H.R. 3924House117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

U.S. Park Police Modernization Act

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 4:26 AM UTC

The U.S. Park Police Modernization Act changes how pay is structured for officers and members of the United States Park Police. It reduces the number of pay‑grade steps and shortens the time required to move between steps, creating a new salary schedule. The changes apply to all ranks within the Park Police and take effect the first pay period after the law is enacted.

Key Provisions

Rewrites the salary schedule to have fewer steps, setting the time between steps at 52 weeks for early steps and 104 weeks for later steps, and adjusts the years of service needed for each step.
Amends the District of Columbia Police and Firemen's Salary Act references to reflect the new step numbers and removes an outdated subparagraph.
Disregards any pay adjustments made before January 3 2021 for Park Police officers.
Clarifies that the changes do not limit or reduce other payments under the same salary act.
Effective on the first pay period beginning after enactment.

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

June 16, 2021

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

June 16, 2021

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

June 16, 2021

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 3924 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Jody B. HiceR-GA-10 · Feb 8, 2022

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor our brave law enforcement officers at the United States Park Police. From every major protest to every parade that occurs on the National Mall, our Park Police…

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor our brave law enforcement officers at the United States Park Police. From every major protest to every parade that occurs on the National Mall, our Park Police officers answer the call to keep our constituents safe when they are visiting here in the Nation's capital.

However, due to an increase in the number of demonstrations and the fact that they are extremely understaffed, one of our Nation's oldest uniformed Federal law enforcement agencies is now stretched extremely thin.

As of March 1, 2021, there were fewer than 500 Park Police officers. That is significantly lower than the minimum requirement they have of 639 officers. This is alarming, and obviously, among other concerns, this leaves the Nation's most historic landmarks extremely vulnerable. And that is why today, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3924, the U.S. Park Police Modernization Act.

And what is the problem? Why are they facing the issues that they are facing? Well, the bottom line, for whatever reason, is because the pay and benefits are much lower for the Park Police than for other Federal law enforcement agencies. And the big question is why is that the case? That is an outstanding question. Why?

There is no real good reason. And it is for that reason that we, here in Congress, need to immediately improve the Park Police's pay and benefits and to put that agency on equal footing with other similar departments. To do so would incentivize officers to both join the Park Police, but even more importantly, to stay. Both of those issues are huge concerns right now. That is how we will ensure that Washington, D.C., the place where each of us work, the place where our staff works, and obviously, where many of our constituents come to visit, remain safe for years to come.

Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3924. Let's put our U.S. Park Police on equal footing with other law enforcement agencies in this area so that they can do the job that we all depend upon them to do.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued June 16, 2021

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3924

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

June 16, 2021

Mr. Hice of Georgia introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform

A BILL

To reduce the number of, and shorten the time between, pay grade steps for officers and members of the United States Park Police, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the U.S. Park Police Modernization Act.

Condensing the service steps for united states park police officers and members

(a)

In general

Section 501(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1958 (sec. 5–545.01(c)(1), D.C. Official Code) is amended to read as follows:

(1)

The annual rates of basic compensation of officers and members of the United States Park Police, serving in classes corresponding or similar to those in the salary schedule in § 5–541.01 shall be fixed in accordance with the following schedule of rates:

Salary class and title	Step 1	Step 2	Step 3	Step 4	Step 5	Step 6	Step 7
¹The rate of basic pay for positions in Salary Class 5, 7, 8, and 9 is limited to 95 percent of the rate of pay for level V of the Executive Schedule.
²The rate of basic pay for positions in Salary Class 10 will be equal to 95 percent of the rate of pay for level V of the Executive Schedule.
³The rate of basic pay for positions in Salary Class 11 will be equal to the rate of pay for level V of the Executive Schedule.
Time between steps	52 weeks			104 weeks
Years in service	0	1	2	3	5	7	9
1: Private	49,251	52,144	54,548	58,376	62,256	64,649	67,064
3: Detective			63,354	66,375	69,396	72,378	75,411
4: Sergeant				68,792	72,246	75,537	78,842
5: Lieutenant¹					76,105	80,500	84,166
7: Captain¹						89,404	93,671
8: Inspector/Major¹						103,575	108,959
9: Deputy Chief¹						121,229	128,929
10: Assistant Chief²
11: Chief, United States Park Police³

Salary class and title	Step 8	Step 9	Step 10	Step 11	Step 12	Step 13
¹The rate of basic pay for positions in Salary Class 5, 7, 8, and 9 is limited to 95 percent of the rate of pay for level V of the Executive Schedule.
²The rate of basic pay for positions in Salary Class 10 will be equal to 95 percent of the rate of pay for level V of the Executive Schedule.
³The rate of basic pay for positions in Salary Class 11 will be equal to the rate of pay for level V of the Executive Schedule.
Time between steps	104 weeks				156 weeks
Years in service	11	13	15	17	19	22
1: Private	69,480	71,888	76,082	78,868	81,195	83,624
3: Detective	78,419	81,434	87,142	90,164	93,190	95,985
4: Sergeant	82,129	85,418	90,487	93,762	97,059	99,960
5: Lieutenant¹	87,814	91,468	97,085	100,710	104,336	107,458
7: Captain¹	97,877	102,140	108,598	112,288	117,192	120,706
8: Inspector/Major¹	114,620	119,543	124,764	130,709	135,899	141,025
9: Deputy Chief¹	136,626	142,300	147,975	153,615	153,615	153,615
10: Assistant Chief²						153,615
11: Chief, United States Park Police³						161,700

(b)

Service step adjustments

Section 303(a)(5) of the District of Columbia Police and Fireman’s Salary Act of 1958 (sec. 5–543.03(a)(5), D.C. Official Code) is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (B), by striking or 9 and inserting 9, 10, or 11;

(2)

in subparagraph (C), by striking 10 and inserting 12; and

(3)

by striking subparagraph (D).

(c)

Prior adjustments disregarded

Any adjustments to the annual rates of basic compensation of officers or members of the United States Park Police under section 501(c)(2) of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1958 (sec. 5–545.01(c)(2), D.C. Official Code) on or before January 3, 2021, shall be disregarded.

(d)

Rule of construction

This section may not be construed as limiting or reducing any payment under section 501(c)(3) of the District of Columbia Police and Firemen’s Salary Act of 1958 (sec. 5–545.01(c)(3), D.C. Official Code).

(e)

Effective date

This section and the amendments made by this section shall take effect on the first day of the first pay period beginning on or after the date of the enactment of this Act.