II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 343 

To require the Transportation Security Administration to conduct a feasibility 

study on the use of canine units for COVID–19 detection at airports. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 22, 2021 

Mr. SCOTT of Florida (for himself and Ms. SINEMA) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To require the Transportation Security Administration to 

conduct a feasibility study on the use of canine units 

for COVID–19 detection at airports. 

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 ‘‘Fly Safe Canine 

5 COVID Detection Act of 2021’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FEASIBILITY STUDY ON USE OF CANINE UNITS TO 

7 DETECT COVID–19 AT AIRPORTS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Trans9 portation Security Administration (in this section referred 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 343 IS

1 to as the ‘‘Administrator’’), in consultation with the Sec2 retary of Transportation, the Secretary of Homeland Se3 curity, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, and 

4 the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Pre5 vention, shall conduct a study to assess— 

6 (1) the feasibility of using canines to detect the 

7 presence of SARS–CoV–2, the virus that causes the 

8 coronavirus disease 2019 (commonly known as 

9 ‘‘COVID–19’’), in individuals infected with the 

10 virus; 

11 (2) if using canines to detect the presence of 

12 SARS–CoV–2 is feasible, whether canine units could 

13 be used at airports to screen passengers, individuals 

14 accompanying passengers, crew members, and other 

15 individuals who pass through airports and airport 

16 security screening locations for SARS–CoV–2 infec17 tion; and 

18 (3) if using canine units to conduct screening 

19 described in paragraph (2) is feasible, how such 

20 screening would be implemented and what metrics 

21 would be used to monitor the efficacy of the screen22 ing. 

23 (b) ASSESSMENT OF EFFICACY.— 

24 (1) IN GENERAL.—In conducting the study re25 quired by subsection (a), the Administrator shall 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 343 IS

1 conduct a comprehensive review and analysis of 

2 SARS–CoV–2 detection solutions to determine the 

3 efficacy of canines to detect SARS–CoV–2 in indi4 viduals. 

5 (2) USE OF REVIEW.—The Administrator shall 

6 use the results of the review and analysis required 

7 by paragraph (1) to determine the biological detec8 tion capabilities of canines and to inform the oper9 ational factors and considerations necessary for the 

10 deployment of canine units at airports to detect 

11 SARS–CoV–2. 

12 (c) ADDITIONAL ELEMENTS.—In conducting the as13 sessments required by subsections (a) and (b), the Admin14 istrator shall assess the following: 

15 (1) The probability of canines responding to the 

16 presence of SARS–CoV–2. 

17 (2) The specificity of response by canines to 

18 SARS–CoV–2 compared to their response to a pool 

19 of similar viruses and controls. 

20 (3) How close canine units must be to individ21 uals to detect SARS–CoV–2 at a high sensitivity 

22 and specificity. 

23 (4) The effectiveness of canine units in detect24 ing SARS–CoV–2 in symptomatic carriers compared 

25 to asymptomatic carriers. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 343 IS

1 (5) Other valid measures to determine the effi2 cacy of using canine units to screen for SARS–CoV– 

3 2 at airports, such as the accuracy of detection and 

4 the risks of false positives and false negatives. 

5 (6) Identification of training and policy gaps 

6 that are critical to be addressed before implementing 

7 a program to use canine units at airports to screen 

8 passengers, individuals accompanying passengers, 

9 crew members, and other individuals who pass 

10 through airports and airport security screening loca11 tions, for infection with SARS–CoV–2. 

12 (d) CONSIDERATIONS.—In conducting the study re13 quired by subsection (a), the Administrator shall consider 

14 the following: 

15 (1) Opportunities to leverage established, pre16 existing scientific information regarding detection of 

17 SARS–CoV–2 by canines. 

18 (2) Established programs in foreign countries 

19 related to detection of SARS–CoV–2 by canine 

20 units. 

21 (3) Detection approaches and solutions related 

22 to the optimization of detection of SARS–CoV–2 by 

23 canines. 

24 (4) Private industry approaches aimed to facili25 tate detection of SARS–CoV–2 using canine units. 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 343 IS

1 (e) THIRD-PARTY VALIDATION AND

2 VERIFICATION.—The Administrator shall ensure that any 

3 screening solutions developed pursuant to the study re4 quired by subsection (a) undergo validation and verifica5 tion analysis by a third party with appropriate expertise 

6 to ensure accuracy of data obtained from the study. 

7 (f) REPORT REQUIRED.—Not later than 120 days 

8 after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Adminis9 trator shall submit to Congress a report— 

10 (1) setting forth the results of the study re11 quired by subsection (a), including the assessments 

12 required by subsections (b) and (c); and 

13 (2) making a recommendation with respect to 

14 whether to proceed with implementing a program to 

15 use canine units at airports to screen passengers, in16 dividuals accompanying passengers, crew members, 

17 and other individuals who pass through airports and 

18 airport security screening locations, for infection 

19 with SARS–CoV–2. 

Æ 


pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with BILLS