HR 144: Tennessee Valley Authority Salary Transparency Act

HR 144 in plain English: This bill would require the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a federal government corporation providing electricity and other services across Tennessee and nearby states, to resume filing an annual financial report with Congress each March. The report must include names, salaries, and duties of TVA employees earning more than the maximum pay rate for a GS-13 federal employee.

Stated purpose

This bill reinstates a requirement for the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to file an annual financial and salary report with Congress, and updates which employees must be listed by name, salary, and duties — specifically those at the management level or above earning at least the GS-15 pay rate.

Key points

• Reinstates TVA's requirement to submit an annual financial report to Congress each March, a requirement eliminated in 1995.
• Requires disclosure of names, salaries, and duties only for TVA employees earning above the GS-13 maximum pay rate.
• Raises the salary disclosure threshold from the previous $1,500-a-year cutoff to the GS-13 maximum pay level.

Arguments supporters make

• TVA is a government-created corporation using public resources, so Congress should be able to see how taxpayer-funded executives are being paid.
• Restoring this reporting requirement brings TVA in line with basic accountability standards that lapsed due to a 1995 law, not a deliberate policy choice.
• Limiting the disclosure to GS-15-level employees and above focuses the requirement on high earners where oversight matters most, reducing the burden on the agency.

Arguments opponents make

• The bill exempts the salary data from public disclosure, meaning ordinary citizens and journalists cannot see it — limiting transparency to Congress alone rather than the people TVA serves.
• TVA already operates under various federal oversight mechanisms, so adding another reporting layer may duplicate existing accountability without meaningful benefit.
• Requiring detailed individual salary reporting could make it harder for TVA to recruit and retain top talent if executives know their pay will be reported to Congress.

Tradeoffs

The bill increases Congressional oversight of TVA executive pay but simultaneously shields that information from the general public, creating a tension between legislative accountability and broader public transparency.

Current status in Congress: Passed House.

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