Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act
- Bill Number
- S. 2083
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Government Operations and Politics
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-06-12: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- Last Updated
- 2025-09-23T11:20:30Z
AI-Generated Summary
Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act (S. 2083)
Purpose
This bill aims to increase pay for certain employees of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) by adjusting locality pay rates and wage schedules for those stationed in areas classified under the "Rest of U.S." pay locality. The goal is to make compensation more competitive by aligning it with nearby higher-paying regions, helping to attract and retain staff like correctional officers.
Key Provisions
- Locality Pay Adjustment (Section 2): For BOP employees whose official worksites are in the "Rest of U.S." pay locality (a catch-all category for areas not covered by specific urban or regional localities), the worksite is treated as if it were in the nearest other pay locality.
- If multiple localities are within 200 miles, the one with the highest pay rate applies.
- This does not apply if the worksite is more than 200 miles from any other pay locality boundary.
- Wage Schedule Adjustment for Prevailing Rate Employees (Section 3): Prevailing rate employees (those paid under wage grade systems based on local labor market surveys, often including correctional and maintenance staff) in "Rest of U.S." wage areas receive the higher wage schedule from the nearest other wage area.
- If the nearest locality has multiple wage areas, pay is based on the schedule at the closest BOP facility within 200 miles, or—if no such facility exists—the most similar wage area based on factors like population, employment, and industry.
- Employees in wage areas within certain multi-wage localities (excluding "Rest of U.S.") get the highest wage schedule in that locality.
- Applicability (Section 4): Changes take effect for pay periods starting 180 days after the bill's enactment.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Amends Section 5304 of Title 5, U.S. Code (governing federal locality pay, which adds a percentage to base pay to account for local living costs) by adding a new subsection (i) that creates an exception specifically for BOP employees, overriding standard locality rules.
- Amends Section 5343 of Title 5, U.S. Code (covering prevailing rate systems for blue-collar and some wage-grade federal workers) by adding subsection (h), introducing tailored rules for BOP wage areas to ensure higher pay comparability without broadly altering the existing framework for other agencies or employees.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: The Bureau of Prisons (part of the Department of Justice) will face higher personnel costs, potentially improving staff recruitment and retention in remote or rural facilities. This could reduce turnover and overtime expenses over time.
- On Citizens: Primarily affects federal taxpayers through increased spending on BOP salaries, but may indirectly benefit communities near prisons by stabilizing the workforce that manages incarceration facilities.
- On International Relations: No direct impact, as the bill focuses on domestic federal pay equity.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Bureau of Prisons Employees: Especially correctional officers and prevailing rate workers in "Rest of U.S." areas, who stand to gain higher pay (potentially 10-30% increases depending on nearby localities).
- Department of Justice and Bureau of Prisons: Responsible for implementation, budgeting, and compliance.
- Federal Employees Generally: Could influence future pay equity discussions, though benefits are limited to BOP.
- Taxpayers: Bear the cost of salary increases without direct benefits.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal: Establishes a narrow exception to uniform federal pay laws, which could invite challenges if seen as discriminatory to other agencies, but it aligns with Congress's authority over federal compensation under Article I of the Constitution.
- Constitutional: No apparent issues, as it pertains to executive branch pay and does not infringe on separation of powers or equal protection.
- Political: Addresses recruitment challenges in the federal prison system amid staffing shortages; bipartisan sponsorship (by Sens. Cassidy, Blumenthal, and Shaheen) suggests broad support for improving conditions for essential public safety workers, potentially setting a precedent for targeted pay reforms in other understaffed federal sectors.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (2)
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT], Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH]
Recent Actions
- 2025-06-12: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 2025-06-12: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act — issued 2025-06-12 — PDF (5 pages)