Reliability for Ratepayers Act

Bill: 119-hr-447
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Perez, Marie Gluesenkamp [D-WA-3]
Introduced: 2025-01-15
Policy area: Energy
Latest action: action_date: 2025-01-15
text: Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.

Summaries:
action_date: 2025-01-15
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><strong>Reliability for Ratepayers Act</strong></p><p>This bill modifies provisions concerning the hiring and compensation of employees of the&nbsp;Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), which is a nonprofit federal power marketing&nbsp;administration that sells hydropower in the Northwest.</p><p>Specifically, it directs BPA&nbsp;to develop and implement a&nbsp;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. </p><p>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&nbsp;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.&nbsp;</p><p>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.</p><p>The bill exempts&nbsp;BPA&nbsp;from certain civil service laws when it is carrying out its hiring authority.</p><p>Finally, the bill subjects BPA's employees&nbsp;to certain merit system principles.</p>

tv_txt: 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. .