Overview

Title

To reduce the number of, and shorten the time between, pay grade steps for officers and members of the United States Park Police, and for other purposes.

ELI5 AI

The U.S. Park Police Modernization Act is a plan to change how much and how fast officers in the U.S. Park Police get paid, making it quicker and simpler for them to earn more money. It also sets new rules on pay limits that match with what other high-level government workers earn.

Summary AI

H.R. 1260, also known as the “U.S. Park Police Modernization Act,” aims to update the pay structure for officers and members of the United States Park Police. It reduces the number of pay grade steps and shortens the time required to move between these steps. The bill also adjusts the service step classifications and sets specific limits on compensation related to federal executive compensation levels. These changes will become effective at the start of the first pay period after the bill's enactment.

Published

2025-02-12
Congress: 119
Session: 1
Chamber: HOUSE
Status: Introduced in House
Date: 2025-02-12
Package ID: BILLS-119hr1260ih

Bill Statistics

Size

Sections:
2
Words:
809
Pages:
4
Sentences:
22

Language

Nouns: 294
Verbs: 34
Adjectives: 32
Adverbs: 4
Numbers: 48
Entities: 75

Complexity

Average Token Length:
5.19
Average Sentence Length:
36.77
Token Entropy:
4.82
Readability (ARI):
24.95

AnalysisAI

The bill titled “U.S. Park Police Modernization Act” aims to reform the pay structure for officers and members of the United States Park Police. It proposes to reduce both the number of salary steps and the interval time between these steps. This legislative update would overhaul the current compensation system, which has been described in detail within the bill text.

General Summary of the Bill

The primary focus of the bill is to amend the District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1958 with respect to the United States Park Police. This would involve changes to pay grades and step progressions, such as introducing a revised pay scale and adjusting the service steps for specific roles within the police force. A key point is that any salary adjustments made prior to January 12, 2025, would be disregarded, with new changes taking effect at the start of the first pay period after the Act’s enactment.

Summary of Significant Issues

Significant issues presented by the bill include potential increases in spending on salaries without a clearly articulated rationale or data to support the changes. The complexities within Section 2(a), which outline the newly proposed salary classes and steps, may pose challenges for interpretation, potentially diminishing accessibility and transparency for the public and stakeholders. Furthermore, the decision to ignore pre-2025 salary adjustments could lead to sudden and possibly unanticipated financial outcomes for the involved personnel.

Broad Impact on the Public

For the public, this bill may seem like a technical and bureaucratic update within a specific governmental division. However, the financial implications are broader, as increases in salary spending might lead to budget reallocations affecting other areas funded by government resources. As taxpayers ultimately fund government operations, they might be particularly interested in understanding the cost-benefit balance of these changes and how it affects public service budgets or priorities.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

For the United States Park Police officers and members, the bill could mean a positive shift towards more competitive salaries and reduced time for step increases, potentially aiding in recruitment and retention. However, there is also the uncertainty tied to ignoring past salary adjustments, which could create disparate impacts for officers who were recently promoted or are close to reaching new pay steps.

On the other hand, those responsible for budgeting and financial planning within government bodies may face challenges ensuring these salary increases are financially sustainable. Without explicit justification, stakeholders may question why these changes are deemed necessary and how they align with broader financial goals or strategies.

In essence, while aspiring to modernize and possibly enhance the efficiency of the compensation system within the United States Park Police, this bill generates questions surrounding its execution cost, justification for the proposed modifications, and transparency concerning these legislative shifts.

Issues

  • The introduction of new salary classes and steps in Section 2 might lead to increased spending on salaries without clear justification or context for these changes, which could be potentially wasteful or favor specific positions, potentially impacting taxpayers and budget allocations.

  • The language in Section 2(a) regarding the amendment of salary classes and steps is complex and includes a detailed schedule that might be difficult for some readers to interpret quickly, reducing transparency and accessibility of the information to the public and stakeholders.

  • Section 2(c) mentions disregarding previous adjustments to salaries made prior to a certain date, which may potentially cause inconsistencies in financial planning or lead to abrupt changes in salaries for the officers and members of the United States Park Police.

  • Overall, the document modifies salary structures without providing context or data to justify the changes in Section 2, which could be perceived as lacking transparency and raise questions about the rationale behind these legislative decisions.

Sections

Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.

1. Short title Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The first section of the act states that it may be referred to as the “U.S. Park Police Modernization Act.”

2. Condensing the service steps for united states park police officers and members Read Opens in new tab

Summary AI

The bill amends the salary and step progression system for United States Park Police officers by modifying the salary classes, adjusting service steps, and disregarding previous salary adjustments before January 12, 2025. These changes will become effective at the start of the first pay period following the enactment of the Act.