# 119-s-997: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act

119-s-997, Rights for the TSA Workforce Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-10).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-997
- As of: 2026-09-10
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-997
- Congress: 119
- Title: Rights for the TSA Workforce Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-12
- Sponsor: Sen. Schatz, Brian [D-HI] (D-HI)
- Cosponsors: 34
- Policy area: Government Operations and Politics
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-10

## 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.

## Cosponsors (34)

- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA] (D-CA), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] (D-NH), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] (D-CT), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA] (D-PA), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA] (D-MA), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Luján, Ben Ray [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR] (D-OR), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI] (D-RI), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM] (D-NM), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA] (D-VA), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] (I-VT), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME] (I-ME), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI] (D-HI), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murray, Patty [D-WA] (D-WA), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI] (D-MI), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN] (D-MN), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ] (D-NJ), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV] (D-NV), 2025-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] (D-CO), 2025-03-14T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE] (D-DE), 2025-03-25T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Gallego, Ruben [D-AZ] (D-AZ), 2025-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-04-28T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Alsobrooks, Angela D. [D-MD] (D-MD), 2025-11-10T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Baldwin, Tammy [D-WI] (D-WI), 2026-03-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA] (D-CA), 2026-03-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT] (D-CT), 2026-03-20T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Air Marshal wellbeing and staffing talks: benefit, medium. 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 enactm…
- National bargaining for screening agents: benefit, medium. 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. Existin…
- Freeze TSA personnel rules during transition: benefit, low. 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…
- Funding to implement the Act: benefit, low. 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.
- Pay and retirement for TSA staff: mixed, medium. 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…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026
- 119-s-1503: Equality Act
- 119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025
- 119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025
- 119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act

## Sources
- [119-s-997 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/997)

## Related
- [119-s-5108: Right to IVF Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5108)
- [119-s-1503: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1503)
- [119-s-852: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-852)
- [119-s-2150: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2150)
- [119-s-2523: John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2523)
- [119-s-1115: Paycheck Fairness Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1115)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-997 (as of 2026-09-10).