October 2, 2026
Palikir, Pohnpei—FSM Congress reports that it approved legislation to end the statutory freeze on annual salary-step increases for national Public Service System employees during its Fifth Regular Session, which concluded on September 25. Confirmation that the measure has become law was not available at the time of writing.
Congress included the salary measure among the legislation approved during the session in its published summary. The underlying proposal, Congressional Bill 24-116, was introduced by Senator Andy P. Choor on May 12, 2026.
The bill would amend section 509 of title 52 of the FSM Code by deleting the provision that freezes annual salary-step increases for all employees in the Public Service System.
Its policy statement says the purpose is to allow employees to receive pay or step-level increases based on merit and qualifications, with the aim of improving employee morale and productivity.
For employees covered by the national system, removing the statutory restriction would reopen the possibility of progression through salary steps. The bill does not specify a percentage increase or a uniform additional payment for every employee.
The proposed amendment retains the existing compensatory-time provisions in section 509. Those provisions generally credit employees with paid leave for authorized overtime work rather than overtime compensation. Removing the salary-step freeze would therefore leave that arrangement in place.
The bill’s final section provides that the measure would become law upon the President’s approval or upon becoming law without that approval. Congressional passage alone does not establish that the freeze has already ended.
As of October 2, The Kaselehlie Press had not confirmed a presidential approval, public law number, or other documentation establishing enactment. The available bill and Congress’s session summary also do not establish when eligible employees would begin receiving step increases or how those increases would be implemented.
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