Transportation Security Administration Pay Act of 2026
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Would provide emergency continuing appropriations to pay Transportation Security Administration employees during the partial DHS government shutdown that began February 14, 2026, funding standard wages, benefits, and allowances until regular FY2026 appropriations are enacted or September 30, 2026.
Because TSA screeners and staff have been working without pay since the shutdown began, the bill would also take effect retroactively as if enacted on February 13, 2026 — the day before the lapse started — ensuring no gap in their legal entitlement to compensation.
What this bill would do
What it would do
The bill would appropriate "such sums as are necessary" from the Treasury to pay TSA employees their standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other regular payments during the ongoing lapse in FY2026 DHS appropriations. The funding period begins February 14, 2026, when the partial DHS shutdown took effect, and would continue until whichever occurs first: enactment of applicable FY2026 appropriations, enactment of a relevant continuing resolution, or September 30, 2026.
The bill would prevent double-dipping: TSA employees may not receive emergency appropriation funds and other federal funds for the same period. Any expenditures made would be charged against the eventual applicable appropriation once enacted. The bill is retroactive to February 13, 2026, so it would be treated legally as though it were in force before the shutdown began.
Key provisions
- 1Would appropriate such sums as necessary to pay TSA employees standard wages, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other regular payments during the FY2026 appropriations lapse beginning February 14, 2026.
- 2Would prohibit TSA employees from receiving both emergency appropriation funds and any other federal funding for the same period of the shutdown.
- 3Would charge all expenditures made under the emergency appropriation against TSA's applicable future appropriation once it is enacted.
- 4Would terminate the emergency appropriation upon enactment of applicable FY2026 appropriations, a continuing resolution, or September 30, 2026, whichever occurs first.
- 5Would make the entire Act retroactively effective as if it had been enacted on February 13, 2026, the day before the shutdown began.
Who would be affected
TSA employees — including airport security screeners, behavior detection officers, federal air marshals, and administrative staff — who have been working without regular pay since the partial DHS shutdown began on February 14, 2026. The bill reaches TSA workers at hundreds of airports and other facilities nationwide.
Why it matters
TSA employees are deemed essential and required to report to work even during a shutdown, but without an appropriation they do not receive paychecks. This bill would restore their legal entitlement to pay retroactively and prospectively, relieving acute financial hardship for thousands of federal workers and reducing risks to airport security workforce stability.
What would change
Changes to existing law
Creates Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4) (Sec. 2(d))
Incorporates its pay requirements, authorities, and conditions by reference as the governing terms for TSA employee compensation under the new emergency appropriation.
Agencies directed to act
Effective dates
- Entire Act takes effect retroactively, before the shutdown began
- Funding period begins — start of the appropriations lapse
- Emergency appropriation terminates if no earlier trigger occurs
Funding and costs
- such sums as are necessary
TSA employee pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other regular payments during the FY2026 appropriations lapse
How implementation would work
The appropriation is self-executing: TSA would immediately resume disbursing pay, benefits, and allowances to affected employees under the same terms and conditions that applied under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025 (Public Law 119-4). No rulemaking is required. All expenditures would be automatically charged against TSA's applicable future appropriation once Congress enacts one. The funding terminates automatically upon the first of three statutory triggers — passage of applicable appropriations, passage of a resolution with no such appropriation, or September 30, 2026 — with no further action needed to wind it down.
Legislative status & sources
Latest action
Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 362.
Official CRS summary
Show the CRS summaryHide the CRS summary
This bill provides continuing appropriations to provide pay and benefits to Transportation Security Administration (TSA) employees during the partial Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shutdown that began on February 14, 2026. (A partial government shutdown is currently in effect for TSA and other DHS agencies because the FY2026 DHS appropriations bill has not been enacted and continuing appropriations for DHS are not in effect.)
Specifically, the bill provides FY2026 continuing appropriations to provide standard rates of pay, allowances, pay differentials, benefits, and other payments otherwise payable on a regular basis to TSA employees during the period in which interim or full-year FY2026 appropriations are not in effect.
The bill provides the continuing appropriations until the earlier of (1) the enactment into law of the applicable appropriations legislation, or (2) September 30, 2026.
The bill must take effect as if it had been enacted on February 13, 2026.
Legislative subjects
Transportation and Public Works