Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2014

To improve intergovernmental planning for and communication during security incidents at domestic airports, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2014 2. Definitions In this Act: (1) Assistant Secretary The term Assistant Secretary (2) Administration The term Administration 3. Security incident response at airports (a) In general The Assistant Secretary shall, in consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, conduct outreach to all airports in the United States at which the Administration performs, or oversees the implementation and performance of, security measures, and provide technical assistance as necessary, to verify such airports have in place individualized working plans for responding to security incidents inside the perimeter of the airport, including active shooters, acts of terrorism, and incidents that target passenger-screening checkpoints. (b) Types of plans Such plans may include, but may not be limited to, the following: (1) A strategy for evacuating and providing care to persons inside the perimeter of the airport, with consideration given to the needs of persons with disabilities. (2) A plan for establishing a unified command, including identification of staging areas for non-airport-specific law enforcement and fire response. (3) A schedule for regular testing of communications equipment used to receive emergency calls. (4) An evaluation of how emergency calls placed by persons inside the perimeter of the airport will reach airport police in an expeditious manner. (5) A practiced method and plan to communicate with travelers and all other persons inside the perimeter of the airport. (6) To the extent practicable, a projected maximum timeframe for law enforcement response. (7) A schedule of joint exercises and training to be conducted by the airport, the Administration, other stakeholders such as airport and airline tenants, and any relevant law enforcement, airport police, fire, and medical personnel. (8) A schedule for producing after-action joint exercise reports to identify and determine how to improve security incident response capabilities. (c) Report to congress Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall report to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the findings from its outreach to airports under subsection (a), including an analysis of the level of preparedness such airports have to respond to security incidents, including active shooters, acts of terrorism, and incidents that target passenger-screening checkpoints. 4. Disseminating information on best practices The Assistant Secretary shall— (1) identify best practices that exist across airports for security incident planning, management, and training; and (2) establish a mechanism through which to share such best practices with other airport operators nationwide. 5. Certification Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Assistant Secretary shall certify in writing to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate that all screening personnel have participated in practical training exercises for active shooter scenarios. 6. Reimbursable agreements Not later than 90 days after the enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall provide to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an analysis of how the Administration can use cost savings achieved through efficiencies to increase over the next 5 fiscal years the funding available for checkpoint screening law enforcement support reimbursable agreements. 7. No additional authorization of appropriations No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act, and this Act shall be carried out using amounts otherwise available for such purpose. 8. Interoperability review (a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the Assistant Secretary shall, in consultation with the Assistant Secretary of the Office of Cybersecurity and Communications, conduct a review of the interoperable communications capabilities of the law enforcement, fire, and medical personnel responsible for responding to a security incident, including active shooter events, acts of terrorism, and incidents that target passenger-screening checkpoints, at all airports in the United States at which the Administration performs, or oversees the implementation and performance of, security measures. (b) Report Not later than 30 days after the completion of the review, the Assistant Secretary shall report the findings of the review to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. July 3, 2014 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: (This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on July 3, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2014 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) conduct outreach to all U.S. airports at which the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) performs, or oversees the implementation and performance of, security measures; and (2) give necessary technical assistance to verify that such airports have in place individualized working plans for responding to security incidents inside the airport perimeter, including active shooters, acts of terrorism, and incidents that target passenger-screening checkpoints. Requires the Assistant Secretary to report to Congress on the outreach findings, including an analysis of the level of preparedness such airports have to respond to such incidents. (Sec. 4) Requires the Assistant Secretary to: (1) identify best practices that exist across airports for security incident planning, management, and training; and (2) establish a mechanism through which to share those best practices with other airport operators nationwide. (Sec. 5) Requires the Assistant Secretary also to: (1) certify annually to specified congressional committees that all screening personnel have participated in practical training exercises for active shooter scenarios, and (2) analyze for those same committees how TSA can use cost savings achieved through efficiencies to increase over the next five fiscal years the funding available for checkpoint screening law enforcement support reimbursable agreements. (Sec. 7) Declares that no additional appropriations are authorized to carry out this Act. Requires this Act to be carried out using amounts otherwise available. (Sec. 8) Requires the Assistant Secretary to review the interoperable communications capabilities of law enforcement, fire, and medical personnel responsible for responding to security incidents at all U.S. airports at which the TSA performs, or oversees the implementation and performance of, security measures.