Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), a former naval intelligence officer and a member of the House Armed Services Committee, led two bipartisan bills that will strengthen and support America’s military readiness. The bills—the TRANSFER Act and the Public Shipyard Workforce Protection Act—reflect bipartisan wins Congresswoman Goodlander secured in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). These efforts build Goodlander’s continued focus on supporting servicemembers, military families, and the civilian workforce essential to our national defense. 

Congressman Derek Schmidt (KS-02) is co-leading the TRANSFER Act, and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) and Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) are co-leading the Public Shipyard Workforce Protection Act.

“Military readiness starts with people,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “Whether it’s a highly trained officer who wants to keep serving or a skilled shipyard worker who keeps our fleet mission-ready, we should be doing everything we can to retain talent, remove unnecessary barriers, and provide stability—not create new obstacles. These bipartisan bills are about common sense: strengthening readiness, protecting our workforce, and delivering a fair deal for the men and women who serve our country every day.”

“I am pleased to join my colleagues in proposing this bipartisan solution to the problem of National Guard officers unnecessarily losing benefits when they experience a break in service,” said Congressman Schmidt. “Our bill provides more professional flexibility for National Guard officers who may transition between active and inactive and in doing so can help encourage recruitment and retention in the National Guard.”

“Our Public shipyard workforce is invaluable to the sustainability of our naval vessels,” said Congresswoman Kiggans. “The instrumental work these men and women do on a daily basis shouldn’t be disrupted by federal hiring freezes. That is why I am proud to co-lead the Public Shipyard Workforce Act with Congresswoman Goodlander and Congressman Pappas to ensure stability for our workers and preserve America’s national security.”

“The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard is a critical component of our national defense and is an economic engine for New Hampshire. The men and women of our Shipyard work every day with skill and patriotism to ensure our nation’s readiness and support our military for any battle that lies ahead and it is my honor to represent them in New Hampshire’s First District. Their contributions are essential, and their job security should never be in question,” said Congressman Pappas. “I’m thrilled that the bipartisan version of the NDAA that passed the House last week and is being taken up by the Senate includes my provisions to protect the civilian workforce at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard from the Trump administration’s mass layoffs that hurt Shipyard personnel, our economy, and our military readiness, and I will keep fighting to make these protections permanent.”

TRANSFER Act (Transitioning Reservists to Active or Inactive National Service For Enhanced Readiness)

• The TRANSFER Act provides a no-cost, streamlined pathway for commissioned and warrant officers in the Reserve Components to transition between active and inactive service in the National Guard.
• By removing administrative barriers that can force highly trained officers out of uniform, the bill helps retain experienced leaders, strengthens our readiness, and ensures the Guard can continue to meet growing operational demands without new spending.
• Full bill text is available here.

Public Shipyard Workforce Protection Act

• The Public Shipyard Workforce Protection Act prohibits the use of federal funds to carry out hiring freezes, reductions in force, or unjustified delays at public naval shipyards.
• America’s public shipyards rely on a highly skilled workforce to maintain and repair naval vessels critical to national security. This legislation ensures stability for those workers, protects readiness, and prevents workforce disruptions that can delay ship maintenance and increase costs for taxpayers.
• Full bill text is available here.
• This legislation is cosponsored by Rep. Jill Tokuda (D-HI) and Rep. Bobby Scott (D-VA).

Background:

These bills continue Congresswoman Goodlander’s efforts to support the National Guard and civilian workers. She is a cosponsor of the bipartisan Guarding Readiness Resources Act, legislation to ensure the National Guard has the funding needed to repair and maintain equipment after responding to state emergencies. In July, she sent a letter alongside the N.H. congressional delegation to General Nordhaus, Chief of the National Guard Bureau, to exempt critical safety personnel, including firefighters and air traffic controllers, from the planned reduction of federal civilians at the Air National Guard. As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Congresswoman Goodlander led a bipartisan amendment to direct the Department of Defense to conduct a study to assess the feasibility, costs, and benefits of providing apartment-style or dormitory housing for civilian workers at covered naval shipyards. In October, Congresswoman Goodlander, Congresswoman Kiggans, and Congressman Pappas introduced the bipartisan Pay Our Public Shipyard Workers Act to ensure workers in our nation’s public shipyards are paid during government shutdowns.

Since President Trump took office, Pappas has worked to protect civilian workers who play a critical role in maintaining U.S. national security. In February, he joined workers from PNSY to discuss the impact of the administration’s job cuts and hiring freezes, which led the Shipyard to pause hiring. In March, Pappas led his House colleagues in further sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration’s hiring freeze and workforce cuts. Later that month, the U.S. Department of Defense exempted the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard workforce from the civilian hiring freeze. In August, Pappas and Congresswoman Jen Kiggans (VA-02) introduced the bipartisan Protecting Public Naval Shipyards Act. This legislation would exempt the workforces of America’s four public shipyards from recent hiring freezes and mass layoffs. This bipartisan legislation is led in the Senate by U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Maggie Hassan (D-NH), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Angus King (I-ME). Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) is a cosponsor of the House bill. During the conference process for the FY 2026 NDAA, Pappas successfully called on the leadership of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees to include these provisions in their final bill text, which is expected to advance through the Senate this week. 

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