FAIR Act
Sen. Schatz's FAIR Act Would Give 2 Million Federal Workers a 4.1% Pay Raise
A bill to increase the rates of pay under the statutory pay systems and for prevailing rate employees by 4.1 percent, and for other purposes.
Legislative Progress
Key Points
- This bill, introduced by Senator Schatz, proposes a 4.1% total pay raise for federal government employees. The increase is divided into two parts: a 3.1% across-the-board raise in base salary and an additional 1% increase for 'locality pay,' which accounts for the higher cost of living in specific areas.
- The raise would apply to most federal workers, including those on the standard General Schedule pay scale and 'prevailing rate' employees, who are typically blue-collar workers in trades or crafts. If the bill becomes law, these new pay rates would take effect on January 1, 2027.
- The goal of this policy is to help federal salaries keep up with inflation and stay competitive with private-sector jobs. This change would affect roughly 2 million civilian federal employees working in various government agencies across the country.
Impact Analysis
Personal Impact
Many veterans work in the federal government — roughly a third of the federal workforce are veterans. Those who are federal employees would benefit from the 4.1% pay raise. However, the bill does not directly change veterans' benefits or programs, so veterans who are not federal employees would not be affected.
State Impacts
Milestones
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.
Introduced in Senate
The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.
Votes
No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.
Related News
5 articles
Dem lawmakers propose 4.1% raise for feds in 2027
Democrats in both chambers of Congress reintroduced the FAIR Act, proposing a 4.1% average pay increase for civilian federal employees in 2027. The bill, led by Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. James Walkinshaw, includes a 3.1% across-the-board raise and a 1% locality pay boost.
Walkinshaw, Schatz Renew Effort to Increase Federal Pay by 4.1%
Sen. Brian Schatz and Rep. James Walkinshaw introduced the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates (FAIR) Act to provide federal workers a 4.1% pay raise in 2027. The bill aims to keep public service careers competitive with the private sector following years of lagging wage growth.
Schatz proposes 4.1% pay raise for federal workers
U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz of Hawaiʻi introduced legislation that would give federal workers a 4.1% pay raise in 2027. The FAIR Act would boost wages for civil servants who have fallen behind their counterparts in the private sector, where workers reportedly earn 27% more on average.
Source Information
Document Type
Congressional Bill
Official Title
A bill to increase the rates of pay under the statutory pay systems and for prevailing rate employees by 4.1 percent, and for other purposes.
Data Sources
Sponsor
Cosponsors
(11)Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.