HB4008, titled the “Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act,” would change federal locality pay rules for certain Bureau of Prisons employees whose official duty stations are currently classified in the lowest federal pay area, “Rest of U.S.” Under the bill, those employees would instead be treated as if their worksite were located in the nearest other federal pay locality, which would generally increase their locality pay rate. If more than one locality is within 200 miles, the bill directs that the employee be placed in the locality with the highest comparability payment.
The bill applies only to Bureau of Prisons employees in the affected category and expressly includes prevailing rate employees. It would not apply where no other pay locality is within 200 miles of the worksite. The change would take effect beginning with pay periods starting 180 days after enactment, giving agencies time to implement the new pay treatment.
Impact
HB4008 would amend section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, which governs federal locality pay, by creating a special rule for Bureau of Prisons employees in the “Rest of U.S.” locality. The practical effect would be to raise pay for eligible correctional staff and other covered BOP employees at qualifying facilities, while leaving the broader federal locality pay system intact. It would also expand the definition of covered employees for this purpose to include prevailing rate employees under section 5342.
Sentiment
Based on the bill title, sponsorship, and lack of recorded opposition in the provided materials, the measure appears to be framed as a workforce compensation and recruitment/retention bill for correctional officers, with generally favorable intent toward federal prison staff. The available context shows no committee transcript or vote data indicating controversy, amendment fights, or formal opposition at this stage, and the bill was simply referred to committee.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of debate, based on the text, would likely include the cost of increasing federal pay, whether BOP employees should receive a special locality-pay adjustment outside the standard federal pay-setting process, and the 200-mile rule for determining the applicable locality. Any such concerns are not attributed to named members or groups in the available record.