Rights for the TSA Workforce Act
Sponsored By: Senator Brian Schatz
Introduced
Summary
Convert the Transportation Security Administration workforce to the Title 5 federal personnel system. The bill would secure pay and retirement protections and set a national collective bargaining framework for screening agents while forcing detailed implementation deadlines and oversight.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.
Air Marshal wellbeing and staffing talks
If enacted, the TSA Administrator would be required to consult groups that represent many Federal Air Marshals about mental health, suicide prevention, morale, recruitment, equipment and training, work schedules, rest requirements, and other personnel issues. This engagement would start upon enactment and must follow legal limits.
National bargaining for screening agents
If enacted, the union certified on June 29, 2011 (or a successor) would be the exclusive representative for screening agents when federal collective bargaining rules apply. Bargaining would be done at the national level unless the national union and local managers agree to local bargaining. Existing collective bargaining agreements would stay in force until replaced. The Secretary must consult the exclusive representative within 7 days of enactment and give written conversion plans before bargaining begins.
Pay and retirement for TSA staff
If enacted, covered TSA employees would move into the federal civil service and keep their pay, leave, and many pay premiums at conversion. Premium pay earned under the bill would count toward pay calculations and retirement. The Office of Personnel Management would have to propose how to calculate average pay for retirees within 90 days of enactment for people who retire within three years of conversion. Federal air marshals would get law-enforcement availability pay and overtime parity at conversion, but employees appointed before enactment could be limited to the Administrator’s pre-enactment premium pay maximum.
Freeze TSA personnel rules during transition
If enacted, TSA could not change personnel systems or issue new personnel policies for covered positions after the day before enactment until the conversion date. The Act would also end the use of chapter 97 HR authority for covered employees on enactment. Limited exceptions would allow changes for emerging transportation threats, to resolve unaddressed issues, and for annual locality-pay parity, with the Secretary required to notify Congress within 7 days.
Funding to implement the Act
If enacted, the bill would let Congress provide whatever money is necessary to carry out the Act. Those funds would remain available until spent. The bill does not set specific dollar amounts or fiscal years.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Brian Schatz
HI • D
Cosponsors
Tammy Duckworth
IL • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Alex Padilla
CA • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Chris Van Hollen
MD • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
John Hickenlooper
CO • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Jeanne Shaheen
NH • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Richard Blumenthal
CT • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Edward Markey
MA • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
John Fetterman
PA • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Elizabeth Warren
MA • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Ron Wyden
OR • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM]
NM • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Jeff Merkley
OR • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
John Reed
RI • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Martin Heinrich
NM • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Timothy Kaine
VA • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Bernie Sanders
VT • I
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Angus King
ME • I
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Mazie Hirono
HI • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Tina Smith
MN • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Christopher Coons
DE • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Patty Murray
WA • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Gary Peters
MI • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Mark Kelly
AZ • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Amy Klobuchar
MN • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Cory Booker
NJ • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Catherine Cortez Masto
NV • D
Sponsored 3/12/2025
Michael Bennet
CO • D
Sponsored 3/14/2025
Lisa Blunt Rochester
DE • D
Sponsored 3/25/2025
Ruben Gallego
AZ • D
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Richard Durbin
IL • D
Sponsored 4/28/2025
Angela Alsobrooks
MD • D
Sponsored 11/10/2025
Tammy Baldwin
WI • D
Sponsored 3/20/2026
Adam Schiff
CA • D
Sponsored 3/20/2026
Christopher Murphy
CT • D
Sponsored 3/20/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Start a Free Government Policy Watch to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in