[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 876 Engrossed in House (EH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 876
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To reform programs of the Transportation Security Administration, 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 ``Aviation Employee Screening and
Security Enhancement Act of 2017''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the
Transportation Security Administration.
(2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
(3) Air carrier.--The term ``air carrier'' has the meaning
given such term in section 40102 of title 49, United States
Code.
(4) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate.
(5) Foreign air carrier.--The term ``foreign air carrier''
has the meaning given such term in section 40102 of title 49,
United States Code.
(6) Intelligence community.--The term ``intelligence
community'' has the meaning given such term in section 3(4) of
the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)).
(7) Secured area.--The term ``secured area'' has the
meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of
Federal Regulations.
(8) Security identification display area.--The term
``Security Identification Display Area'' has the meaning given
such term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of Federal
Regulations.
(9) Sterile area.--The term ``sterile area'' has the
meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of
Federal Regulations.
SEC. 3. COST AND FEASIBILITY STUDY.
(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the
Aviation Security Advisory Committee (established under section 44946
of title 49, United States Code), shall submit to the appropriate
congressional committees and the Comptroller General of the United
States a cost and feasibility study of a statistically significant
number of Category I, II, III, IV, and X airports assessing the impact
if all employee access points from non-secured areas to secured areas
of such airports are comprised of the following:
(1) A secure door utilizing card and pin entry or biometric
technology.
(2) Surveillance video recording, capable of storing video
data for at least 30 days.
(3) Advanced screening technologies, including at least one
of the following:
(A) Magnetometer (walk-through or hand-held).
(B) Explosives detection canines.
(C) Explosives trace detection swabbing.
(D) Advanced imaging technology.
(E) X-ray bag screening technology.
(b) Contents.--The study required under subsection (a) shall
include information related to the employee screening costs of those
category I, II, III, IV, and X airports which have already implemented
practices of screening 100 percent of employees accessing secured areas
of airports, including the following:
(1) Costs associated with establishing an operational
minimum number of employee entry and exit points.
(2) A comparison of estimated costs and effectiveness
associated with implementing the security features specified in
subsection (a) to--
(A) the Federal Government; and
(B) airports and the aviation community.
(c) Comptroller General Assessment.--
(1) In general.--Upon completion of the study required
under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United
States shall review such study to assess the quality and
reliability of such study.
(2) Assessment.--Not later than 60 days after the receipt
of the study required under subsection (a), the Comptroller
General of the United States shall report to the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate on the results of the review required under paragraph
(1).
SEC. 4. AIRPORT WORKER EDUCATION AND SECURITY AWARENESS.
(a) Cooperative Efforts to Enhance Airport Security Awareness.--Not
later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall work with air carriers, foreign air carriers,
airport operators, labor unions representing credentialed employees,
and the Aviation Security Advisory Committee to enhance security
awareness of credentialed airport populations regarding insider threats
to aviation security and best practices related to airport access
controls.
(b) Credentialing Standards.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall, in
consultation with air carriers, foreign air carriers, airport
operators, labor unions representing credentialed employees,
and the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, assess
credentialing standards, policies, and practices to ensure that
insider threats to aviation security are adequately addressed.
(2) Report.--Not later than 30 days after completion of the
assessment required under paragraph (1), the Administrator
shall report to the appropriate congressional committees on the
results of such assessment.
(c) SIDA Applications.--
(1) Social security numbers required.--Not later than 60
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall require airport operators to submit the
social security number of an individual applying for a
credential granting access to the Security Identification
Display Area to strengthen security vetting effectiveness. An
applicant who does not provide such applicant's social security
number may be denied such a credential.
(2) Screening notice.--The Administrator shall issue
requirements for airport operators to include in applications
for access to a Security Identification Display Area a notice
informing applicants that an employee holding a credential
granting access to a Security Identification Display Area may
be screened at any time while gaining access to, working in, or
leaving a Security Identification Display Area.
SEC. 5. SECURING AIRPORT WORKER ACCESS.
(a) In General.--The Administrator shall work with airport
operators and the Aviation Security Advisory Committee to identify
advanced technologies, including biometric identification technologies,
for securing employee access to the secured areas and sterile areas of
airports.
(b) Rap Back Vetting.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall ensure that all
credentialed aviation worker populations currently requiring a
fingerprint-based criminal record history check are continuously vetted
through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Rap Back Service, in
order to more rapidly detect and mitigate insider threats to aviation
security.
(c) Insider Threat Education and Mitigation.--Not later than 180
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator
shall identify means of enhancing the Administration's ability to
leverage the resources of the Department of Homeland Security and the
intelligence community to educate Administration personnel on insider
threats to aviation security and how the Administration can better
mitigate such insider threats.
(d) Playbook Operations.--The Administrator shall ensure that
Administration-led employee physical inspection efforts of aviation
workers, known as Playbook operations, are targeted, strategic, and
focused on providing the greatest level of security effectiveness.
(e) Covert Testing.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall conduct covert
testing of Administration-led employee inspection operations at
airports and measure existing levels of security effectiveness.
The Administrator shall provide--
(A) the results of such testing to the airport
operator for the airport that is the subject of any
such testing, and, as appropriate, to air carriers and
foreign air carriers that operate at the airport that
is the subject of such testing; and
(B) recommendations and technical assistance for
air carriers, foreign air carriers, and airport
operators to conduct their own employee inspections, as
needed.
(2) Annual reporting.--The Administrator shall annually,
for each of fiscal years 2018 through 2022, submit to the
appropriate congressional committees a report on the frequency,
methodology, strategy, and effectiveness of employee inspection
operations at airports.
(f) Centralized Database.--Not later than 180 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with
the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, shall--
(1) establish a national database of individuals who have
had either their airport or airport operator-issued badge
revoked for failure to comply with aviation security
requirements;
(2) determine the appropriate reporting mechanisms for air
carriers, foreign air carriers, and airport operators to--
(A) submit to the Administration data regarding
individuals described in paragraph (1); and
(B) access the database established pursuant to
such paragraph; and
(3) establish a process to allow individuals whose names
were mistakenly entered into such database to correct the
record and have their names removed from such database.
SEC. 6. INSIDER THREAT COORDINATION EFFORTS.
The Department of Homeland Security is the lead interagency
coordinator pertaining to insider threat investigations and mitigation
efforts at airports. The Department shall make every practicable effort
to coordinate with other relevant Government entities, as well as the
security representatives of air carriers, foreign air carriers, and
airport operators, as appropriate, when undertaking such investigations
and efforts.
SEC. 7. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional
committees a plan to conduct recurring reviews of the operational,
technical, and management security controls for Administration
information technology systems at airports.
SEC. 8. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.
No additional funds are authorized to carry out the requirements of
this Act. Such requirements shall be carried out using amounts
otherwise authorized.
Passed the House of Representatives April 25, 2017.
Attest:
Clerk.
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 876
_______________________________________________________________________
AN ACT
To reform programs of the Transportation Security Administration, and
for other purposes.