WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Rep. Tim Walz said Friday the bipartisan legislation he authored to protect veterans jobs unanimously passed the Veterans Affairs Committee and will soon head to the House floor.

The bill requires the Transportation Security Administration to comply with the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act. USERRA guarantees that employees in both public and private sectors who are called to active duty can keep their jobs when they come home.

“The TSA employs thousands of veterans, reservists and members of the National Guard who should not have to worry about losing their jobs when called to active duty,” Walz said, adding that USERRA is in place for a reason. “They have earned and deserve this simple protection.”

Raymond Kelley, legislative director of Veterans of Foreign Wars, said the bill would benefit both parties.

“This fix will not only give our service members working at TSA the re-employment rights they have earned but also ensure TSA has unfettered access to the best and brightest our military has to offer,” Kelley said.

Currently, the TSA says it complies with USERRA voluntarily. At least two transportation security officers, however, have tried and failed to appeal TSA actions under the act.