Congress raises pay for federal prison officers in low-cost areas
H.R. 4008 — Pay Our Correctional Officers Fairly Act · Filed by Randy Weber (R-TX) · 15 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 12, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill amends federal pay law to give Bureau of Prisons employees stationed in low-cost areas (designated 'Rest of U.S.') a raise by reclassifying their duty stations as if they were in the nearest higher-paying locality zone within 200 miles. If multiple zones qualify, they get the highest pay rate available. Employees more than 200 miles from any other zone are unaffected. The change takes effect 180 days after enactment.
Why we flagged it
The bill is a straightforward amendment to federal pay law that adjusts locality pay classifications for a specific federal workforce (Bureau of Prisons employees). It is a targeted compensation measure, not a broader policy reform.
What the text implies
- The 200-mile radius threshold may create uneven pay outcomes across BOP facilities depending on proximity to designated pay localities, potentially creating pay disparities among BOP employees in similar cost-of-living areas.
- The provision applies to 'prevailing rate employees' (union/hourly workers) as well as salaried staff, broadening the fiscal impact beyond initial assumptions.
The full analysis lists 3 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Bureau of Prisons employees (federal workforce)