Bill > S3626

This bill, the Federal Correctional Officer Paycheck Protection Act of 2026, aims to improve the recruitment and retention of federal correctional officers by establishing special base rates of pay. It defines a "Federal correctional officer" broadly to include those employed by the Bureau of Prisons whose duties primarily involve the custody, control, or supervision of inmates, or who have routine direct inmate contact in a custodial setting. The bill mandates that these officers receive a special base rate of pay that is 35 percent higher than their current General Schedule base rate or Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) special base rate, with this new rate being considered basic pay for all purposes, including retirement and other benefits. This increase is capped at the rate for Level V of the Executive Schedule. Additionally, it provides a similar 35 percent wage increase for certain prevailing rate employees within the Bureau of Prisons whose roles involve inmate custody and are classified at or below grade 9 of the Federal Wage System, with their increased wage also capped at the rate for Level IV of the Executive Schedule. Crucially, these new pay provisions are set to expire five years after the bill's enactment, unless the Inspector General of the Department of Justice determines that the Bureau of Prisons has made significant progress in reducing the use of non-custodial staff for correctional duties (known as "augmentation") and has reduced excessive mandatory overtime for correctional officers, in which case the pay provisions will continue.

Military Affairs and Security

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3626/all-info