I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8645 

To improve airport security screening for certain veterans and passengers 

with disabilities, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 5, 2024 

Mr. THANEDAR (for himself and Mr. LALOTA) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such 

provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To improve airport security screening for certain veterans 

and passengers with disabilities, and for other purposes. 

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 ‘‘Improved Screening 

5 for Veterans and Passengers with Disabilities Act’’. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
2 

•HR 8645 IH

1 SEC. 2. IMPROVEMENTS TO AIRPORT SECURITY SCREEN2 ING OF CERTAIN VETERANS AND PAS3 SENGERS WITH DISABILITIES. 

4 (a) SEPARATE AND DISTINCT TRAINING FOR TSOS

5 RELATING TO PASSENGERS WITH DISABILITIES.—Sec6 tion 1950(a) of the TSA Modernization Act (49 U.S.C. 

7 44901 note; Public Law 115–254) is amended— 

8 (1) in paragraph (3), by adding at the end the 

9 following new sentences: ‘‘Not later than one year 

10 after the date of the enactment of this sentence, the 

11 Administrator shall ensure such recurrent training is 

12 carried out as a separate and distinct training for all 

13 Transportation Security Officers in addition to any 

14 relevant module, component, element, or part of any 

15 other training for all Transportation Security Offi16 cers, and ensure such recurrent training is required 

17 for all Transportation Security Officers not less 

18 often than annually. Not later than 30 days after 

19 the implementation of such recurrent training as a 

20 separate and distinct training for all Transportation 

21 Security Officers, the Administrator shall submit to 

22 the appropriate committees of Congress a certifi23 cation relating thereto.’’; and 

24 (2) by adding at the end the following new 

25 paragraph: 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
3 

•HR 8645 IH

1 ‘‘(4) BIENNIAL REVIEWS.—The Administrator, 

2 in consultation with nationally-recognized veterans 

3 and disabilities organizations, shall biennially review 

4 and update, as necessary, the curriculum for revised 

5 training requirements under paragraph (1).’’. 

6 (b) ELIGIBILITY OF PASSENGERS WITH DISABIL7 ITIES OR MEDICAL CONDITIONS FOR EXPEDITED SECU8 RITY SCREENING.—Section 44919 of title 49, United 

9 States Code, is amended— 

10 (1) by redesignating subsections (j), (k), and (l) 

11 as subsections (k), (l), and (m), respectively; and 

12 (2) by inserting after subsection (i) the fol13 lowing new subsection: 

14 ‘‘(j) ELIGIBILITY OF PASSENGERS WITH DISABIL15 ITIES OR MEDICAL CONDITIONS FOR EXPEDITED SECU16 RITY SCREENING.—To the extent possible, the Adminis17 trator shall ensure that a passenger with a disability or 

18 medical condition enrolled in a trusted traveler program 

19 or otherwise eligible for expedited security screening is 

20 provided such screening, including at any security screen21 ing lane that is dedicated to screening passengers with dis22 abilities or medical conditions, whether or not such lane 

23 is a dedicated PreCheck Program lane.’’. 

24 (c) ELIGIBILITY OF SEVERELY INJURED OR DIS25 ABLED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES AND SEVerDate Sep 11 2014 19:54 Jul 22, 2024 Jkt 049200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H8645.IH H8645

ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
4 

•HR 8645 IH

1 VERELY INJURED OR DISABLED VETERANS FOR EXPE2 DITED SECURITY SCREENING.—Section 44927 of title 49, 

3 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

4 following new subsections: 

5 ‘‘(g) PRECHECK PROGRAM FOR CERTAIN SEVERELY

6 INJURED OR DISABLED VETERANS.— 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to the limitation 

8 specified in subparagraph (4), the Administrator of 

9 the Transportation Security Administration shall en10 roll a veteran described in paragraph (3) in the 

11 PreCheck Program under section 44919 at no cost 

12 to such veteran who satisfies the background check 

13 and other security requirements for participation in 

14 such Program. 

15 ‘‘(2) COORDINATION.—The Secretary of Home16 land Security, acting through the Administrator of 

17 the Transportation Security Administration, and the 

18 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly— 

19 ‘‘(A) implement by not later than one year 

20 after the date of enactment of this subsection 

21 a process to verify the eligibility of a veteran 

22 described in paragraph (3) and provide to such 

23 an eligible veteran the benefits referred to in 

24 paragraph (1); and 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
5 

•HR 8645 IH

1 ‘‘(B) brief the Committee on Homeland 

2 Security and the Committee on Veterans Af3 fairs of the House of Representatives and the 

4 Committee on Homeland Security and Govern5 mental Affairs, the Committee on Commerce, 

6 Science, and Transportation, and the Com7 mittee on Veterans Affairs of the Senate on the 

8 status of such implementation and provision. 

9 ‘‘(3) ELIGIBILITY.—A veteran described in this 

10 paragraph is a veteran who— 

11 ‘‘(A) is enrolled in the patient enrollment 

12 system of the Department of Veterans Affairs 

13 established and operated under section 1705 of 

14 title 38, United States Code; 

15 ‘‘(B) has— 

16 ‘‘(i) lost, or lost use of, a limb; 

17 ‘‘(ii) become paralyzed or partially 

18 paralyzed; or 

19 ‘‘(iii) incurred permanent blindness; 

20 and 

21 ‘‘(C) as a result of such a loss, paralysis 

22 or partial paralysis, or blindness, requires the 

23 use of a wheelchair, prosthetic limb, or other 

24 assistive device to aid with mobility. 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
6 

•HR 8645 IH

1 ‘‘(4) LIMITATION.—The Administrator of the 

2 Transportation Security Administration shall carry 

3 out this subsection subject to the availability of ap4 propriations and may not increase fees for enroll5 ment in the PreCheck Program for such purpose. 

6 ‘‘(h) OUTREACH FOR SEVERELY INJURED OR DIS7 ABLED VETERANS.— 

8 ‘‘(1) COORDINATION.—The Secretary of Home9 land Security, acting through the Administrator of 

10 the Transportation Security Administration, and the 

11 Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall carry out tar12 geted outreach to severely injured or disabled vet13 erans regarding how to access Transportation Secu14 rity Administration programs designed to improve 

15 the screening process for severely injured and dis16 abled passengers. 

17 ‘‘(2) ENGAGEMENT WITH SEVERELY INJURED

18 OR DISABLED VETERANS STAKEHOLDERS.—Notwith19 standing subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, 

20 United States Code (commonly referred to as the 

21 ‘Paperwork Reduction Act’), or any other provision 

22 of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security, acting 

23 through the Administrator of the Transportation Se24 curity Administration, in coordination with the Sec25 retary of Veterans Affairs, shall— 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
7 

•HR 8645 IH

1 ‘‘(A) engage with nationally-recognized vet2 erans and disabilities organizations to assess 

3 the awareness of veterans of relevant Transpor4 tation Security Administration programs; and 

5 ‘‘(B) examine the need and feasibility of 

6 other measures to improve security screening 

7 procedures for severely injured and disabled 

8 veterans. 

9 ‘‘(3) BRIEFING REQUIREMENT.—Not later than 

10 180 days after the date of the enactment of this 

11 subsection, the Secretary of Homeland Security, act12 ing through the Administrator of the Transportation 

13 Security Administration, and the Secretary of Vet14 erans Affairs shall jointly provide to the Committee 

15 on Homeland Security and the Committee on Vet16 erans Affairs of the House of Representatives and 

17 the Committee on Homeland Security and Govern18 mental Affairs, the Committee on Commerce, 

19 Science, and Transportation, and the Committee on 

20 Veterans Affairs of the Senate a briefing on the sta21 tus of the implementation of this subsection.’’. 

Æ 


ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS