Rep. Barney Frank proposed additional legislation aimed at providing shareholders with additional powers when it comes to executive compensation. The Massachusetts Democrat's proposed bill would give shareholders a chance to cast a nonbinding confidence or no-confidence vote on executive pay plans, allowing them either to ratify or disapprove of them. Similar provisions are already present in Britain, Sweden, and Australia where pay packages are rarely voted down but rather kept pay in check through fear of shareholder retribution. While no Republicans have yet endorsed the representative's bill, the Democrat-controlled Congress could pass the provision as soon as April. Given recent shareholder concerns over executive compensation, it would not be surprising to see this bill passed quickly into law.