TSA Officers Gain MSPB Appeal Rights
Under a new agreement between the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the Merit Systems Protection Board (MSPB), full-time and part-time TSA officers (TSOs) are now able to appeal adverse actions to the MSPB. This agreement comes after a drawn-out battle by TSA officers for the same appeal rights as their fellow federal employees, dating back to the inception of the TSA when Congress specifically excluded TSOs from the Title 5 personnel system. Because this is new territory for TSA officers, navigating these appeals may be difficult – FEDS Protection can help.
Now that TSOs can appeal adverse actions to the MSPB, the importance of having professional liability insurance (PLI) from FEDS Protection, which covers MSPB appeals, is magnified. MSPB appeals can be expensive, complicated, and time-consuming. With a FEDS Protection PLI policy, administrative actions resulting from actions taken within the scope of your employment are covered and will be defended as high as the MSPB level—an option TSA employees now enjoy. A FEDS PLI policy will provide you with your own attorney and up to $200,000 for defense costs.
In addition to $200,000 of legal representation coverage per incident for administrative actions, FEDS Protection offers policies with $1 million, $2 million, or $3 million in civil liability protection for attorney’s fees and indemnity costs in the event you are sued in your civil capacity. Our policy also includes $100,000 of coverage per incident for criminal defense costs. Annual premiums for FEDS Protection PLI start at $290, which is less than it would typically cost to hire a federal employment lawyer for an hour. Additionally, federal law enforcement officers, managers, and supervisors are eligible for reimbursement of up to 50% of the cost of their PLI policy through their agency.
To learn more about FEDS Protection, and how a FEDS professional liability insurance policy can protect you and your career, visit fedsprotection.com or call (866) 955-FEDS, Monday through Friday 8:30 am-6 pm, to speak directly to a representative.
*This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice.