[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1877 Introduced in House (IH)]
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117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1877
To require the Transportation Security Administration to issue a plan
to improve security screening procedures at airports during the COVID-
19 national emergency, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 12, 2021
Mr. Cleaver introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Transportation Security Administration to issue a plan
to improve security screening procedures at airports during the COVID-
19 national emergency, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Security Screening During COVID-19
Act''.
SEC. 2. PLAN.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in coordination with the
Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Homeland Security, and in
consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the
Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall issue
and commence implementing a plan to enhance, as appropriate, security
operations at airports during the COVID-19 national emergency in order
to reduce risk of the spread of the coronavirus at passenger screening
checkpoints and among the TSA workforce.
(b) Contents.--The plan required under subsection (a) shall include
the following:
(1) An identification of best practices developed in
response to the coronavirus among foreign governments,
airports, and air carriers conducting aviation security
screening operations, as well as among Federal agencies
conducting similar security screening operations outside of
airports, including in locations where the spread of the
coronavirus has been successfully contained, that could be
further integrated into the United States aviation security
system.
(2) Specific operational changes to aviation security
screening operations informed by the identification of best
practices under paragraph (1) that could be implemented without
degrading aviation security and a corresponding timeline and
costs for implementing such changes.
(c) Considerations.--In carrying out the identification of best
practices under subsection (b), the Administrator shall take into
consideration the following:
(1) Aviation security screening procedures and practices in
place at security screening locations, including procedures and
practices implemented in response to the coronavirus.
(2) Volume and average wait times at each such security
screening location.
(3) Public health measures already in place at each such
security screening location.
(4) The feasibility and effectiveness of implementing
similar procedures and practices in locations where such are
not already in place.
(5) The feasibility and potential benefits to security,
public health, and travel facilitation of continuing any
procedures and practices implemented in response to the COVID-
19 national emergency beyond the end of such emergency.
(d) Consultation.--In developing the plan required under subsection
(a), the Administrator shall consult with public and private
stakeholders and the TSA workforce, including through the labor
organization certified as the exclusive representative of full- and
part-time non-supervisory TSA personnel carrying out screening
functions under section 44901 of title 49, U.S. Code.
(e) Submission.--Upon issuance of the plan required under
subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit the plan to the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
(f) Implementation.--The Administrator shall not be required to
implement the plan required under subsection (a) upon the termination
of the COVID-19 national emergency except to the extent the
Administrator determines such implementation to be feasible and
beneficial to security screening operations.
(g) GAO Review.--Not later than one year after the commencement of
implementation pursuant to subsection (e) of the plan required under
subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall
submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate a review of such implementation.
(h) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
(2) Coronavirus.--The term ``coronavirus'' has the meaning
given such term in section 506 of the Coronavirus Preparedness
and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020 (Public Law
116-123).
(3) COVID-19 national emergency.--The term ``COVID-19
national emergency'' means the national emergency declared by
the President under the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C.
1601 et seq.) on March 13, 2020, with respect to the
coronavirus.
(4) Public and private stakeholders.--The term ``public and
private stakeholders'' has the meaning given such term in
section 114(t)(1)(C) of title 49, United States Code.
(5) TSA.--The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation
Security Administration.
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