Electronic Pay, Senior Level Bills Approved

Congress has sent to the White House HR-6073, which provides that federal employees receiving their pay by electronic funds transfer must be given the option of receiving their pay stubs electronically. Backers say that while most federal employees receive their pay by direct deposit, many agencies still print and distribute hard copy pay stubs, cutting into the efficiency gains of electronic payments. Congress also has sent to the White House S-1046, which would bring pay policies for senior level and senior scientific and technical positions in line with policies applying to SES members, by ending their entitlement to locality pay and raising their salary cap to Executive Schedule Level II ($172,200 this year) in agencies with performance evaluation systems certified by OPM as making meaningful distinctions in performance, and Level III ($158,500 this year) if their agency’s systems lack that certification. The measure also makes certain changes to hiring practices in those jobs, which are above the GS schedule but not in the SES because they lack supervisory responsibility.