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Washington D.C. — The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) today welcomed Senate legislation that would extend the long and unfairly-denied law enforcement officer (LEO) status to Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers and Internal Revenue Service Revenue Officers.

S. 1354, introduced by Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), is a companion measure to a bipartisan House bill, H.R. 1073, introduced by Reps. Bob Filner (D-Calif.) and John McHugh (R-N.Y.) LEO status carries with it an option for early retirement.

“I welcome the continued support of Senator Mikulski on this issue which is so important to the ability of these two agencies to recruit and retain the high-quality employees they need to perform their missions,” said NTEU President Colleen M. Kelley. NTEU has been leading the fight for LEO status.

The Mikulski bill, which is similar to a measure she introduced in the last Congress, is co-sponsored by Sens. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.), Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.).

Sen. Mikulski noted that S. 1354 would ensure that all federal law enforcement officers have the same retirement options. In speaking about CBPOs, she said “we must honor our federal law enforcement personnel. These brave men and women…have the same law enforcement training as all other law enforcement personnel, and face the same risks and challenges”—a position long advanced by NTEU.

President Kelley noted that IRS Revenue Officers frequently are placed in dangerous and threatening situations and often have been targets of violence.

NTEU is the largest independent federal union, representing some 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.