H.R. 5290 – Federal Employee Bonus Disclosure Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 8:44 PM UTC

The Federal Employee Bonus Disclosure Act would make federal agencies publicly disclose the performance bonuses they award to employees. Agencies must report each bonus, the employee’s name, and the amount to the Office of Personnel Management, and provide detailed justification for any bonus of $10,000 or more. OPM then publishes the information online and reports the large bonuses to Congress, increasing transparency of federal compensation.

Key Provisions

Each federal agency must, within 30 days after the end of each fiscal year, send a report to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) listing every performance bonus paid, the employee’s name, and the bonus amount.
For any bonus of $10,000 or more, the agency must also include a detailed explanation of why the bonus was awarded and the performance metrics used to justify it.
By January 1 each year, OPM must post on its public website a list of all employees who received bonuses in the prior fiscal year, showing the employee’s name, agency, and bonus amount.
OPM must also send a report to Congress that lists every bonus of $10,000 or more, along with the reasons and metrics behind each award.
The reporting requirements apply to all federal agencies, including the USPS, Postal Regulatory Commission, Tennessee Valley Authority, and Central Bank for Cooperatives, and cover any performance‑based bonus paid after the law takes effect.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

March 14, 2018

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

March 14, 2018

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

March 14, 2018

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Introduced in HouseIssued March 14, 2018

I

115th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 5290

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 14, 2018

Mr. Sanford introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL

To amend title 5, United States Code, to require the disclosure, public documentation, and reporting of Federal employee bonuses, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Federal Employee Bonus Disclosure Act.

2.

Disclosure, documentation, and reporting of performance awards

(a)

In general

Subchapter I of chapter 45 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

4510.

Disclosure, documentation, and reporting of performance awards

(a)

(1)

Not later than 30 days after the end of fiscal year 2019 and each fiscal year thereafter, the head of each agency shall submit a report to the Director of the Office of Personnel Management describing each performance bonus awarded to an employee of the agency during the most recently ended fiscal year, the name of the employee receiving the bonus, and the amount of the bonus.

(2)

With respect to any performance bonus included in a report submitted under paragraph (1) that was equal to or greater than $10,000, the agency head shall include in the report a detailed description of the reasons why the bonus was awarded and the metrics used to determine that such bonus was appropriate.

(b)

Not later than January 1 of each fiscal year, the Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall—

(1)

publish, on the Office’s public Internet website, a list containing the name of any employee receiving a performance bonus in the most recently ended fiscal year, the agency that awarded the bonus, and the amount of the bonus; and

(2)

submit a report to Congress containing a list of each performance bonus awarded in the most recently ended fiscal year that was equal to or greater than $10,000, including the reasons why the bonus was awarded and the metrics used to determine that the bonus was appropriate, as provided under subsection (a)(2).

(c)

For purposes of this section—

(1)

the term agency has the meaning given such term in section 4501 and includes—

(A)

the United States Postal Service and the Postal Regulatory Commission; and

(B)

notwithstanding the matter following subparagraph (G) of such section, the Tennessee Valley Authority and the Central Bank for Cooperatives; and

(2)

the term performance bonus includes any performance-based bonus, including a bonus under this subchapter or section 5384.

.

(b)

Application

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply to any performance bonus (as that term is described in section 4510 of title 5, United States Code, as added by such subsection) made on or after the date of enactment of this Act.

(c)

Clerical amendment

The table of sections for subchapter I of chapter 45 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 4509 the following:

4510. Disclosure, documentation, and reporting of performance awards.

.