Bill > HR447

This bill provides the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), a federal agency that markets electricity in the Pacific Northwest, with greater flexibility in setting employee compensation to address hiring and retention challenges. Specifically, the bill requires the BPA administrator to develop a compensation plan based on annual surveys of prevailing wages in the electric utility sector, taking into account factors like education, experience, responsibility level, geographic differences, and recruitment needs. The plan must ensure that BPA employee compensation is competitive with consumer-owned utilities in the Western Interconnection. The administrator must consult with the Office of Personnel Management and receive approval from the Secretary of Energy when creating the initial plan, and must review and potentially update the compensation plan annually. The bill also grants the administrator broader authority to appoint and employ workers, including exempting certain hiring processes from standard civil service laws while still maintaining merit system principles. Additionally, the bill allows more flexibility in hiring specialists like physicians and experts without being constrained by traditional civil service regulations, with the ultimate goal of helping BPA attract and retain qualified personnel to support its mission of providing reliable and affordable electricity.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/447/all-info