September 26, 2019 - Issue: Vol. 165, No. 156 — Daily Edition116th Congress (2019 - 2020) - 1st Session

[Pages H8020-H8021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      TRUSTED TRAVELER RECONSIDERATION AND RESTORATION ACT OF 2019

  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3675) to require a review of Department of Homeland Security 
trusted traveler programs, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3675

       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 ``Trusted Traveler 
     Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2019''.

     SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW.

       Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall 
     conduct a review of Department of Homeland Security trusted 
     traveler programs. Such review shall examine the following:
       (1) The extent to which the Department of Homeland Security 
     tracks data and monitors trends related to trusted traveler 
     programs, including root causes for identity-matching errors 
     resulting in an individual's enrollment in a trusted traveler 
     program being reinstated.
       (2) Whether the Department coordinates with the heads of 
     other relevant Federal, State, local, Tribal, or territorial 
     entities regarding redress procedures for disqualifying 
     offenses not covered by the Department's own redress 
     processes but which offenses impact an individual's 
     enrollment in a trusted traveler program.
       (3) How the Department may improve individuals' access to 
     reconsideration procedures regarding a disqualifying offense 
     for enrollment in a trusted traveler program that requires 
     the involvement of any other Federal, State, local, Tribal, 
     or territorial entity.
       (4) The extent to which travelers are informed about 
     reconsideration procedures regarding enrollment in a trusted 
     traveler program.

     SEC. 3. ENROLLMENT REDRESS.

       Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary 
     of Homeland Security shall, with respect to an individual 
     whose enrollment in a trusted traveler program was revoked in 
     error extend by an amount of time equal to the period of 
     revocation the period of active enrollment in such a program 
     upon re-enrollment in such a program by such an individual.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Correa) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.


                             General Leave

  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3675, the Trusted 
Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2019.
  Millions of people have applied for a variety of DHS Trusted Traveler 
Programs such as TSA's PreCheck program and CBP's Global Entry, Nexus, 
Sentri, and FAST programs.
  Once approved, enrollment in these programs allows travelers to go 
through expedited screening while allowing DHS officers to focus on 
higher risk travelers.
  While I commend DHS for taking steps to focus on high-risk travelers, 
I am troubled by examples of travelers who meet all the security 
requirements for enrollment but are unable to enroll.
  Misidentification or misinformation impairs DHS' ability to 
appropriately make determinations on eligibility and limits the 
public's willingness to participate in these programs.
  This bill seeks to strengthen the DHS Trusted Traveler Programs by 
requiring the GAO to conduct a study of them. Specifically, the bill 
requires GAO to evaluate the identity matching process as well as the 
redress process for individuals who believe they have been wrongly 
disqualified from these programs.
  Such a review will help ensure that the Trusted Traveler Programs are 
working more efficiently and that individuals seeking to participate 
are subject to consistent processes that ensure fair treatment for all.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I 
may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3675, the Trusted 
Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2019.
  This bill, sponsored by my colleague, Representative   John Katko, 
seeks to ensure the rights of travelers who have erroneously had their 
trusted traveler status revoked.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Katko for his leadership on this 
bipartisan bill, and for Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Rogers' 
commitment to bringing this bill to the floor today.

[[Page H8021]]

  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I 
reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank Mr. Katko for his 
leadership on this measure.
  I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close after the 
gentleman from Tennessee closes.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko).
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill, 
H.R. 3675, the Trusted Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 
2019.
  This bipartisan legislation seeks to improve the process of having 
one's trusted traveler status reinstated after it may have been revoked 
in error.
  Every day, the Department of Homeland Security's Trusted Traveler 
Programs keep the traveling public moving freely and securely. The 
Trusted Traveler Programs, like PreCheck, Global Entry, Nexus, and 
Sentri, facilitate growing passenger volumes at airports and ports of 
entry while also making screening risk-based.
  Unfortunately, however, some travelers have suffered from instances 
of miscommunication or misidentification, causing them to lose their 
trusted traveler status.
  Unlike the Department's redress program for individuals who are 
originally denied enrollment in these programs, the process for 
restoration when someone's trusted traveler status has been erroneously 
revoked is much less clear.
  The traveling public should not be subjected to a litany of 
bureaucratic hurdles and lengthy procedures at multiple different 
agencies when seeking help having their trusted traveler status 
reinstated.
  H.R. 3675 helps alleviate this burden by implementing a top-to-bottom 
audit of the Department's existing data and processes by the Government 
Accountability Office.
  It is my intention that this review will yield recommendations for 
Homeland Security to improve how travelers engage with the government 
on these issues, and break down communication barriers between Federal, 
State, and local agencies.
  Importantly, my legislation also directs the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to provide commensurate re-enrollment time to those 
individuals found to have had their trusted traveler status revoked in 
error.
  Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my bill's bipartisan cosponsors, 
including my friends, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Correa, and Ms. Slotkin 
for their support of this important bill. I also thank the chairman of 
the full committee, Mr. Thompson, and Ranking Member Rogers for 
bringing this bill to the floor today.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reaffirm my support for the 
bill. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my 
time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, our citizens expect that DHS' Trusted Traveler Programs 
are operated in a consistent manner and that DHS properly identifies 
those individuals that are low-risk travelers.
  This bill will provide insight into DHS' identity matching process 
and ensure that individuals seeking to participate are subject to 
consistent processes that ensure fair treatment.
  We also want DHS to focus its time and resources on individuals who 
are high risk. This bill will ensure that the programs that DHS uses to 
vet individuals are executed effectively.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) for 
introducing this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge the bill's passage, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.

                              {time}  1415

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 3675.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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