Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act
The Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act would amend the Tennessee Valley Authority Act of 1933 to require the TVA to produce a specific compensation report for its management-level employees and above (including executives and Board members) who earn at the top of the General Schedule pay scale (the maximum rate for GS-15). The report would list each eligible employee’s name, salary, and duties. However, the salary information in that report would be exempt from public disclosure under FOIA and from the Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, meaning it would not be publicly released. The bill also makes various housekeeping changes to align TVA oversight with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) framework, renaming references from the General Accounting Office to the GAO and updating related procedures. It also removes a prior requirement to include the cost of power in certain TVA reports. The bill is sponsored in the Senate by Senators Blackburn and Hagerty and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works.
Key Points
- 1Requires TVA to file a “Report on Compensation” describing the total number of TVA employees at or above the management level (including executives and Board members) who earn at or above the GS-15 maximum, and to include each person’s name, salary, and duties.
- 2Salary information in that report is explicitly exempt from disclosure under FOIA (5 U.S.C. 552(b)(3)) and from the Access to Congressionally Mandated Reports Act, meaning it would not be publicly released.
- 3The bill preserves the reporting requirement by ensuring it is not subject to the Federal Reports Elimination and Sunset Act of 1995 for these TVA reports.
- 4Governance and oversight updates: replaces references to the General Accounting Office with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) and requires oversight/audits to be conducted by the Comptroller General (the head of the GAO) and not by the former “GAO” terminology.
- 5Conforming amendments: updates cross-references and removes a requirement to include the cost of power in certain TVA reporting, aligning with the new framework under this Act.