House · HR 144 · 119th Congress
Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act
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Summary
This bill requires the Tennessee Valley Authority to report names, salaries, and job duties of managers and executives to Congress each year. It applies to TVA employees earning more than a federal GS-15 pay level. TVA is a government-owned utility serving Tennessee and nearby states.
In Favor
This bill restores a salary report that Congress lost in 1995, requiring TVA to name each top executive and list their exact pay. Named figures let lawmakers spot inflated salaries and compare them to federal pay scales directly. Congress oversees TVA's budget, so precise compensation data gives legislators the specific facts needed to challenge executive pay at this government-owned utility.
Against
The bill requires TVA to publish names and salaries of its top employees, but then blocks the public from seeing that same information under open-records rules. This creates a report for Congress while hiding the details from ordinary citizens. That trade-off limits the transparency the bill claims to deliver.
Additional Considerations
Purpose & Problem
Is the problem real and worth federal action?
This bill requires the Tennessee Valley Authority to file an annual report listing the names, salaries, and duties of its managers, executives, and board members who earn above a set federal pay level.
Scope & Related Provisions
Does it stay focused, or carry unrelated add-ons?
The bill stays focused on TVA employee pay reporting, but it also exempts the salary details in that report from public disclosure and from a law requiring reports to be posted online.
Who Is Affected
Who benefits, and who bears the cost?
TVA managers, executives, and board members are named in the report. Congress receives the report. The public and researchers face new limits on accessing the salary information.
Cost & Funding
Is it affordable and responsibly funded?
The bill does not authorize or appropriate any dollar amount. It adds a reporting duty for TVA to carry out each year, which shifts the cost of compiling and filing the report onto the agency.
Risks & Implementation
What could go wrong in practice?
The bill sets a pay threshold tied to the federal GS-15 pay scale, so changes to that scale over time could change how many employees must be listed in the report.
For the actual bill text, see congress.gov.
AI-generated · Published 6/5/2026