Keeping our Travelers Safe and Secure Act

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on July 22, 2015.  Keeping our Travelers Safe and Secure Act (Sec. 3) This bill amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to develop and implement a preventive maintenance validation process for security-related technology deployed to airports. The maintenance contracts for security-related technology deployed to airports shall include penalties for noncompliance whenever preventive or corrective maintenance has not been completed according to contractual requirements and manufacturers' specifications. (Sec. 4) The DHS Inspector General shall assess implementation of the requirements of this Act, as well as the utilization of TSA equipment maintenance technicians, and make recommendations for training TSA personnel, equipment maintenance technicians, and other airport personnel.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Keeping our Travelers Safe and 
Secure Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) The Administrator of the Transportation Security 
        Administration has stated that the maintenance of security-
        related technology such as x-rays, explosive trace detection 
        systems, explosive detection systems, liquid scanners, and 
        enhanced walk-through metal detectors, is central to the 
        execution of Transportation Security Administration's mission 
        to protect United States transportation systems.
            (2) Preventive and corrective maintenance is essential to 
        ensuring and extending the service lives of security-related 
        technology.
            (3) In May 2015, the Inspector General of the Department of 
        Homeland Security, reporting on the results of a performance 
        audit conducted between December 2013 and November 2014, 
        concluded that because the Transportation Security 
        Administration did not properly manage the maintenance of its 
        security-related technology deployed to airports, it cannot be 
        assured that routine preventive maintenance is performed or 
        that equipment is repaired and ready for operational use.
            (4) Specifically, the Inspector General found that the 
        Transportation Security Administration did not issue adequate 
        policies and procedures to document, track, and maintain 
        preventive maintenance actions at the airport level and 
        oversight of contractor-performed maintenance needed to be 
        strengthened.
            (5) According to the Inspector General, if the equipment is 
        not fully operational, the Transportation Security 
        Administration may have to use other screening measures that 
        may be less effective at detecting dangerous items, thereby 
        potentially jeopardizing passenger safety and security.

SEC. 3. MAINTENANCE OF SECURITY-RELATED TECHNOLOGY.

    (a) In General.--Title XVI of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 
U.S.C. 561 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

        ``Subtitle C--Maintenance of Security-Related Technology

``SEC. 1621. MAINTENANCE VALIDATION AND OVERSIGHT.

    ``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this subtitle, the Administrator shall develop and 
implement a preventive maintenance validation process for security-
related technology deployed to airports.
    ``(b) Maintenance by Administration Personnel at Airports.--For 
maintenance to be carried out by Administration personnel at airports, 
the process referred to in subsection (a) shall include the following:
            ``(1) Guidance to Administration personnel, equipment 
        maintenance technicians, and other personnel at airports 
        specifying how to conduct and document preventive maintenance 
        actions.
            ``(2) Mechanisms for the Administrator to verify compliance 
        with the guidance issued pursuant to paragraph (1).
    ``(c) Maintenance by Contractors at Airports.--For maintenance to 
be carried out by a contractor at airports, the process referred to in 
subsection (a) shall require the following:
            ``(1) Provision of monthly preventive maintenance schedules 
        to appropriate Administration personnel at each airport that 
        includes information on each action to be completed by a 
        contractor.
            ``(2) Notification to appropriate Administration personnel 
        at each airport when maintenance action is completed by a 
        contractor.
            ``(3) A process for independent validation by a third party 
        of contractor maintenance.
    ``(d) Penalties for Noncompliance.--The Administrator shall require 
maintenance contracts for security-related technology deployed to 
airports to include penalties for noncompliance when it is determined 
that either preventive or corrective maintenance has not been completed 
according to contractual requirements and manufacturers' 
specifications.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the Homeland 
Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after the item relating to 
section 1616 the following:

        ``Subtitle C--Maintenance of Security-Related Technology

``Sec. 1621. Maintenance validation and oversight.''.

SEC. 4. INSPECTOR GENERAL ASSESSMENT.

    Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security shall 
assess implementation of the requirements under this Act and the 
amendments made by this Act, and provide findings and recommendations 
with respect to the provision of training to Administration personnel, 
equipment maintenance technicians, and other personnel under section 
1621 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by section 3 of 
this Act) and the availability and utilization of equipment maintenance 
technicians employed by the Administration.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 27, 2015.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.