Security Screening During COVID-19 Act

To require the Transportation Security Administration to issue a plan to improve security screening procedures at airports during the COVID–19 national emergency, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Security Screening During COVID–19 Act 2. Plan (a) In general Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in coordination with the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Homeland Security, and in consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services and the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, shall issue and commence implementing a plan to enhance, as appropriate, security operations at airports during the COVID–19 national emergency in order to reduce risk of the spread of the coronavirus at passenger screening checkpoints and among the TSA workforce. (b) Contents The plan required under subsection (a) shall include the following: (1) An identification of best practices developed in response to the coronavirus among foreign governments, airports, and air carriers conducting aviation security screening operations, as well as among Federal agencies conducting similar security screening operations outside of airports, including in locations where the spread of the coronavirus has been successfully contained, that could be further integrated into the United States aviation security system. (2) Specific operational changes to aviation security screening operations informed by the identification of best practices under paragraph (1) that could be implemented without degrading aviation security and a corresponding timeline and costs for implementing such changes. (c) Considerations In carrying out the identification of best practices under subsection (b), the Administrator shall take into consideration the following: (1) Aviation security screening procedures and practices in place at security screening locations, including procedures and practices implemented in response to the coronavirus. (2) Volume and average wait times at each such security screening location. (3) Public health measures already in place at each such security screening location. (4) The feasibility and effectiveness of implementing similar procedures and practices in locations where such are not already in place. (5) The feasibility and potential benefits to security, public health, and travel facilitation of continuing any procedures and practices implemented in response to the COVID–19 national emergency beyond the end of such emergency. (d) Consultation In developing the plan required under subsection (a), the Administrator may consult with public and private stakeholders and the TSA workforce, including through the labor organization certified as the exclusive representative of full- and part-time non-supervisory TSA personnel carrying out screening functions under section 44901 of title 49, U.S. Code. (e) Submission Upon issuance of the plan required under subsection (a), the Administrator shall submit the plan to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. (f) Issuance and implementation The Administrator shall not be required to issue or implement, as the case may be, the plan required under subsection (a) upon the termination of the COVID–19 national emergency except to the extent the Administrator determines such issuance or implementation, as the case may be, to be feasible and beneficial to security screening operations. (g) GAO review Not later than one year after the issuance of the plan required under subsection (a) (if such plan is issued in accordance with subsection (f)), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a review, if appropriate, of such plan and any efforts to implement such plan. (h) Definitions In this section: (1) Administrator The term Administrator (2) Coronavirus The term coronavirus Public Law 116–123 (3) COVID–19 national emergency The term COVID–19 national emergency 50 U.S.C. 1601 (4) Public and private stakeholders The term public and private stakeholders (5) TSA The term TSA April 30, 2021 Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed

Summary: Security Screening During COVID-19 Act This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to implement a plan to enhance security operations at airports during the COVID-19 national emergency in order to reduce risk of the spread of the coronavirus at passenger screening checkpoints and among the TSA workforce. The TSA may consult with stakeholders and their workforce when developing the plan. Additionally, the TSA is not required to issue or implement the plan upon the termination of the COVID-19 national emergency. The Government Accountability Office must issue a report on the implementation of the plan within one year after it is issued.