House poised to reclassify TSA workforce

March 4, 2020

The House of Representatives appears poised to back a bill that would convert Transportation Security Agency workers from their homegrown human resources track to title 5 status, giving them the right to collective bargaining and to appeal adverse employment actions to the Merit System Protection Board.

The Rights for Transportation Security Officers Act of 2020 was sponsored by Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), the chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee. Thompson explained the rationale for the bill at a March 2 hearing of the Rules Committee.