Bill · H.R. 8902· House(119-HR-8902)
WATCH Personnel Act of 2026
- Introduced
- 5/19/2026
- Last activity
- 5/20/2026 — Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.
- Sponsored by
- Nellie Pou
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "WATCH Personnel Act of 2026," establishes new pay standards and funding for the Transportation Security Administration. It requires the TSA Administrator to set a minimum annual salary of $40,000 for Transportation Security Officers for fiscal year 2026. Additionally, it mandates annual salary adjustments based on the Consumer Price Index to account for inflation. The bill provides continuing appropriations to cover standard pay, benefits, and a specific bonus during a lapse in appropriations starting February 14, 2026. These funds are intended to sustain operations until regular appropriations are enacted or until September 30, 2026.
Yes
Does this raise the lowest wage an employer may pay?+6
The bill mandates a minimum annual salary of $40,000 for Transportation Security Officers for fiscal year 2026.
Would union members be better off under this?+5
The bill secures wages and provides inflation-indexed pay increases for TSA personnel.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+3
The bill increases the baseline pay and provides a significant one-time bonus for TSA employees.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-1
The bill provides new funding for TSA salaries and bonuses, which increases federal outlays.
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?-1
The bill's restrictions on bonus treatment do not directly affect veterans, but the focus is on TSA personnel.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Minimum Pay for TSA Officers: The Administrator must set the minimum annual salary for a Transportation Security Officer to $40,000 for fiscal year 2026 (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Inflation Protections: The bill requires the TSA Administrator to adjust the minimum annual salary every October 1st to reflect changes in the Consumer Price Index, helping pay keep up with inflation (Section 2(b)(1)).
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One-Time Bonus: Each Transportation Security Officer employed and working for the TSA as of February 14, 2026, is eligible to receive a $10,000 bonus (Section 3(a)(2)).
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Guaranteed Pay During Government Lapses: The bill provides necessary funds to ensure employees continue to receive standard rates of pay, allowances, and benefits during a period when full-year appropriations are not in effect (Section 3(a)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Bonus Limitations: The $10,000 bonus provided to officers cannot be used to calculate basic pay for the purposes of retirement, life insurance, or other employee benefits (Section 3(b)).
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Inflation Adjustment Restrictions: In calculating salary adjustments for inflation, the Administrator is permitted to ignore any increase in the Consumer Price Index that is less than 1 percent (Section 2(b)(2)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Union Workers+5Good For Low Income Households+3
- Economy And Finance
- Increases Minimum Wage+6Reduces Government Spending-1
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Improves Veterans Benefits-1
- 5/20/2026
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.
- 5/19/2026
- Referred to the Committee on Appropriations, and in addition to the Committee on Homeland Security, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Introduced in House
3 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.