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
H.R. 9928 is a plan to make it quicker and easier for U.S. Park Police officers to get pay raises by reducing how many steps they need to climb and how long it takes. The bill updates their pay without reducing what they earn now.
Summary AI
H.R. 9928 aims to change the pay structure for officers and members of the United States Park Police. The bill seeks to reduce the number of pay grade steps and shorten the time required to move between these steps. It updates the salary schedules within the District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1958 for Park Police positions and sets an effective date beginning on or after the enactment date of the Act. The changes are designed to modernize and streamline the compensation process without reducing any current payments.
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AnalysisAI
General Summary
H.R. 9928, also known as the "U.S. Park Police Modernization Act," is aimed at revising the compensation structure for officers and members of the United States Park Police. The bill seeks to reduce the number of pay grade steps and shorten the time between them, effectively altering the salary progression schedule for these law enforcement officers. The bill proposes updates to a section of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1958, impacting the basic compensation rates for various ranks within the United States Park Police. Additionally, the bill includes provisions to disregard any salary adjustments made before January 3, 2021, and specifies that these changes should not be construed as limiting any other payments to the officers. The bill will take effect at the beginning of the first pay period after it is enacted.
Significant Issues
A significant issue with this bill is the complexity of the new salary schedule, which could lead to misunderstandings regarding compensation structures among both the public and Park Police officers. The schedule includes numerous classes and step progressions, with specific timelines between steps, which might be challenging for non-experts to comprehend. Another issue is the lack of clarity on how these changes align with market rates or performance metrics, raising potential questions about the fairness and competitiveness of the new pay structure. Furthermore, the bill does not provide a clear rationale for limiting higher position salaries to 95% of Level V of the Executive Schedule, which can raise transparency concerns.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, the bill's impact on the public involves ensuring that officers who protect national parks receive fair and possibly more streamlined compensation. By modernizing the salary structure, the bill aims to make the United States Park Police a more attractive career option, potentially enhancing public safety in national parks. However, without explicit evidence or analysis, it is unclear whether these changes will lead to improved recruitment and retention of qualified officers, which are crucial factors for effective policing and public safety.
Impact on Stakeholders
For the United States Park Police officers, this bill could mean more efficient progression through pay grades, possibly improving job satisfaction and morale by providing clearer and faster paths to compensation increases. However, the lack of clarity regarding the alignment of salaries with market rates may cause concerns about the competitiveness of their compensation packages. For government budget planners and financial analysts, the intricacies of the new pay schedule require careful examination to understand the broader financial implications and ensure alignment with budget cycles. Finally, the limitation on senior position salaries might affect those officers aspiring to higher ranks, leading to potential dissatisfaction if they perceive the compensation to be unfair relative to responsibilities and market standards.
Issues
The overall financial impact of condensing the service steps for the United States Park Police on the national budget is unclear. The amended salary schedule (Section 2) introduces complexity that might lead to misunderstandings about compensation structures and could affect financial planning without an in-depth budgetary analysis.
There is no explanation on how the salary adjustments align with market rates or performance metrics, which could lead to questions about fairness and competitiveness of police compensation packages (Section 2).
The effective date of the changes is clearly outlined but lacks justification for how this timing aligns with budget cycles or organizational readiness, potentially creating issues in implementation (Section 2, subsection (e)).
The limitations on pay for higher positions relative to the Executive Schedule (95% for certain classes) lack context or rationale, raising questions about transparency and fairness in compensation decisions (Section 2, subsection (a)).
The disregarding of prior adjustments as of January 3, 2021, may lead to confusion or perceived unfairness among those affected, as there is no explanation of why these adjustments are no longer relevant (Section 2, subsection (c)).
The language and structure of the salary schedule are complex and could be difficult to comprehend for those without detailed financial knowledge, impeding broader public understanding and evaluation (Section 2).
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 this bill states that it can 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 updates the pay scale and step progression for United States Park Police officers by outlining new salary classes and timelines between steps, disregarding any prior salary adjustments before January 3, 2021. It also ensures these changes do not limit or reduce any other payments and will take effect at the start of the first pay period after the bill is enacted.