H.R. 4008: Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act

This bill, known as the Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act, aims to amend federal pay regulations to increase the compensation rates for certain employees of the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) who work in areas designated as the "Rest of U.S." locality. Here are the key components of the bill:

Increased Locality Pay

The bill proposes a modification to Title 5 of the United States Code, specifically altering how the pay locality is determined for BOP employees. The main change includes:

• Employees whose official worksite is categorized in the "Rest of U.S." locality will now have their locality pay based on the nearest higher locality pay zone if it is within 200 miles. This adjustment is intended to better reflect the cost of living and compensation for correctional officers in those regions.
• If there are multiple pay localities within 200 miles, the employee will be assigned to the one with the highest pay rate. This aims to provide fairer compensation for correctional officers based on proximity to higher-paying regions.
• Employees will not qualify for this locality pay increase if there are no other pay localities within the specified distance.

Implementation Timing

The provisions of the bill will take effect 180 days after the bill is enacted. This allows time for adjustments in pay and administrative changes that may be required.

Coverage

The term "employee" includes any prevailing rate employee, thus ensuring that various classifications of BOP workers are considered under this updated pay structure.

Relevance and Purpose

The intention behind this legislation appears to be to enhance the financial compensation of correctional officers working under challenging conditions, thus potentially improving retention and recruitment within the Bureau of Prisons.

Relevant Companies

None found.