Senators take new stab at redefining law officer jobs

Two Maryland Democrats introduced a Senate bill on Thursday to grant more federal employees an early retirement option by expanding the definition of a federal law enforcement officer.

Sens. Barbara Mikulski and Paul Sarbanes offered a companion version of the House's bill (H.R. 1002), which would provide Customs and Border Protection officers, police officers at the Veterans Affairs Department and other employees not defined as law enforcement officers the ability to retire at age 50 with 20 years of service. Standard federal employees are not eligible until they have 30 years or more of service and are at least are 55 years old.

Federal law enforcement officers receive a higher annuity upon retirement. An officer retiring at age 50 with 20 years of service and a $65,000 salary would receive $22,000 more annually in retirement benefits than a standard federal employee retiring under the Federal Employee Retirement System, according to the American Federation of Government Employees.

"We need to make sure that all federal law enforcement officers earn the pay and benefits that they deserve," Mikulski said. "These brave men and women…have the same law enforcement training as all other law enforcement personnel and face the same risks and challenges."

Federal labor unions have been lobbying Congress for a decade to grant CBP officers and others law enforcement status. In November, a group of Republican House lawmakers released a concept paper aimed at providing pay equity for federal law enforcement officers.

Despite optimism before its release, the unions ultimately opposed the proposal because it would grant the Office of Personnel Management too much discretion in defining law enforcement positions, they said.

Instead they have focused on H.R. 1002, and now its companion Senate bill, to bring parity.

"Our increased national awareness of and emphasis on port security and related matters is helping to focus on the clear law enforcement nature of the work of CBP officers," said Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union. "The continual denial of LEO status is harming the ability of the federal government to recruit and retain the dedicated employees we need."

NTEU recently won a union election for representation of all CBP employees over AFGE, which is contesting the results, charging that CBP management skewed the election toward NTEU.