S. 2083: Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act

This bill, titled the Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act, seeks to amend federal law to provide better pay rates for certain employees within the Bureau of Prisons (BOP) who are currently assigned to locations classified under the “Rest of U.S.” pay locality. The key features of the bill are as follows:

1. Adjustments to Pay Location

The bill proposes that employees of the Bureau of Prisons working in areas designated as “Rest of U.S.” will be classified as working in the nearest pay locality that has a higher pay rate. This applies as follows:

• If there are multiple pay localities within 200 miles of the employee's official worksite, the employee's pay will be based on the locality with the highest pay rate.
• If the employee’s official worksite is not within 200 miles of any other pay locality, then this provision does not apply.

2. Higher Wage Area Pay

The bill also aims to modify the pay structure for certain Bureau of Prisons employees based on their location as follows:

• Bureau of Prisons employees in a wage area designated as part of the “Rest of U.S.” will receive payment according to the wage schedule of the nearest higher wage area.
• If the nearest higher wage locality encompasses multiple wage areas, the employee will be compensated according to the schedule applicable to the closest Bureau of Prisons facility within 200 miles, or, if no such facility exists, the one that is most comparable in terms of population, employment, and industry.
• Employees working in a covered wage area will be paid according to the highest wage schedule applicable in that pay locality.

3. Implementation Timeline

The changes proposed in the bill will become effective 180 days after the bill is enacted.

4. Purpose of the Bill

The intention behind this bill is to ensure that correctional officers and other prison employees receive fair compensation relative to their workload and location, especially in areas where the cost of living may not match their current pay rates. This may aim to improve retention and recruitment of correctional officers in the Bureau of Prisons, addressing staffing needs.

5. Impact on Federal Workers

The amendment will have implications for the financial welfare of prison employees, increasing their attainability of higher pay based on proximity to better-paying localities, which may enhance their job satisfaction and performance.

Relevant Companies

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