Senate Clears Top-Level Pay Changes

The Senate has passed and sent to the House legislation (S-1046) that would bring pay practices for senior level (SL) and senior scientific and technical (ST) employees more in line with policies used for the SES. Under the measure, which would be effective six months after enactment, SL and ST employees would no longer be eligible for locality pay adjustments but instead would be in a pay banding system with increases more closely linked to performance. The bill also would raise the pay maximum for those employees from the current executive schedule level III rate (currently $158,500) to the executive schedule level II rate (currently $172,200) for agencies with appraisal systems certified by OPM as making meaningful distinctions in performance. The measure further would make several changes in hiring practices for those positions.