[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 4422 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 4422
Making continuing appropriations for essential Transportation Security
Administration pay and operations during the lapse in appropriations
beginning on February 14, 2026, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
April 28, 2026
Mr. Lujan introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
Making continuing appropriations for essential Transportation Security
Administration pay and operations during the lapse in appropriations
beginning on February 14, 2026, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Workforce Assurance for
Transportation and Critical Homeland Personnel Act of 2026'' or the
``WATCH Personnel Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF HIGHER RATES OF PAY FOR TRANSPORTATION
SECURITY ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL.
(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration shall--
(1) not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, set the minimum annual salary for a Transportation
Security Officer to $40,000 for fiscal year 2026; and
(2) for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter,
adjust the minimum annual salary for a Transportation Security
Officer as provided by subsection (b).
(b) Adjustment of Salary for Inflation.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall adjust the minimum
annual salary for a Transportation Security Officer, on October
1, 2026, and at the beginning of each fiscal year thereafter,
to reflect the percentage (if any) of the increase in the
average of the Consumer Price Index for the preceding 12-month
period compared to the Consumer Price Index for fiscal year
2026.
(2) Special rules for calculation of adjustment.--In
adjusting under paragraph (1) the minimum annual salary for a
Transportation Security Officer, the Administrator--
(A) shall round the amount of any increase in the
Consumer Price Index to the nearest dollar; and
(B) may ignore any such increase of less than 1
percent.
(3) Consumer price index defined.--In this subsection, the
term ``Consumer Price Index'' means the Consumer Price Index
for All Urban Consumers published by the Bureau of Labor
Statistics of the Department of Labor.
SEC. 3. CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION PERSONNEL.
(a) In General.--There are hereby appropriated for fiscal year
2026, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for
the period beginning on February 14, 2026, during which interim or
full-year appropriations for fiscal year 2026 are not in effect, such
sums as are necessary--
(1) to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay
differentials, benefits, and other payments otherwise payable
on a regular basis to employees of the Transportation Security
Administration; and
(2) to provide a $10,000 bonus to each Transportation
Security Officer employed and working for the Transportation
Security Administration as of February 14, 2026.
(b) Limitation on Treatment of Bonuses.--A bonus paid under
subsection (a)(2) shall not be considered basic pay for purposes of
retirement, life insurance, or any other employee benefit.
(c) Limitation to Individuals Affected by Lapse in
Appropriations.--Amounts provided under subsection (a) may not be used
to provide pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, or other
payments under paragraph (1) of that subsection or a bonus under
paragraph (2) of that subsection to an employee of the Transportation
Security Administration for any portion of the period described in
subsection (a) for which the employee is provided with such pay,
allowances, pay differentials, benefits, or other payments using
amounts other than amounts provided under subsection (a).
(d) Charge to Future Appropriations.--Expenditures made pursuant to
subsection (a) shall be charged to the applicable appropriation, fund,
or authorization whenever an Act in which such applicable
appropriation, fund, or authorization is included is enacted into law.
(e) Terms and Conditions.--Pay, allowances, pay differentials,
benefits, and other payments provided by the Transportation Security
Administration using amounts provided under subsection (a) shall be
subject to the requirements, authorities, conditions, and limitations
applicable with respect to the provision of pay, allowances, pay
differentials, benefits, and other payments by the Transportation
Security Administration under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations
and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4; 139 Stat. 9).
SEC. 4. TERMINATION.
Appropriations and funds made available and authority granted under
section 3 shall be available until whichever of the following first
occurs:
(1) The enactment into law of an appropriation (including a
continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are
made available in section 3.
(2) The enactment into law of the applicable regular or
continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any
appropriation for such purpose.
(3) September 30, 2026.
SEC. 5. RETROACTIVE EFFECTIVE DATE.
This Act shall take effect as if enacted on February 13, 2026.
<all>