I 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1746 

To prohibit certain individuals from possessing a firearm in an airport, 

and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 28, 2017 

Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia (for himself, Ms. SPEIER, Mr. DAVID SCOTT of 

Georgia, Ms. KELLY of Illinois, Mr. BEYER, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. NORTON, 

Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. CONNOLLY, and Mr. LEWIS of Georgia) introduced 

the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, 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 prohibit certain individuals from possessing a firearm 

in an airport, 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 ‘‘Airport Security Act 

5 of 2017’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. PROHIBITION OF POSSESSION OF FIREARMS AT 

2 AIRPORTS. 

3 (a) PROGRAM TO PROHIBIT POSSESSION OF FIRE4 ARMS AT AIRPORTS.—Section 44903 of title 49, United 

5 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the fol6 lowing new subsection: 

7 ‘‘(o) PROGRAM TO PROHIBIT POSSESSION OF FIRE8 ARMS AT AIRPORTS.— 

9 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Administrator of 

10 the Transportation Security Administration shall es11 tablish and carry out a program to prohibit, except 

12 as provided in paragraph (3), any individual from 

13 possessing a firearm at a covered airport, including 

14 any individual who enters the airport, or who exits 

15 public transportation at the airport, for the following 

16 purposes: 

17 ‘‘(A) Air travel. 

18 ‘‘(B) Meeting another individual. 

19 ‘‘(C) Picking up cargo. 

20 ‘‘(D) Employment at the airport. 

21 ‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS FOR AIRPORT OPERA22 TORS.—In carrying out the program established 

23 under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall require 

24 each airport operator to— 


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1 ‘‘(A) conspicuously display notices summa2 rizing the program described in paragraph 

3 (1)— 

4 ‘‘(i) at each entrance to the airport; 

5 and 

6 ‘‘(ii) in such form, and containing 

7 such information, as the Administrator 

8 shall by regulation prescribe; and 

9 ‘‘(B) require law enforcement personnel 

10 to— 

11 ‘‘(i) monitor the airport to prevent 

12 violations of paragraph (1); and 

13 ‘‘(ii) escort any individual described in 

14 paragraph (3)(B)(ii) who is discovered by 

15 such personnel to be in possession of a 

16 firearm described in paragraph (3)(B)(i), 

17 to ensure that such individual continues to 

18 be excepted from paragraph (1) by reason 

19 of being an individual described in para20 graph (3)(B). 

21 ‘‘(3) EXCEPTIONS.—The following individuals 

22 shall not be prohibited by paragraph (1) from pos23 sessing a firearm under such paragraph: 

24 ‘‘(A) INDIVIDUALS AUTHORIZED TO CARRY

25 A FIREARM.—An individual who, by regulation, 


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1 is authorized by the Administrator of the Fed2 eral Aviation Administration or the Adminis3 trator of the Transportation Security Adminis4 tration to carry a firearm at the covered air5 port. 

6 ‘‘(B) TRAVELERS.—An individual who pos7 sesses a firearm, if— 

8 ‘‘(i) the firearm is unloaded, carried 

9 in a hard-sided container that is locked, 

10 and the key or combination to the lock is 

11 in the exclusive possession of the indi12 vidual; and 

13 ‘‘(ii) the individual— 

14 ‘‘(I) is carrying a ticket in the 

15 name of the individual for a flight 

16 that is scheduled for departure from 

17 the covered airport within 24 hours or 

18 that has arrived at the airport within 

19 the preceding 24 hours; or 

20 ‘‘(II) communicates the intention 

21 to obtain a ticket for departure re22 ferred to in subclause (I) at the cov23 ered airport and obtains and carries 

24 such ticket or does not obtain such 

25 ticket for a compelling reason. 


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1 ‘‘(C) INDIVIDUALS SHIPPING FIREARMS.— 

2 An individual who possesses a firearm in a ca3 pacity relating to the shipment of the firearm 

4 in air commerce and who, by regulation, is au5 thorized by the Administrator of the Federal 

6 Aviation Administration or the Administrator of 

7 the Transportation Security Administration to 

8 possess the firearm at the covered airport in 

9 such capacity. 

10 ‘‘(D) LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.—An 

11 on-duty law enforcement officer of a State or 

12 political subdivision of a State, or an officer or 

13 employee of the Federal Government, who is 

14 authorized to carry a firearm. 

15 ‘‘(E) CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS ON PUBLIC

16 TRANSPORTATION.—An individual passing 

17 through an airport on public transportation. 

18 ‘‘(F) ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZED INDIVID19 UALS.—An individual who is otherwise author20 ized by the Administrator of the Federal Avia21 tion Administration or the Administrator of the 

22 Transportation Security Administration to pos23 sess a firearm at a covered airport. 

24 ‘‘(4) ISSUANCE OF REGULATIONS.—Not later 

25 than one year after the date of enactment of this 


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1 Act, the Administrator of the Transportation Secu2 rity Administration shall issue regulations to carry 

3 out this subsection. 

4 ‘‘(5) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 

5 ‘‘(A) AIRPORT.—The term ‘airport’ means 

6 an airport and any appurtenant building or 

7 area that is related to the operation of the air8 port, including a building or area on the site of 

9 the airport designed to— 

10 ‘‘(i) receive passengers or cargo before 

11 or after a flight; or 

12 ‘‘(ii) facilitate arrival at or departure 

13 from the airport, including— 

14 ‘‘(I) a road or section of road 

15 used primarily for arrival at or depar16 ture from the airport; 

17 ‘‘(II) an airport parking area; 

18 and 

19 ‘‘(III) a public transportation 

20 stop. 

21 ‘‘(B) AIRPORT OPERATOR.—The term ‘air22 port operator’ means the operator of a covered 

23 airport. 


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1 ‘‘(C) ADMINISTRATOR.—The term ‘Admin2 istrator’ means the Administrator of the Trans3 portation Security Administration. 

4 ‘‘(D) COVERED AIRPORT.—The term ‘cov5 ered airport’ means an airport that in the pre6 ceding fiscal year received an amount allocated 

7 or apportioned under chapter 471. 

8 ‘‘(E) FIREARM.—The term ‘firearm’ has 

9 the meaning given the term in section 921(a)(3) 

10 of title 18. 

11 ‘‘(F) PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.—The 

12 term ‘public transportation’ means a convey13 ance that provides regular and continuing gen14 eral or special transportation to the public.’’. 

15 (b) CRIMINAL PENALTY FOR POSSESSION.— 

16 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 44 of title 18, 

17 United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

18 end the following new section: 

19 ‘‘§ 932. Possession of firearms at airports 

20 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in subsection 

21 (b), an individual who knowingly possesses a firearm at 

22 a covered airport shall be fined under this title, imprisoned 

23 not more than 10 years, or both. 

24 ‘‘(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not apply to 

25 an individual described in section 44903(o)(3) of title 49. 


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1 ‘‘(c) DEFINITION OF COVERED AIRPORT.—In this 

2 section, the term ‘covered airport’ has the meaning given 

3 the term in section 44903(o)(5)(D) of title 49.’’. 

4 (2) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made 

5 by paragraph (1) shall take effect on the date that 

6 is 30 days after the date on which the Administrator 

7 of the Transportation Security Administration has 

8 issued regulations pursuant to section 44903(o)(4) 

9 of title 49, United States Code (as added by sub10 section (a)). 

11 (3) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The table of 

12 sections for chapter 44 of title 18, United States 

13 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 

14 new item: 

‘‘932. Possession of firearms at airports.’’. 

Æ 


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