[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1895 Referred in Senate (RFS)]
<DOC>
117th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1895
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 21, 2021
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To enhance the preparedness of the Transportation Security
Administration for public health threats to the transportation security
system of the United States, 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 ``Transportation Security Public
Health Threat Preparedness Act of 2021''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
For purposes of this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
(2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
(A) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives; and
(B) the Committee on Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
(3) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Homeland Security.
(4) Sterile area.--The term ``sterile area'' has the
meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of
Federal Regulations.
(5) TSA.--The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation
Security Administration.
SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF TSA PERSONNEL DETAILS.
(a) Coordination.--Pursuant to sections 106(m) and 114(m) of title
49, United States Code, the Administrator may provide TSA personnel,
who are not engaged in front line transportation security efforts, to
other components of the Department and other Federal agencies to
improve coordination with such components and agencies to prepare for,
protect against, and respond to public health threats to the
transportation security system of the United States.
(b) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate
congressional committees regarding efforts to improve coordination with
other components of the Department and other Federal agencies to
prepare for, protect against, and respond to public health threats to
the transportation security system of the United States.
SEC. 4. TSA PREPAREDNESS.
(a) Analysis.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall conduct an
analysis of preparedness of the transportation security system
of the United States for public health threats. Such analysis
shall assess, at a minimum, the following:
(A) The risks of public health threats to the
transportation security system of the United States,
including to transportation hubs, transportation
security stakeholders, TSA personnel, and passengers.
(B) Information sharing challenges among relevant
components of the Department, other Federal agencies,
international entities, and transportation security
stakeholders.
(C) Impacts to TSA policies and procedures for
securing the transportation security system.
(2) Coordination.--The analysis conducted of the risks
described in paragraph (1)(A) shall be conducted in
coordination with the Chief Medical Officer of the Department
of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human
Services, and transportation security stakeholders.
(b) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate
congressional committees on the following:
(1) The analysis required under subsection (a).
(2) Technologies necessary to combat public health threats
at security screening checkpoints to better protect from future
public health threats TSA personnel, passengers, aviation
workers, and other personnel authorized to access the sterile
area of an airport through such checkpoints, and the estimated
cost of technology investments needed to fully implement across
the aviation system solutions to such threats.
(3) Policies and procedures implemented by TSA and
transportation security stakeholders to protect from public
health threats TSA personnel, passengers, aviation workers, and
other personnel authorized to access the sterile area through
the security screening checkpoints, as well as future plans for
additional measures relating to such protection.
(4) The role of TSA in establishing priorities, developing
solutions, and coordinating and sharing information with
relevant domestic and international entities during a public
health threat to the transportation security system, and how
TSA can improve its leadership role in such areas.
Passed the House of Representatives July 20, 2021.
Attest:
CHERYL L. JOHNSON,
Clerk.