Senator Joe Donnelly says new legislation he’s sponsoring will help National Guard members who haven’t served oversees get a boost when applying for federal jobs.

National Guard members who haven’t served overseas currently receive no preference when applying for federal jobs.

A bipartisan bill co-sponsored by Donnelly would create a new tiered system for federal hiring.

Donnelly says he wants to help the thousands of veterans who aren’t recognized by the current preference system.

“Approximately 159,000 National Guard soldiers – or 44 percent of the total force – have not deployed,” Donnelly says. “And 73,000 Air National Guard Airmen – 70 percent – have not deployed, meaning gone overseas and served overseas.”

Donnelly’s bill creates a points system. The longer a National Guard member has served, the more points they get towards preferred hiring for federal jobs such as TSA agents or border guards.

Only Guard members who have served at least 20 years receive the same high preference level as veterans who were deployed overseas.