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119-s-4422119th CongressWALLET

WATCH Personnel Act of 2026

Sponsored By: Senator Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]

Introduced

Summary

Would raise minimum pay for Transportation Security Officers to $40,000 and tie future increases to inflation. It would also fund TSA pay during the February 14, 2026 lapse and provide a $10,000 retention bonus to TSOs employed on that date, with limits on how the bonus counts toward retirement and insurance.

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  • Transportation Security Officers: Would set a $40,000 pay floor for fiscal year 2026 and require annual increases starting October 1, 2026 based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. The adjustment is rounded to the nearest dollar and the bill allows ignoring increases below 1 percent.
  • TSA workforce during a lapse: Would allow unobligated Treasury funds to keep standard pay, allowances, pay differentials, and benefits flowing during the FY2026 lapse that began February 14, 2026. It would also provide a $10,000 bonus to each TSO who was employed and working on February 14, 2026, and that bonus would not count as basic pay for retirement, life insurance, or other benefits.
  • Timing and authority limits: Would make the authorities retroactive to February 13, 2026 and keep the funding and pay authorities only until the earliest of a new appropriation for these purposes, a regular or continuing appropriation that excludes such funding, or September 30, 2026.

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.

Higher base pay for TSA officers

If enacted, the TSA would set a $40,000 minimum salary for Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) for fiscal year 2026. The Administrator would set that minimum within 90 days of enactment. Starting Oct. 1, 2026 and each year after, the minimum would rise if the Consumer Price Index went up, rounded to the nearest dollar. Small annual increases under 1% could be ignored. If your TSO pay is below the new minimum, your pay would be raised to at least that amount.

Pay protection and $10K TSO bonus

If enacted, for any lapse beginning Feb. 14, 2026 the government would use Treasury funds to keep TSA employees' regular pay, allowances, differentials, and benefits flowing. Each TSO employed and working on Feb. 14, 2026 would be eligible for a one-time $10,000 bonus. The bonus would not count as basic pay for retirement, life insurance, or other benefits. The Act would take effect as if enacted on Feb. 13, 2026, so these payments would cover the lapse period retroactively. This authority would end when Congress provides the covered appropriations or on Sept. 30, 2026 if Congress does not act sooner.

Sponsors & CoSponsors

Sponsor

Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]

NM • D

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

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