It would remove premium pay, including night differential pay, from the annual pay cap that Customs officers cannot exceed. Had H.R. However, other Customs field managers and supervisors we interviewed supported this provision. Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology

We were requested to review selected aspects of the U.S. Customs Service officers’ premium pay and determine how night differential pay, in particular, would be affected by proposed legislation introduced in the 106th Congress. 1833:   section 123 (a), which would prohibit Customs from paying night differential pay to officers when they take annual, sick, or other leave and do not actually work those premium pay hours;   section 123 (b), which would reduce the number of available hours in a day for which night differential pay could be earned; and   section 121, which would remove premium pay, including night differential pay, from the calculation of the $30,000 fiscal year overtime and premium pay cap. 1833 had been in effect during the year. With this information, we were able to determine the amount of night differential pay officers earned in fiscal year 1999, the amount they would have made if each of the relevant provisions of H.R. Appendix II: Effects of Proposed Changes on Officers’ Night Differential Pay at JFK

Of the five ports we used for analysis, Customs officers at JFK would have been the most affected by the changes in the proposed legislation.
Why GAO Did This Study

GAO reviewed the effects of proposed legislation--H.R.

What GAO Found

1833--on the pay of officers at the U.S. Customs Service. The proposal would amend the 1911 Act governing Customs officers' overtime and premium pay, and it would more closely align Customs differential pay with that of other federal agencies. Should the provision be enacted, Customs officers would be limited to the amount and times for which they would be eligible for night differential pay. In addition, another section of the proposed law would remove premium pay from the calculation of the $30,000 fiscal year overtime and premium pay cap that Customs officers may not exceed. GAO's analysis of Customs data showed that had the provisions of H.R. 1833 been in effect during fiscal year 1999, many officers would have experienced significant pay decreases. Managers and supervisors asked to analyze the proposal had mixed reviews, but those not in favor of the proposal were concerned that less eligibility for night differential pay would lead to low morale and staffing problems.