Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH)
Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 3 Republican cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act of 2026 aims to improve the recruitment and retention of Federal correctional officers. The bill establishes special base rates of pay for these officers within the Bureau of Prisons. This new pay rate is calculated by increasing the applicable General Schedule or LEO special base rate by 35 percent. Additionally, the bill directs the Attorney General to increase wage rates for certain covered employees by 35 percent. These special pay authorities are set to expire five years after the act is enacted. The expiration can be prevented if an Inspector General review shows measurable progress in reducing mandatory overtime and the use of non-custodial employees.
Yes· 3 of 5
- Scored +5
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill increases wages for certain covered employees who are classified up to grade 9 in the Federal Wage System.
- Scored +5
Would middle-income households be better off under this?
The bill provides a 35 percent pay increase for federal correctional officers.
- Scored +5
Would union members be better off under this?
The bill increases the base pay and wage rates for correctional officers and other covered employees.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill increases federal payroll expenditures by raising pay rates for Bureau of Prisons employees.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Pay for Correctional Officers: Federal correctional officers employed by the Bureau of Prisons whose duties involve custody, control, or supervision of inmates, or routine direct inmate contact, will receive a special base rate of pay that is 35 percent higher than their current applicable rate (Section 2(a)(b)).
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Wage Increases for Certain Prevailing Rate Employees: The Attorney General is required to increase the wage rates of specific covered employees employed by the Bureau of Prisons by 35 percent (Section 2(c)).
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Improved Working Conditions: The bill's structure aims to reduce the use of non-custodial employees performing correctional duties and reduce excessive mandatory overtime (Section 3(b)(1)(A)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Pay Caps: The special base rate for correctional officers cannot exceed the rate of basic pay payable for level V of the Executive Schedule (Section 2(a)(b)(2)).
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Wage Caps for Prevailing Rate Employees: For certain covered employees, the increased wage rate may not cause their pay to exceed the annual rate for level IV of the Executive Schedule (Section 2(c)(4)).
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Temporary Nature of Pay Increases: The authority to provide these special pay rates is subject to a sunset provision, meaning it terminates five years after enactment unless specific progress is demonstrated and reported (Section 3(b)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill increases wages for certain covered employees who are classified up to grade 9 in the Federal Wage System. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides a 35 percent pay increase for federal correctional officers. Would union members be better off under this? — The bill increases the base pay and wage rates for correctional officers and other covered employees.
- Economy And Finance
- Is this likely to create jobs? — The bill aims to improve recruitment and retention of federal correctional officers through higher pay. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill increases federal payroll expenditures by raising pay rates for Bureau of Prisons employees.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires an Inspector General review and a report to Congress regarding the impact of the pay increases.
- 2/11/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 1/28/2026
- 2 Cosponsors added.
- 1/13/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Marsha BlackburnRepublican · Tennessee
Shelley CapitoRepublican · West Virginia
John FettermanDemocrat · Pennsylvania
Maggie HassanDemocrat · New Hampshire
David McCormickRepublican · Pennsylvania