Further Adjustment of Certain Rates of Pay

This executive order adjusts federal pay rates across multiple government pay systems, including the General Schedule, Senior Executive Service, military personnel, judges, and members of Congress, with schedules effective January 1, 2004 or the first pay period thereafter. It supersedes a prior pay adjustment order from December 2003 and delegates implementation authority to the Office of Personnel Management for locality-based payments.

Federal Register Open PDF 69 FR 10891

Impact dates

Date TBD
OPM to publish locality-based comparability payment notice in Federal Register
Jan 1, 2004
Schedule 8 (uniformed services pay) effective date
Jan 1, 2004
All other schedules effective: first day of first pay period beginning on or after January 1, 2004

Key directives

Set adjusted rates for statutory pay systems (General Schedule, Foreign Service, VA schedules)
Set Senior Executive Service pay ranges
Set Executive Schedule, Vice President, Congressional, and judicial salaries
Set uniformed services monthly basic pay rates
Authorize locality-based comparability payments per Schedule 9
Direct OPM to implement locality payments and publish Federal Register notice
Set administrative law judge pay rates
Specify effective dates: Schedule 8 (military) effective January 1, 2004; all other schedules effective first day of first pay period on or after January 1, 2004
Supersede Executive Order 13322

Who is ordered

OPM Director · OPM

Timeline

Immediate

EO supersedes prior order 13322
schedules take effect retroactively to January 1, 2004 or first pay period beginning on or after that date

Near term (90d)

OPM must publish locality-based comparability payment notices in Federal Register

Long term

ongoing pay adjustments remain in effect until superseded

Risks & tensions

Retroactive effective date (January 1, 2004) prior to signing date (March 3, 2004) creates payroll implementation complexity
No explicit deadline for OPM Federal Register publication—timing uncertain
Political sensitivity around congressional pay adjustments, though amounts are statutorily constrained