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Union Calendar No. 54 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 876 

[Report No. 115–94] 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reform programs of the 

Transportation Security Administration, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 6, 2017 

Mr. KATKO (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. ROGERS of Alabama, Mr. 

FITZPATRICK, Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana, Mr. KING of New York, Mr. 

VELA, Mr. KEATING, and Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

APRIL 25, 2017 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee of the Whole House 

on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed 

[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 

[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on February 6, 2017] 


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A BILL 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to reform 

programs of the Transportation Security Administration, 

and for other purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Aviation Employee 

5 Screening and Security Enhancement Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra9 tion’’ means the Transportation Security Administra10 tion. 

11 (2) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘‘Adminis12 trator’’ means the Administrator of the Transpor13 tation Security Administration. 

14 (3) AIR CARRIER.—The term ‘‘air carrier’’ has 

15 the meaning given such term in section 40102 of title 

16 49, United States Code. 

17 (4) APPROPRIATE CONGRESSIONAL COMMIT18 TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional commit19 tees’’ means the Committee on Homeland Security of 

20 the House of Representatives and the Committee on 

21 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and 

22 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor23 tation of the Senate. 


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1 (5) FOREIGN AIR CARRIER.—The term ‘‘foreign 

2 air carrier’’ has the meaning given such term in sec3 tion 40102 of title 49, United States Code. 

4 (6) INTELLIGENCE COMMUNITY.—The term ‘‘in5 telligence community’’ has the meaning given such 

6 term in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 

7 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)). 

8 (7) SECURED AREA.—The term ‘‘secured area’’ 

9 has the meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of 

10 title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. 

11 (8) SECURITY IDENTIFICATION DISPLAY AREA.— 

12 The term ‘‘Security Identification Display Area’’ has 

13 the meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 

14 49, Code of Federal Regulations. 

15 (9) STERILE AREA.—The term ‘‘sterile area’’ has 

16 the meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 

17 49, Code of Federal Regulations. 

18 SEC. 3. COST AND FEASIBILITY STUDY. 

19 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after the 

20 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in con21 sultation with the Aviation Security Advisory Committee 

22 (established under section 44946 of title 49, United States 

23 Code), shall submit to the appropriate congressional com24 mittees and the Comptroller General of the United States 

25 a cost and feasibility study of a statistically significant 


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1 number of Category I, II, III, IV, and X airports assessing 

2 the impact if all employee access points from non-secured 

3 areas to secured areas of such airports are comprised of the 

4 following: 

5 (1) A secure door utilizing card and pin entry 

6 or biometric technology. 

7 (2) Surveillance video recording, capable of stor8 ing video data for at least 30 days. 

9 (3) Advanced screening technologies, including at 

10 least one of the following: 

11 (A) Magnetometer (walk-through or hand12 held). 

13 (B) Explosives detection canines. 

14 (C) Explosives trace detection swabbing. 

15 (D) Advanced imaging technology. 

16 (E) X-ray bag screening technology. 

17 (b) CONTENTS.—The study required under subsection 

18 (a) shall include information related to the employee screen19 ing costs of those category I, II, III, IV, and X airports 

20 which have already implemented practices of screening 100 

21 percent of employees accessing secured areas of airports, in22 cluding the following: 

23 (1) Costs associated with establishing an oper24 ational minimum number of employee entry and exit 

25 points. 


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1 (2) A comparison of estimated costs and effec2 tiveness associated with implementing the security 

3 features specified in subsection (a) to— 

4 (A) the Federal Government; and 

5 (B) airports and the aviation community. 

6 (c) COMPTROLLER GENERAL ASSESSMENT.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Upon completion of the study 

8 required under subsection (a), the Comptroller Gen9 eral of the United States shall review such study to 

10 assess the quality and reliability of such study. 

11 (2) ASSESSMENT.—Not later than 60 days after 

12 the receipt of the study required under subsection (a), 

13 the Comptroller General of the United States shall re14 port to the Committee on Homeland Security of the 

15 House of Representatives and the Committee on 

16 Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and 

17 the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor18 tation of the Senate on the results of the review re19 quired under paragraph (1). 

20 SEC. 4. AIRPORT WORKER EDUCATION AND SECURITY 

21 AWARENESS. 

22 (a) COOPERATIVE EFFORTS TO ENHANCE AIRPORT

23 SECURITY AWARENESS.—Not later than 180 days after the 

24 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall 

25 work with air carriers, foreign air carriers, airport operaVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:43 Apr 25, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00006 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H876.RH H876

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1 tors, labor unions representing credentialed employees, and 

2 the Aviation Security Advisory Committee to enhance secu3 rity awareness of credentialed airport populations regard4 ing insider threats to aviation security and best practices 

5 related to airport access controls. 

6 (b) CREDENTIALING STANDARDS.— 

7 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days after 

8 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Adminis9 trator shall, in consultation with air carriers, foreign 

10 air carriers, airport operators, labor unions rep11 resenting credentialed employees, and the Aviation 

12 Security Advisory Committee, assess credentialing 

13 standards, policies, and practices to ensure that in14 sider threats to aviation security are adequately ad15 dressed. 

16 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after com17 pletion of the assessment required under paragraph 

18 (1), the Administrator shall report to the appropriate 

19 congressional committees on the results of such assess20 ment. 

21 (c) SIDA APPLICATIONS.— 

22 (1) SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS REQUIRED.—Not 

23 later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of 

24 this Act, the Administrator shall require airport oper25 ators to submit the social security number of an indiVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:43 Apr 25, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00007 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6203 E:\BILLS\H876.RH H876

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1 vidual applying for a credential granting access to 

2 the Security Identification Display Area to strengthen 

3 security vetting effectiveness. An applicant who does 

4 not provide such applicant’s social security number 

5 may be denied such a credential. 

6 (2) SCREENING NOTICE.—The Administrator 

7 shall issue requirements for airport operators to in8 clude in applications for access to a Security Identi9 fication Display Area a notice informing applicants 

10 that an employee holding a credential granting access 

11 to a Security Identification Display Area may be 

12 screened at any time while gaining access to, working 

13 in, or leaving a Security Identification Display Area. 

14 SEC. 5. SECURING AIRPORT WORKER ACCESS. 

15 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall work with 

16 airport operators and the Aviation Security Advisory Com17 mittee to identify advanced technologies, including biomet18 ric identification technologies, for securing employee access 

19 to the secured areas and sterile areas of airports. 

20 (b) RAP BACK VETTING.—Not later than 180 days 

21 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Adminis22 trator shall ensure that all credentialed aviation worker 

23 populations currently requiring a fingerprint-based crimi24 nal record history check are continuously vetted through the 

25 Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Rap Back Service, in 


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1 order to more rapidly detect and mitigate insider threats 

2 to aviation security. 

3 (c) INSIDER THREAT EDUCATION AND MITIGATION.— 

4 Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of 

5 this Act, the Administrator shall identify means of enhanc6 ing the Administration’s ability to leverage the resources 

7 of the Department of Homeland Security and the intel8 ligence community to educate Administration personnel on 

9 insider threats to aviation security and how the Adminis10 tration can better mitigate such insider threats. 

11 (d) PLAYBOOK OPERATIONS.—The Administrator 

12 shall ensure that Administration-led employee physical in13 spection efforts of aviation workers, known as Playbook op14 erations, are targeted, strategic, and focused on providing 

15 the greatest level of security effectiveness. 

16 (e) COVERT TESTING.— 

17 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator shall con18 duct covert testing of Administration-led employee in19 spection operations at airports and measure existing 

20 levels of security effectiveness. The Administrator shall 

21 provide— 

22 (A) the results of such testing to the airport 

23 operator for the airport that is the subject of any 

24 such testing, and, as appropriate, to air carriers 


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1 and foreign air carriers that operate at the air2 port that is the subject of such testing; and 

3 (B) recommendations and technical assist4 ance for air carriers, foreign air carriers, and 

5 airport operators to conduct their own employee 

6 inspections, as needed. 

7 (2) ANNUAL REPORTING.—The Administrator 

8 shall submit to the appropriate congressional commit9 tees an annual report on the frequency, methodology, 

10 strategy, and effectiveness of employee screening oper11 ations at airports. 

12 (f) CENTRALIZED DATABASE.—Not later than 180 

13 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Admin14 istrator, in consultation with the Aviation Security Advi15 sory Committee, shall— 

16 (1) establish a national database of individuals 

17 who have had either their airport or airport operator18 issued badge revoked for failure to comply with avia19 tion security requirements; 

20 (2) determine the appropriate reporting mecha21 nisms for air carriers, foreign air carriers, and air22 port operators to— 

23 (A) submit to the Administration data re24 garding individuals described in paragraph (1); 

25 and 


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1 (B) access the database established pursuant 

2 to such paragraph; and 

3 (3) establish a process to allow individuals whose 

4 names were mistakenly entered into such database to 

5 correct the record and have their names removed from 

6 such database. 

7 SEC. 6. INSIDER THREAT COORDINATION EFFORTS. 

8 The Department of Homeland Security is the lead 

9 interagency coordinator pertaining to insider threat inves10 tigations and mitigation efforts at airports. The Depart11 ment shall make every practicable effort to coordinate with 

12 other relevant Government entities, as well as the security 

13 representatives of air carriers, foreign air carriers, and air14 port operators, as appropriate, when undertaking such in15 vestigations and efforts. 

16 SEC. 7. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY SECURITY. 

17 Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment 

18 of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to the appro19 priate congressional committees a plan to conduct recurring 

20 reviews of the operational, technical, and management secu21 rity controls for Administration information technology 

22 systems at airports. 

Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘A bill to reform programs of the Transportation Security Administration, 

and for other purposes.’’. 


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Union Calendar No. 54 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 876 

[Report No. 115–94] 

A BILL 

To amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to 

Administration, and for other purposes. reform programs of the Transportation Security 

APRIL 25, 2017 

Reported with amendments, committed to the Committee 

dered to be printed of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and orVerDate Sep 11 2014 21:43 Apr 25, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6651 Sfmt 6651 E:\BILLS\H876.RH H876

sradovich on DSK3GMQ082PROD with BILLS