I 

110TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1690 

To improve airport screening and security. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 26, 2007 

Mrs. LOWEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To improve airport screening and security. 

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 ‘‘Guaranteeing Airport 

5 Physical Screening Standards Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. ENHANCED PERIMETER SECURITY AND ACCESS 

7 CONTROL THROUGH COMPREHENSIVE 

8 SCREENING OF AIRPORT WORKERS. 

9 (a) PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than 120 days after 

10 the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary 

11 of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Adminis12 tration) shall implement a pilot program at 5 commercial 


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1 service airports to physically screen all airport workers 

2 with access to secure and sterile areas of the airport. 

3 (b) PARTICIPATING AIRPORTS.—At least 2 of the air4 ports participating in the pilot program shall be large hub 

5 airports (as defined in section 40102 of title 49, United 

6 States Code). Each of the remaining airports participating 

7 in the pilot program shall represent a different airport se8 curity risk category (as defined by the Assistant Sec9 retary). 

10 (c) SCREENING STANDARDS.—Screening for airport 

11 workers under the pilot program shall be conducted under 

12 the same standards as apply to individuals at airport secu13 rity screening checkpoints, and shall be carried out by con14 tract screeners at a minimum of 2 airports. 

15 (d) DURATION.—The pilot program shall be carried 

16 out for a period of not less than 180 days. 

17 (e) REPORT.— 

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

19 the last day of the pilot program, the Assistant Sec20 retary shall submit to the Committee on Homeland 

21 Security of the House of Representatives and the 

22 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor23 tation of the Senate a report on the results of the 

24 pilot program. 


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1 (2) CONTENTS.—The report shall contain, at a 

2 minimum, the following: 

3 (A) An assessment of the impact of phys4 ically screening all airport workers with access 

5 to secure and sterile airport areas on screening 

6 and logistical resources. 

7 (B) An assessment of the security improve8 ments that are achieved from comprehensively 

9 screening such workers. 

10 (C) An assessment of the costs of com11 prehensively screening such workers. 

12 (f) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

13 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

14 necessary to carry out this section. 

15 SEC. 3. SECURED AREAS OF AIRPORTS. 

16 (a) IMPLEMENTATION OF IMPROVED AIRPORT PE17 RIMETER ACCESS SECURITY.—Not later than 1 year after 

18 the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Sec19 retary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Ad20 ministration) shall issue regulations, directives, or other 

21 appropriate measures to implement the requirements of 

22 section 44903(h)(4) of title 49, United States Code. 

23 (b) AIRPORT SECURITY PLANS.—The Assistant Sec24 retary shall set a schedule for requiring airports to update 

25 their airport security plans to comply with the requireVerDate Aug 31 2005 00:27 Mar 29, 2007 Jkt 059200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1690.IH H1690

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1 ments of section 44903(h)(4) not later than 3 years after 

2 the issuance of the regulations, directives, or other meas3 ures required under subsection (a). 

4 SEC. 4. HIRING OF SCREENERS. 

5 (a) NUMBER OF SCREENERS.—Notwithstanding any 

6 other provision of law, the Secretary of Homeland Security 

7 may hire the number of passenger and baggage screeners 

8 that the Secretary determines necessary to ensure aviation 

9 security. 

10 (b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

11 are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be 

12 necessary to carry out this section. 

Æ 


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