I 

116TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 8526 

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a health smart air 

travel pilot program to improve the application of public health risk 

mitigation measures related to the public health risks presented by 

COVID–19 in airports and on passenger aircraft. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 2, 2020 

Mr. VAN DREW introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Homeland Security, 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 direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a 

health smart air travel pilot program to improve the 

application of public health risk mitigation measures related to the public health risks presented by COVID– 

19 in airports and on passenger aircraft. 

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 ‘‘Health Smart Air 

5 Travel Act’’ or the ‘‘HSAT Act’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. HEALTH SMART AIR TRAVEL PILOT PROGRAM. 

2 (a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary of Transportation, 

3 jointly with the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

4 and the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall establish 

5 a pilot program (in this section referred to as the ‘‘Pro6 gram’’) to improve the application of public health risk 

7 mitigation measures related to the public health risks pre8 sented by COVID–19 in airports and on passenger air9 craft. In carrying out the Program, the Secretary shall 

10 pursue initiatives informed by— 

11 (1) the guidance issued by the Department of 

12 Transportation, jointly with the Department of 

13 Health and Human Services and the Department of 

14 Homeland Security, titled ‘‘Runway to Recovery: 

15 The United States Framework for Airlines and Air16 ports to Mitigate the Public Health Risks of 

17 Coronavirus’’ and dated July 2020; and 

18 (2) any additional guidance that the Depart19 ment of Transportation, the Department of Health 

20 and Human Services, and the Department of Home21 land Security may issue in relation to measures nec22 essary to mitigate the public health risks presented 

23 by COVID–19 in airports and passenger aircraft. 

24 (b) OBJECTIVES.—The purpose of the Program es25 tablished under this section is to— 


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1 (1) accelerate integration of public health risk 

2 mitigation measures related to the public health 

3 risks presented by COVID–19 in airports and pas4 senger aircraft; 

5 (2) identify and address technical, regulatory, 

6 and policy challenges to integration of these risk 

7 mitigation measures; 

8 (3) develop, test, and evaluate smart airport 

9 technology and processes as they relate to mitigating 

10 public health risks presented by COVID–19 in air11 ports and passenger aircraft; and 

12 (4) leverage concentrations of aviation, trans13 portation security, and public health capital to accel14 erate innovation in airports and passenger aircraft. 

15 (c) GRANT AWARDS.—The Secretary of Transpor16 tation, in consultation with the Secretary of Health and 

17 Human Services and the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

18 may provide grants under the Program to eligible entities 

19 to carry out development, testing, or evaluation of public 

20 health risk mitigation measures related to the public 

21 health risks presented by COVID–19 in airports and pas22 senger aircraft. 

23 (d) PUBLICATION OF NOTICE OF GRANT OPPOR24 TUNITY.—Not later than 90 days after the date of enact25 ment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation publish 


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1 in the Federal Register a notice of grant opportunity for 

2 grants available under the Program. 

3 (e) ELIGIBLE ENTITIES.—Entities eligible to receive 

4 funding under the Program may include— 

5 (1) State, local, and Tribal governments; 

6 (2) commercial airline operators; 

7 (3) airports; 

8 (4) hospitals and other public health institu9 tions; 

10 (5) institutions of higher education; 

11 (6) relevant research and development nonprofit 

12 organizations that are exempt from tax under sec13 tion 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 

14 1986; 

15 (7) relevant labor organizations; 

16 (8) relevant private-sector manufacturers and 

17 service providers; and 

18 (9) a consortia of any of the entities described 

19 in paragraphs (1) through (8). 

20 (f) APPLICATION SUBMISSION.—The Secretary of 

21 Transportation, jointly with the Secretary of Health and 

22 Human Services and the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

23 shall establish application requirements for grants from 

24 the Program and shall require applicants to include the 

25 following information in such application: 


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1 (1) Identification of the entities proposed to be 

2 involved in the development, testing, or evaluation of 

3 public health risk mitigation measures. 

4 (2) Whether the proposed development, testing, 

5 or evaluation pertain to public health mitigation 

6 measures related to public health risks presented by 

7 COVID–19 in airports, passenger aircraft, or both. 

8 (3) A description of such development, testing, 

9 or evaluation. 

10 (4) A description of the financial cost of such 

11 development, testing, or evaluation, including the re12 quested grant amount. 

13 (5) How such development, testing, or evalua14 tion will accomplish the objectives of the pilot pro15 gram and inform wider adoption in airports and pas16 senger aircraft. 

17 (6) Identification of available infrastructure and 

18 capabilities to support such development, testing, or 

19 evaluation. 

20 (7) A description of the capabilities and exper21 tise related to the proposed project with respect to 

22 aviation, airline operations, airport operations, smart 

23 airport technology, transportation security, and pub24 lic health. 


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1 (8) A description of any existing relationships 

2 with relevant Federal agencies. 

3 (g) EVALUATION OF APPLICANTS.—Upon receipt of 

4 applications under this section by the Secretary of Trans5 portation, the Secretary shall evaluate such applications 

6 jointly with the Secretary of Health and Human Services 

7 and the Secretary of Homeland Security. 

8 (h) SELECTION CRITERIA.—The Secretary of Trans9 portation shall make selections, in consultation with the 

10 Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Sec11 retary of Homeland Security, for participation in the Pro12 gram, taking into consideration the following: 

13 (1) The effectiveness of the proposal of develop14 ment, testing, or evaluation of public health risk 

15 mitigation measures at accomplishing the objectives 

16 under subsection (b). 

17 (2) The involvement of relevant aviation, trans18 portation security, and public health infrastructure. 

19 (3) The involvement of the private sector in the 

20 proposal, including whether the proposal leverages 

21 existing commercial technologies. 

22 (4) The agreement of the entities involved in 

23 the proposal to comply with such requirements as 

24 the Secretary of Transportation, the Secretary of 

25 Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of 


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1 Homeland Security determine necessary for purposes 

2 of aviation safety, public health safety, and transpor3 tation security. 

4 (5) The agreement of the entities involved in 

5 the proposal to share data collected and experience 

6 gained over the course of the development, testing, 

7 or evaluation of public health mitigation measures 

8 with the Secretary of Transportation, Secretary of 

9 Health and Human Services, and the Secretary of 

10 Homeland Security. 

11 (i) DESIGNATION OF DATA REPORTING FACILI12 TIES.— 

13 (1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after 

14 the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of 

15 Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

16 and the Secretary of Health and Human Services, 

17 shall each— 

18 (A) designate a Federal facility or Federal 

19 facilities for receiving, processing, and ana20 lyzing data collected and experience gained by 

21 recipients of grants under the Program; and 

22 (B) begin reporting the information de23 scribed in subparagraph (A) to the remaining 

24 Secretaries listed in this paragraph. 


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1 (2) SCOPE OF INFORMATION COLLECTED.— 

2 With respect to the information collected and ana3 lyzed under subparagraph (A)— 

4 (A) the Secretary of Transportation shall 

5 collect, analyze, and report information on pub6 lic health risk mitigation measures in passenger 

7 aircraft; 

8 (B) the Secretary of Homeland Security 

9 shall collect, analyze, and report information on 

10 public health risk mitigation measures in air11 ports; and 

12 (C) the Secretary of Health and Human 

13 Services shall collect, analyze, and report infor14 mation on public health risk mitigation meas15 ures in airports and on passenger aircraft. 

16 (j) IMPLEMENTATION.—The Secretary of Transpor17 tation shall, jointly with the Secretary of Health and 

18 Human Services and the Secretary of Homeland Security, 

19 use the data collected and experience gained under sub20 section (i) to— 

21 (1) identify technical, regulatory, or policy chal22 lenges to the integration of public health risk mitiga23 tion measures related to the public health risks cre24 ated by COVID–19 in airports and on passenger air25 craft; and 


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1 (2) inform ongoing initiatives by the Federal 

2 Aviation Administration, the Transportation Secu3 rity Administration, and the Centers for Disease 

4 Control to develop operational standards and proce5 dures to mitigate public health risks presented by 

6 COVID–19 in airports and passenger aircraft. 

7 (k) BRIEFING.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

8 of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter through 

9 fiscal year 2023, the Secretary of Transportation, jointly 

10 with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the 

11 Secretary of Homeland Security, shall brief Congress on 

12 the recipients of funding and activities carried out under 

13 the Program. 

14 (l) FUNDING.— 

15 (1) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

16 There are authorized to be appropriated 

17 $77,000,000 to carry out this section, to remain 

18 available through fiscal year 2023. 

19 (2) USE OF FUNDS.—Of the amounts made 

20 available under paragraph (1)— 

21 (A) not more than $7,000,000 may be 

22 used jointly by the Secretary of Transportation, 

23 Secretary of Health and Human Services, and 

24 the Secretary of Homeland Security for the ad25 ministration of the Program; and 


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1 (B) not less than $70,000,000 shall be 

2 awarded through the issuance of grants. 

3 (3) GRANT AMOUNTS.—The amount of a grant 

4 awarded under this section shall be not less than 

5 $50,000 and not more than $5,000,000. 

6 (m) SUNSET.—The authority to provide grants under 

7 this section shall terminate on the last day of fiscal year 

8 2023. 

9 (n) SMART AIRPORT TECHNOLOGIES DEFINED.—In 

10 this section, ‘‘smart airport technologies’’ means the tech11 nologies described in section 145 of the FAA Reauthoriza12 tion Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–254). 

Æ 


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