IIB 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1140 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MARCH 5, 2020 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation 
AN ACT 
To enhance the security operations of the Transportation 
Security Administration and stability of the transpor-
tation security workforce by applying the personnel sys-
tem under title 5, United States Code, to employees 
of the Transportation Security Administration who pro-
vide screening of all passengers and property, and for 
other purposes. 
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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Rights for Transpor-
tation Security Officers Act of 2020’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
For purposes of this Act— 
(1) the term ‘‘adjusted basic pay’’ means— 
(A) the rate of pay fixed by law or admin-
istrative action for the position held by a cov-
ered employee before any deductions; and 
(B) any regular, fixed supplemental pay-
ment for non-overtime hours of work creditable 
as basic pay for retirement purposes, including 
any applicable locality payment and any special 
rate supplement; 
(2) the term ‘‘Administrator’’ means the Ad-
ministrator of the Transportation Security Adminis-
tration; 
(3) the term ‘‘covered employee’’ means an em-
ployee who holds a covered position; 
(4) the term ‘‘covered position’’ means a posi-
tion within the Transportation Security Administra-
tion; 
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(5) the term ‘‘conversion date’’ means the date 
as of which paragraphs (1) through (4) of section 
3(c) take effect; 
(6) the term ‘‘2019 Determination’’ means the 
publication, entitled ‘‘Determination on Transpor-
tation Security Officers and Collective Bargaining’’, 
issued on July 13, 2019, by Administrator David P. 
Pekoske; 
(7) the term ‘‘employee’’ has the meaning given 
such term by section 2105 of title 5, United States 
Code; 
(8) the term ‘‘Secretary’’ means the Secretary 
of Homeland Security; and 
(9) the term ‘‘TSA personnel management sys-
tem’’ means any personnel management system es-
tablished or modified under— 
(A) section 111(d) of the Aviation and 
Transportation Security Act (49 U.S.C. 44935 
note); or 
(B) section 114(n) of title 49, United 
States Code. 
SEC. 3. CONVERSION OF TSA PERSONNEL. 
(a) RESTRICTIONS
ON CERTAIN PERSONNEL AU-
THORITIES.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law, 
effective as of the date of the enactment of this Act— 
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(1) any TSA personnel management system in 
use for covered employees and covered positions on 
the day before such date of enactment, and any TSA 
personnel management policy, letters, guideline, or 
directive in effect on such day may not be modified; 
(2) no TSA personnel management policy, let-
ter, guideline, or directive that was not established 
before such date issued pursuant to section 111(d) 
of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (49 
U.S.C. 44935 note) or section 114(n) of title 49, 
United States Code, may be established; and 
(3) any authority to establish or adjust a 
human resources management system under chapter 
97 of title 5, United States Code, shall terminate 
with respect to covered employees and covered posi-
tions. 
(b) PERSONNEL AUTHORITIES DURING TRANSITION 
PERIOD.—Any TSA personnel management system in use 
for covered employees and covered positions on the day 
before the date of enactment of this Act and any TSA 
personnel management policy, letter, guideline, or direc-
tive in effect on the day before the date of enactment of 
this Act shall remain in effect until the effective date 
under subsection (c). 
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(c) TRANSITION TO GENERAL PERSONNEL MANAGE-
MENT SYSTEM APPLICABLE TO CIVIL SERVICE EMPLOY-
EES.—Effective as of the date determined by the Sec-
retary, but in no event later than 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act— 
(1) each provision of law cited in section 2(9) 
is repealed; 
(2) any TSA personnel management policy, let-
ter, guideline, and directive, including the 2019 De-
termination, shall cease to be effective; 
(3) any human resources management system 
established or adjusted under chapter 97 of title 5, 
United States Code, with respect to covered employ-
ees or covered positions shall cease to be effective; 
and 
(4) covered employees and covered positions 
shall be subject to the provisions of title 5, United 
States Code. 
(d) SAFEGUARDS ON GRIEVANCES.—In carrying out 
this Act, the Secretary shall take such actions as are nec-
essary to provide an opportunity to each covered employee 
with a grievance or disciplinary action (including an ad-
verse action) pending within TSA on the date of enact-
ment of this Act or at any time during the transition pe-
riod described in subsection (c) to have such grievance re-
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