Rep. Bill Owens, R-Plattsburgh, is backing a bill to provide job security for people who work for the Transportation Security Administration when they are called to deploy with U.S. armed services.

Working with a bipartisan group of colleagues, Owens introduced H.R. 3670, which requires the TSA to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA). USERRA guarantees that employees in both the public and private sector who are called to active duty can keep their jobs when they come home.

Owens worked with Tim Walz (D-Minn.) and Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.) on the bill.

“A critical part of the obligation we have to support the troops includes ensuring a stable economic condition when they return from military service,” said Owens. “When Americans are deployed with the Armed Forces, they should not have to worry that they might be fired simply for being away on duty. This bipartisan legislation protects the jobs of American service members by ensuring that a call to serve doesn’t amount to a pink slip for officers of the Transportation Security Administration.”

Currently, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) says it complies with USERRA voluntarily. However, at least two Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) have tried and failed to appeal TSA actions under USERRA. Both the Office of Special Counsel and Merit Systems Protection Board ruled TSOs were barred from USERRA coverage under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.