WATCH Personnel Act of 2026

[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 th