Subject: House Panel Approves Bill Exploring Ways to Reduce TSOs’ Commuting Burdens

The House Homeland Security Committee recently approved an AFGE-backed bill that would consider compensating thousands of Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) in some manner for the long time they experience getting from the parking lot to their duty station.

At several airports, TSOs must take shuttles from airport parking lots to their duty stations, but often they get to the checkpoint an hour after they arrived at the airport due to the unpredictability of the shuttles they share with the flying public.

At the urging of AFGE, the committee approved H.R. 8662 that would take steps to help reduce their commuting burdens.

Specifically, the TSA Commute to Work Act would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to do a study on:

• The feasibility of treating as on-duty hours the time TSOs spend traveling between their duty posts and airport parking lots, bus and transit stops.
• Travel time at large, medium, and small airports.
• The estimated cost of treating travel time as on-duty hours, including considering crediting such hours as basic pay for retirement purposes.
• The feasibility of using mobile phones and other methods to allow employees to report their arrival to and departure from the parking lots and bus and transit stops.

The bill is headed to the House floor. AFGE urges members of Congress to pass the

bipartisan bill to help improve morale and reduce TSOs’ commuting burdens.