Locality Pay Legislation

Locality Pay Legislation was introduced to amend the Federal Law Enforcement PayReform Act of 1990 (Pub. L. 101-509). This law, which was enacted to address andreduce the disparity of pay between the civilian and government sector, granted emergency special pay authority enabling federal law enforcement officers in designated cities to receive a set percentage of pay as an emergency special pay adjustment starting in January 1991 and, instituting a locality pay system to start in 1994, UNLESS the President declared an ‘economic emergency' or if we were at war.

For all practical purposes the law never went into affect since an ‘economic emergency' has been declared every year since 1995. The intent or spirit of the law was to reduce the gap between federal government pay and the private sector.  Today, over ten years after enactment, the disparity in pay has grown tremendously, as well as, the number of cities affected.

In January 2002, Representative Peter King introduced legislation in the House of Representatives that would amend the Locality Pay Reform Act. A few months later Senator Chris Dodd introduced its companion Bill in the Senate. That legislation, which had 162 cosponsors in the House and 21 co-sponsors in the Senate, would have adjusted the disparity in pay and opened up the adjustment to 18 consolidated metropolitan areas. Unfortunately, the 107 th Congress adjourned before it was brought to the floor for a vote. 

After the 107th Congress adjourned, FLEOA took a look and using what we learned from our many conversations with various Representatives, Senators and their respective staffers, and made some adjustments. The expanded version of the locality pay bill (H.R. 466) introduced by Representative King (R-NY) in the 108 th Congress includes all 32 of OPMs pay districts in the adjustments, and clarify the MANH- ME-CT-RI Consolidated Metropolitan Area; include the Capitol Police; adjust the locality pay adjustments; and fence off LEAP from the pay gap.

Senator Christopher Dodd (D-CT) introduced S. 985 ( the senate version), on May 1, 2003. This was the third time Dodd introduced legislation to amend the Pay Reform Act of 1990. In July 2002, Dodd introduced S. 2770 to the 107 th Congress and later tried to reintroduce it as an Amendment to the Homeland Security Bill.

S. 985, is an updated and expanded version of the original proposed legislation (S. 2770) introduced in the 107 th Congress. This new version (S. 985), like H.R. 466, includes all 32 of OPM's pay districts in the adjustments, clarifies the MA-NHME- CT-RI Consolidated Metropolitan Area, includes the Capitol Police, fences off LEAP from the pay gap, and adjusts the locality pay adjustments. Unlike H.R. 466, it also requires a study espousing the need for a separate pay, evaluation, and promotion system for federal law enforcement officers.

FLEOA's National Officers have been working diligently educating our elected leaders about the inadequacy of the locality pay structure. This reform is needed to recruit and retain the highest caliber of law enforcement officers possible. The safety of our federal law enforcement officers and the security of our nation are at risk.

Your help is needed to ensure the passage of S. 985 and H.R. 466. Your letters, faxes, and phone calls make a difference.

Please take the time to contact your Senators and Representative ask them to co-sponsor S. 985 and H.R. 466.

Click here to see if your Senator or Representative is a co-sponsor for S. 985 or H. R 466 .

Once again we need you and your family members to contact your elected representatives. Let them know that you are a law enforcement officer and a member of FLEOA. Click here for a sample letter S. 985 or H.R. 466