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

[Pages H8024-H8025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




          TRAVELING PARENTS SCREENING CONSISTENCY ACT OF 2019

  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 3246) to require GAO review of certain TSA screening 
protocols, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 3246

       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 ``Traveling Parents Screening 
     Consistency 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 the Transportation Security 
     Administration's (TSA) implementation of the Bottles and 
     Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Act (Public Law 114-293), 
     as well as the effectiveness of TSA in ensuring screening 
     protocol clarity and screening consistency relating to the 
     screening of formula,

[[Page H8025]]

     breast milk, purified deionized water for infants, and juice. 
     Such review shall include the following:
       (1) Consider whether TSA effectively manages consistency of 
     screening protocol applications for formula, breastmilk, 
     purified deionized water for infants, and juice, including 
     the extent to which Transportation Security officers engage 
     in screening beyond that which is prescribed through relevant 
     policies and training.
       (2) Evaluate the need for TSA to update and revise 
     procedures for such screening.
       (3) Assess whether TSA effectively tracks passenger 
     complaints related to such screening to monitor trends and 
     identify inconsistencies.
       (4) Evaluate TSA's communications and information sharing 
     practices for passengers, air carriers, and airports relating 
     to screening protocols for such screening.
       (5) Evaluate TSA's policies regarding the screening of 
     passengers with nursing products, including the extent to 
     which such passengers are more likely to receive secondary 
     screening.
       (6) Make recommendations for improving TSA's overall 
     screening practices relating to such screening.

  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 
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to 
include extraneous materials 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. 3246, the Traveling 
Parents Screening Consistency Act.
  The stress of traveling through our airport checkpoints is very 
familiar to all of us. This experience can be especially burdensome on 
parents traveling with children. Too often, these families aren't given 
clear direction and guidance on how to ensure that they meet TSA 
guidelines while bringing baby supplies and nursing products through 
the screening process.
  Parents across the country are often left confused and inconvenienced 
as they encounter different interpretations of TSA's policies at 
different airports. In some cases, parents have discarded expensive 
baby formula and other items after being instructed that such items 
cannot be brought through security when, in fact, they are allowed 
under TSA policy.
  TSA must do better for these families by creating commonsense 
policies and clearly communicating with them to ensure parents are able 
to properly care for their children while traveling.
  H.R. 3246, provides more certainty and protections to parents 
traveling with baby supplies, such as breast milk and formula. This 
bill will help improve traveling experiences for families, while 
enforcing security standards for everyone traveling throughout our 
Nation's airports.
  I urge my House 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. 3246, the Traveling 
Parent Screening Consistency Act, introduced by Representative Van 
Taylor.
  As many of us can attest, the life of a parent with young or infant 
children can be quite stressful, particularly while traveling. 
Screening by the Transportation Security Administration at airports can 
make this even more stressful with inconsistent screening requirements 
for the essentials like formula, breast milk, deionized water, and 
juice.
  This bill seeks to address any potential inconsistency in screening 
requirements by requiring the Government Accountability Office to 
conduct a review to determine if TSA needs to update or revise its 
protocols for screening and information sharing.
  In addition to this determination, the GAO will also assess how 
passengers' complaints are monitored for trends and will include 
recommendations for how TSA can improve its practices for screening 
these items.
  I would like commend Representative Taylor for his work on this 
legislation that addresses an issue brought to him by one of his 
constituents and is, likely, experienced by many new parents.
  H.R. 3246 will be a tremendous benefit to the passenger experience 
for new families, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Taylor).
  Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation, 
H.R. 3246, the Traveling Parents Screening Consistency Act.
  As a new Member of Congress, I endeavor to listen to my constituents. 
As a new Member, I have actually had over 300 individual meetings with 
my constituents in the last 8 months. I have had 24 Coffees with Your 
Congressman.
  One of my constituents, a mother from Fairview, Texas, took advantage 
of this Coffee with Your Congressman opportunity and came and told me 
about her problems that she was having with TSA as a new mother trying 
to get her breast milk through to feed her child.

                              {time}  1445

  This I realized was a problem not just for her, but many mothers 
across my district and really many mothers across this entire country. 
I have heard story after story, as I have worked on this legislation, 
telling about how the TSA is just not consistent with how they are 
applying their rules.
  So this bill seeks to create clear and consistent rules that parents 
can understand as they travel our Nation's airports. This is important 
legislation to help streamline that very important process to both keep 
us safe and make it easy to travel.
  I want to thank my colleague very much from across the aisle, 
Congresswoman Rice. I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Thompson 
and Ranking Member Rogers, and I also want to thank Senator McSally for 
carrying this piece of legislation in the other Chamber.
  Mr. Speaker, I look forward to, hopefully, passing this today, and I 
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3246.
  Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on 
the bill. I renew my support. I recommend my colleagues support this 
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3246 aims to ensure that families 
receive consistent information regarding the screening process for baby 
supplies and nursing products. This bill will enable parents to 
properly prepare the supplies necessary to care for their children when 
traveling while ensuring passenger security through the screening 
process.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Taylor for this fine piece of legislation, I 
urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance 
of my time.
  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. 3246.
  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.

                          ____________________