I 

114TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 4698 

To enhance aviation by requiring airport security assessments and a security 

coordination enhancement plan, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 3, 2016 

Mr. KATKO (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. KEATING, Mr. DONOVAN, and Mr. 

KING of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to 

the Committee on Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To enhance aviation by requiring airport security assessments and a security coordination enhancement plan, 

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 ‘‘Securing Aviation from 

5 Foreign Entry Points and Guarding Airports Through 

6 Enhanced Security Act of 2016’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. LAST POINT OF DEPARTURE AIRPORT SECURITY 

2 ASSESSMENT. 

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

4 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 

5 the Transportation Security Administration shall conduct 

6 a comprehensive security risk assessment of all last point 

7 of departure airports with nonstop flights to the United 

8 States. 

9 (b) CONTENTS.—The security risk assessment re10 quired under subsection (a) shall include consideration of 

11 the following: 

12 (1) The level of coordination and cooperation 

13 between the Transportation Security Administration 

14 and the foreign government of the country in which 

15 the last point of departure airport with nonstop 

16 flights to the United States is located. 

17 (2) The intelligence and threat mitigation capa18 bilities of the country in which such airport is lo19 cated. 

20 (3) The number of known or suspected terror21 ists annually transiting through such airport. 

22 (4) The passenger security screening practices, 

23 capabilities, and capacity of such airport. 

24 (5) The security vetting undergone by aviation 

25 workers at such airport. 


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1 (6) The access controls utilized by such airport 

2 to limit to authorized personnel access to secure and 

3 sterile areas of such airports. 

4 SEC. 3. SECURITY COORDINATION ENHANCEMENT PLAN. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 240 days after the 

6 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of 

7 the Transportation Security Administration shall submit 

8 to Congress and the Government Accountability Office a 

9 plan— 

10 (1) to enhance and bolster security collabora11 tion, coordination, and information sharing relating 

12 to securing international-inbound aviation between 

13 the United States and domestic and foreign part14 ners, including U.S. Customs and Border Protection, 

15 foreign government entities, passenger air carriers, 

16 cargo air carriers, and United States Government 

17 entities, in order to enhance security capabilities at 

18 foreign airports, including airports that may not 

19 have nonstop flights to the United States but are 

20 nonetheless determined by the Administrator to be 

21 high risk; and 

22 (2) that includes an assessment of the ability of 

23 the Administration to enter into a mutual agreement 

24 with a foreign government entity that permits AdVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:14 Mar 04, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4698.IH H4698

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1 ministration representatives to conduct without prior 

2 notice inspections of foreign airports. 

3 (b) GAO REVIEW.—Not later than 180 days after the 

4 submission of the plan required under subsection (a), the 

5 Comptroller General of the United States shall review the 

6 efforts, capabilities, and effectiveness of the Transpor7 tation Security Administration to enhance security capa8 bilities at foreign airports and secure international-in9 bound aviation. 

10 SEC. 4. WORKFORCE ASSESSMENT. 

11 Not later than 270 days after the date of the enact12 ment of this Act, the Administrator of the Transportation 

13 Security Administration shall submit to Congress a com14 prehensive workforce assessment of all Administration 

15 personnel within the Office of Global Strategies of the Ad16 ministration or whose primary professional duties con17 tribute to the Administration’s global efforts to secure 

18 transportation security, including a review of whether such 

19 personnel are assigned in a risk-based, intelligence-driven 

20 manner. 

21 SEC. 5. DONATION OF SCREENING EQUIPMENT TO PRO22 TECT THE UNITED STATES. 

23 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Trans24 portation Security Administration is authorized to donate 

25 security screening equipment to a foreign last point of deVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:14 Mar 04, 2016 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4698.IH H4698

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1 parture airport operator if such equipment can be reason2 ably expected to mitigate a specific vulnerability to the se3 curity of the United States or United States citizens. 

4 (b) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days before any do5 nation of security screening equipment pursuant to sub6 section (a), the Administrator of the Transportation Secu7 rity Administration shall provide to the Committee on 

8 Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and 

9 the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental 

10 Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

11 Transportation of the Senate a detailed written expla12 nation of the following: 

13 (1) The specific vulnerability to the United 

14 States or United States citizens that will be miti15 gated by such donation. 

16 (2) An explanation as to why the recipient of 

17 such donation is unable or unwilling to purchase se18 curity screening equipment to mitigate such vulner19 ability. 

20 (3) An evacuation plan for sensitive tech21 nologies in case of emergency or instability in the 

22 country to which such donation is being made. 

23 (4) How the Administrator will ensure the secu24 rity screening equipment that is being donated is 


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1 used and maintained over the course of its life by 

2 the recipient. 

3 (5) The total dollar value of such donation. 

4 SEC. 6. NATIONAL CARGO SECURITY PROGRAM. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Trans6 portation Security Administration may evaluate foreign 

7 countries’ air cargo security programs to determine wheth8 er such programs provide a level of security commensurate 

9 with the level of security required by United States air 

10 cargo security programs. 

11 (b) APPROVAL AND RECOGNITION.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—If the Administrator of the 

13 Transportation Security Administration determines 

14 that a foreign country’s air cargo security program 

15 evaluated under subsection (a) provides a level of se16 curity commensurate with the level of security re17 quired by United States air cargo security programs, 

18 the Administrator shall approve and officially recog19 nize such foreign country’s air cargo security pro20 gram. 

21 (2) EFFECT OF APPROVAL AND RECOGNI22 TION.—If the Administrator of the Transportation 

23 Security Administration approves and officially rec24 ognizes pursuant to paragraph (1) a foreign coun25 try’s air cargo security program, cargo aircraft of 


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1 such foreign country shall not be required to adhere 

2 to United States air cargo security programs that 

3 would otherwise be applicable. 

4 (c) REVOCATION AND SUSPENSION.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—If the Administrator of the 

6 Transportation Security Administration determines 

7 at any time that a foreign country’s air cargo secu8 rity program approved and officially recognized 

9 under subsection (b) no longer provides a level of se10 curity commensurate with the level of security re11 quired by United States air cargo security programs, 

12 the Administrator may revoke or temporarily sus13 pend such approval and official recognition until 

14 such time as the Administrator determines that such 

15 foreign country’s cargo security programs provide a 

16 level of security commensurate with the level of secu17 rity required by such United States air cargo secu18 rity programs. 

19 (2) NOTIFICATION.—If the Administrator of 

20 the Transportation Security Administration revokes 

21 or suspends pursuant to paragraph (1) a foreign 

22 country’s air cargo security program, the Adminis23 trator shall notify the Committee on Homeland Se24 curity of the House of Representatives and the Com25 mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 


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1 the Senate not later than 30 days after such revoca2 tion or suspension. 

Æ 


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