Bill · S. 5353· Senate(119-S-5353)
No Bonuses for Utility Executives Act
- Introduced
- 8/6/2026
- Last activity
- 8/6/2026 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- Sponsored by
- Richard Blumenthal
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 1
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "No Bonuses for Utility Executives Act," aims to limit bonuses paid to executives of certain electric utilities. Beginning January 1, 2027, a covered utility can only pay an executive bonus if the average percentage increase in customer rates does not exceed the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for that fiscal year. Additionally, any bonus is capped at 25 percent of the median annual compensation of non-executive employees. The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission is responsible for determining if a utility is eligible to pay these bonuses based on provided data. If a utility violates these rules, the bonus must be forfeited to the United States. Collected funds are then distributed back to the utility's customers through payments issued by the Secretary of the Treasury.
Yes· 3 of 5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+5
Low-income households may benefit from capped rate increases and direct restitution payments.
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+5
The bill protects consumers by limiting rate hikes and providing direct payments if executive bonuses violate the law.
Would middle-income households be better off under this?+4
Middle-class utility customers benefit from rate protections and potential refunds.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Limiting Rate Increases: A covered utility may only pay an executive bonus if the average percentage increase in customer rates does not exceed the percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (Section 2(b)(1)).
-
Capping Bonus Amounts: Bonuses are limited to an amount not exceeding 25 percent of the median annual compensation of employees who are not executives (Section 2(b)(2)).
-
Financial Restitution for Customers: If a bonus is forfeited due to a violation, the Secretary of the Treasury shall issue a payment to each customer of the covered utility equal to the forfeited amount divided by the number of customers (Section 2(d)(3)(C)(ii)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Prohibition on Rate Recovery for Penalties: A covered utility is prohibited from recovering the cost of a civil penalty imposed for a bonus violation through customer rates (Section 2(d)(3)(B)(iii)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+5Good For Middle Class Households+4
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+4Increases Federal Power+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+5
- 8/6/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
Josh HawleyRepublican · Missouri