WASHINGTON, D.C. -- On Friday, Congressman Mike Flood, along with several other representatives, introduced the Bonus Transparency Act, a bill aimed at improving communication and transparency regarding bonus pay for senior executive service (SES) employees across federal agencies.

The legislation comes in response to a report from the VA Inspector General, which revealed that funds intended for recruiting and retaining Veterans Affairs (VA) employees were instead used to provide large bonuses to SES employees. These bonuses, averaging $55,000, included some exceeding $100,000.

The Bonus Transparency Act mandates that SES bonuses be reported to Congress, including details such as the employee’s name, title, salary, and the funding source. Currently, no federal law requires such disclosures, and the report also found that some bonuses exceeded the 20% cap on base pay, reaching as high as 25%.

Mike Flood is the founder and an owner of Flood Communications and News Channel Nebraska.