H.R. 3086House117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Locality Pay Equity Act of 2021

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Updated February 8, 2026 at 2:47 AM UTC

The Locality Pay Equity Act of 2021 changes the rules for how the federal General Schedule (GS) pay system defines local wage areas. It requires the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to define no more than one local wage area within each pay locality, except for the “Rest of United States” locality. The change applies to federal employees covered by the GS pay scale and aims to simplify locality‑pay calculations without lowering anyone’s current basic pay.

Key Provisions

Limits each GS pay locality to a single local wage area, with the exception of the “Rest of United States” locality.
Amends the statutory language in 5 U.S.C. §5343 and §5342 to reflect the new single‑area limit and updates related punctuation.
Directs OPM to issue regulations needed to implement the limit and to ensure the amendment does not reduce any existing basic pay rates.
Sets the amendments to take effect on the first full pay period that begins at least 180 days after the law is enacted.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action

HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

May 11, 2021

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 11, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

May 11, 2021

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued May 11, 2021

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3086

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 11, 2021

Mr. Cartwright (for himself and Mr. Carson) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform

A BILL

To amend title 5, United States Code, to limit the number of local wage areas allowable within a General Schedule pay locality.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Locality Pay Equity Act of 2021.

Limiting the number of local wage areas defined within a General Schedule pay locality

(a)

Local wage area limitation

Section 5343(a) of title 5, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1)(B)(i), by striking (but such and all that follows through are employed);

(2)

in paragraph (4), by striking and after the semicolon;

(3)

in paragraph (5), by striking the period after Islands and inserting ; and; and

(4)

by adding at the end the following:

(6)

the Office of Personnel Management shall define not more than 1 local wage area within a pay locality, except that this paragraph shall not apply to the pay locality designated as Rest of United States.

(b)

General Schedule pay locality defined

Section 5342(a) of title 5, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (2)(C), by striking and after the semicolon;

(2)

in paragraph (3), by striking the period after employee and inserting ; and; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(4)

pay locality has the meaning given that term under section 5302.

Regulations

The Director of the Office of Personnel Management shall prescribe any regulations necessary to carry out the purpose of this Act, including regulations to ensure that the enactment of this Act shall not have the effect of reducing any rate of basic pay payable to any individual who is serving as a prevailing rate employee (as defined under section 5342(a)(2) of title 5, United States Code).

Applicability

The amendments made by this Act shall apply on and after the first day of the first full pay period beginning at least 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act.