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Washington, D.C. – At a signing ceremony today at the White House, National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) President Colleen M. Kelley joined President Obama in celebrating the signing of the Civilian Service Recognition Act of 2011 into law.

“With the president’s signature today, we – as a nation – chose to properly honor dedicated federal employees who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving their country,” Kelley said.

The signing of the bill into law by President Obama is the culmination of an effort strongly supported by NTEU to pass legislation that authorizes the presentation of a U.S. flag to the next-of-kin in the tragic event that a federal worker has been killed in the line of duty due to a crime, terrorism or a natural disaster. In addition to letters from President Kelley to members of Congress, NTEU worked with a diverse group of nearly 30 organizations of federal employees and managers, as well as private organizations interested in matters impacting federal employees and their workplaces, to see that the bill was passed.

The bill received strong bipartisan support in Congress.

President Kelley noted that the Office of Personnel Management data shows that since 1992, nearly 3,000 federal civil servants have been killed while performing their official duties.

“In a time when the work of federal employees is far too often taken for granted, it is a fitting and appropriate tribute to those who have lost their lives working on behalf of their fellow Americans,” Kelley said.

NTEU is the nation’s largest independent union of federal employees, representing 150,000 employees in 31 agencies and departments.