H.R. 493 – FAIR Act | Legislate.dev

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Updated November 24, 2025 at 3:27 AM UTC

The FAIR Act raises federal employee compensation for 2026. It boosts basic pay under the statutory pay systems and for prevailing‑rate workers by 3.3 percent, and it lifts locality pay by 1 percent. The changes apply to civilian federal workers whose salaries are set by these pay structures.

Key Provisions

For calendar year 2026, basic pay rates for federal employees covered by the statutory pay systems (e.g., General Schedule) will be increased by 3.3 percent.
For fiscal year 2026, basic pay rates for prevailing‑rate employees in each wage area (and related pay tables) will also be increased by 3.3 percent, and the usual wage‑survey requirements are set aside for this adjustment.
Locality pay adjustments for calendar year 2026 will be raised by 1 percent.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseFloor Latest Action

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 493, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

September 16, 2025 • 5:16 PM

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 16, 2025

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

Oversight and Government Reform Committee

January 16, 2025

HouseFloor

ASSUMING FIRST SPONSORSHIP - Mr. Walkinshaw asked unanimous consent that he may hereafter be considered as the first sponsor of H.R. 493, a bill originally introduced by Representative Connolly, for the purpose of adding cosponsors and requesting reprintings pursuant to clause 7 of rule XII. Agreed to without objection.

September 16, 2025 • 5:16 PM

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 493 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. James R. WalkinshawD-VA-11 · Sep 16, 2025

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that I may hereafter be considered to be the first sponsor of H.R. 491, the Equal COLA Act; H.R. 492, the Saving the Civil Service Act; H.R. 493, the FAIR Act;…

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 16, 2025

I

119th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 493

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 16, 2025

Mr. Connolly (for himself, Ms. Norton, Ms. Lee of Pennsylvania, Mr. Subramanyam, Mr. Lynch, Mr. Beyer, and Mr. Mfume) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform

A BILL

To increase the rates of pay under the statutory pay systems and for prevailing rate employees by 4.3 percent, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Federal Adjustment of Income Rates Act or the FAIR Act.

2.

Adjustment to rates of pay

(a)

Statutory pay systems

For calendar year 2026, the percentage adjustment under section 5303 of title 5, United States Code, in the rates of basic pay under the statutory pay systems (as defined in section 5302 of title 5, United States Code) shall be 3.3 percent.

(b)

Prevailing rate employees

Notwithstanding the wage survey requirements under section 5343(b) of title 5, United States Code, for fiscal year 2026, the rates of basic pay (as in effect on the last day of fiscal year 2025 under section 5343(a) of such title) for prevailing rate employees in each wage area and the rates of basic pay under sections 5348 and 5349 of such title shall be increased by 3.3 percent.

3.

Adjustment to locality pay

For calendar year 2026, the percentage adjustment under section 5304 of title 5, United States Code, shall be an increase of 1 percent.