WATCH Personnel Act of 2026

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.
The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall—
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
for fiscal year 2027 and each fiscal year thereafter, adjust the minimum annual salary for a Transportation Security Officer as provided by subsection (b).
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.
In adjusting under paragraph (1) the minimum annual salary for a Transportation Security Officer, the Administrator—
shall round the amount of any increase in the Consumer Price Index to the nearest dollar; and
may ignore any such increase of less than 1 percent.
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.
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—
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
to provide a $10,000 bonus to each Transportation Security Officer employed and working for the Transportation Security Administration as of February 14, 2026.
A bonus paid under subsection (a)(2) shall not be considered basic pay for purposes of retirement, life insurance, or any other employee benefit.
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).
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.
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).
Appropriations and funds made available and authority granted under section 3 shall be available until whichever of the following first occurs:
The enactment into law of an appropriation (including a continuing appropriation) for any purpose for which amounts are made available in section 3.
The enactment into law of the applicable regular or continuing appropriations resolution or other Act without any appropriation for such purpose.
September 30, 2026.
This Act shall take effect as if enacted on February 13, 2026.