Chris Freking, who was born to an American father living in the Philippines and went to high school there before arriving in the U.S., did not know he had to register for the Select Service upon turning 18. More than a decade after he began serving the VA in San Francisco, and after trying to register in his 20s, Office of Personnel Management, the federal agency that oversees federal employees, told the VA it had to fire Freking because of his failure to register.

Today, the House of House of Representatives approved Rep. George Miller’s bill which would remove the ban from federal employment for individuals who failed to register for selective service, but were honorably discharged from military service; as well as allow current federal employees who failed to register and are at least age 31 to remain eligible for federal employment. This would effectively replace the current lifetime ban with a five year ban that coincides with the statute of limitations for prosecution.

“At a time when the VA needs valued employees this bill is critically important to help someone who slipped through the cracks,” said Miller. “Chris Freking plays an important role on behalf of America’s veterans and his service will be greatly needed in the years to come."

Freking’s problems began when he was up for a promotion at San Francisco VA Medical Center. His background check showed that he was not registered for the Selective Service. This issue had come up before in 1994 but no action was taken – Freking was allowed to remain employed for 11 years. This time around, OPM insisted that Freking must be fired because he had failed to register for the Selective Service, despite the fact that the VA admitted it should have caught the oversight sooner and assisted Mr. Frecking in correcting it.

“The current system essentially lumps the innocent in with the guilty,” said Miller.

“Christopher Freking has worked for VAMC SF for over 16 years. He has invested in his career and is a highly valued employee. Dismissing Mr. Freking would cause an enormous hardship on an agency stretched to the limit both in human and monetary resources.

I introduced this bill to help Chris Freking stay employed and to ensure that others in a similar situation, now or in the future, will not lose their careers. This bill is in the best interest of our country, our veterans and our military.

It is my hope the Senate will approve this bill in the very near future and the VA in San Francisco and Chris Freking can put this behind them.