I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 4020 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the deployment of law 

enforcement personnel at airport screening locations at very large airports, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 25, 2019 

Mr. ENGEL (for himself, Ms. MENG, Mr. ZELDIN, Mr. SWALWELL of California, Mr. PASCRELL, Mr. QUIGLEY, and Miss RICE of New York) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the deployment of law enforcement personnel at airport screening 

locations at very large airports, 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 ‘‘Checkpoint Safety Act 

5 of 2019’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. DEPLOYMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL 

2 AT AIRPORT SCREENING LOCATIONS AT 

3 VERY LARGE AIRPORTS. 

4 Section 44901(h)(2) of title 49, United States Code, 

5 is amended to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘(2) MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS.— 

7 ‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—Except at airports re8 quired to enter into agreements under sub9 section (c), the Administrator shall order the 

10 deployment of at least one law enforcement offi11 cer authorized to carry firearms within 300 feet 

12 of each airport security screening location and 

13 within the terminal during operating hours at 

14 each airport at which the number of annual 

15 enplanements for the most recent calendar year 

16 for which data are available is 8 million or more 

17 or the number of international enplanements is 

18 1 million or more. The Administrator shall 

19 order the deployment of additional law enforce20 ment officers authorized to carry firearms at 

21 such airports if the Administrator determines 

22 that such additional deployment is necessary to 

23 ensure airport security. 

24 ‘‘(B) WAIVER.—The Administrator may 

25 waive the application of all or part of the re26 quirements of subparagraph (A) only if the relVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:34 Aug 13, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H4020.IH H4020

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1 evant law enforcement agency with jurisdiction 

2 over an airport described in such subparagraph 

3 certifies in a written application to the Adminis4 trator that adherence to all or part of such re5 quirements would— 

6 ‘‘(i) make provision of adequate secu7 rity for such airport impossible; and 

8 ‘‘(ii) cause extreme hardship to such 

9 law enforcement agency that would se10 verely impair its ability to perform its du11 ties.’’. 

12 SEC. 3. LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE IN FEDERAL AIR13 PORT SECURITY. 

14 Section 44903 of title 49, United States Code, is 

15 amended— 

16 (1) in subsection (b), in the matter preceding 

17 paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘passengers’’ and insert18 ing ‘‘persons’’; and 

19 (2) in subsection (c)(1)— 

20 (A) in the first sentence, as amended by 

21 paragraph (2)— 

22 (i) by striking ‘‘The Administrator’’ 

23 and inserting ‘‘(A) The Administrator’’; 

24 and 


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1 (ii) by striking ‘‘passengers’’ and in2 serting ‘‘all persons and property’’; and 

3 (B) by adding at the end the following new 

4 subparagraph: 

5 ‘‘(B) Any air transportation security program estab6 lished pursuant to subparagraph (A) shall be adequate to 

7 ensure— 

8 ‘‘(i) close cooperation between all relevant par9 ties in ensuring airport security; 

10 ‘‘(ii) high training standards for all security 

11 and law enforcement personnel; 

12 ‘‘(iii) prompt notification of and law enforce13 ment response to any security incidents which may 

14 arise at the airport, including detention of persons 

15 who may attempt to evade transportation security 

16 screening; and 

17 ‘‘(iv) multiple means for Transportation Secu18 rity Officers or members of the public to request 

19 prompt law enforcement assistance in the airport.’’. 

20 SEC. 4. STATIONING OF DEPUTIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT 

21 OFFICERS. 

22 Section 44922 of title 49, United States Code, is 

23 amended by striking subsection (f). 

Æ 


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