entity responsible for new reporting; gains privacy protections for employee data but faces added compliance costs.
- TVA Employees and Executives: High-level staff (management and above earning GS-15 equivalent or higher) have their personal salary details shielded from public view, balancing transparency with privacy.
- U.S. Congress: Gains access to detailed compensation information for oversight of TVA, a federally owned corporation serving power and economic development in the Tennessee Valley region.
- Government Accountability Office (GAO): Benefits from clarified auditing authority, enabling more efficient reviews of TVA finances.
- General Public and Taxpayers: Affected indirectly through reduced transparency on federal agency pay, potentially influencing perceptions of accountability in quasi-public entities like TVA.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal Implications: Reinforces congressional prerogative to mandate agency reports while carving out FOIA exemptions, which could set a precedent for protecting sensitive personnel data in other federal corporations. Ensures compliance with modern auditing laws without conflicting with TVA's status as an independent agency.
- Constitutional Implications: Aligns with Congress's Article I powers to oversee executive-branch entities like TVA, promoting fiscal accountability without infringing on privacy rights under the Constitution.
- Political Implications: May reflect bipartisan interest (introduced by Senators from Tennessee) in monitoring a major regional utility's executive pay amid broader debates on federal transparency and waste. The exemption could spark discussions on the balance between public access and internal oversight in government operations.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-08: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
- 2025-04-08: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act — issued 2025-04-08 — PDF (5 pages)