SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Airport Access Control 
Security Improvement Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. AVIATION SECURITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subtitle A of title XVI of the 
Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 1602. RISK-BASED SCREENING OF EMPLOYEES AT 
AIRPORTS. 
‘‘(a) SCREENING MODEL.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Administrator shall establish a risk-based, intel-
ligence-driven model for the screening of employees 
at airports based on level of access and employment 
positions at domestic airports. Such screening model 
shall— 
‘‘(A) ensure that only those individuals au-
thorized to have access to the secure areas of 
a domestic airport are permitted such access; 
‘‘(B) ensure that an individual is imme-
diately denied entry to a secure area when such 
individual’s access authorization for such secure 
area is withdrawn; and 
‘‘(C) provide a means to differentiate be-
tween individuals authorized to have access to
an entire secure area and individuals authorized 
access to only a particular portion of a secure 
area. 
‘‘(2) FACTORS.—The Administrator shall con-
sider the following factors when establishing the 
screening model described in paragraph (1): 
‘‘(A) Whether and how often employees at 
airports require employment-related access to 
Secure Identification Display Areas, Airport 
Operations Areas, or secure areas. 
‘‘(B) The ability of each airport operator 
to reduce employee entry and exit points to a 
mutually agreed-upon minimum number of such 
entry and exit points necessary to maintain air-
port operations. 
‘‘(C) In consultation with airport opera-
tors, the ability of the Administration to create 
a randomization plan for screening at the de-
fined operational minimum entry and exit 
points at airports which maximizes the deter-
rent effect of screening efforts. 
‘‘(b) DISQUALIFYING OFFENSES.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Administrator, in consultation with the Director of
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, labor organiza-
tions representing aviation, ground, and cabin crew 
workers, and the Aviation Security Advisory Com-
mittee, shall conduct an aviation security risk-based 
review of the disqualifying criminal offenses codified 
in sections 1542.209 and 1544.229 of title 49, Code 
of Federal Regulations, to determine the appro-
priateness of such offenses as a basis for denying to 
an employee a credential that allows unescorted ac-
cess to Secure Identification Display Areas of air-
ports. Such review shall consider the following: 
‘‘(A) The adequacy of codified disquali-
fying offenses to address the current aviation 
security threat environment, particularly the 
terrorism insider threat. 
‘‘(B) If such codified disqualifying offenses 
should be tailored to address the current avia-
tion security threat environment, particularly 
the terrorism insider threat, by excluding or in-
cluding other offenses. 
‘‘(C) The potential security benefits, draw-
backs, and challenges associated with identi-
fying patterns of misdemeanors or of other non- 
disqualifying offenses that could jeopardize 
aviation security.
‘‘(D) The feasibility of integrating similar 
departmental eligibility requirements for access 
to Secure Identification Display Areas of air-
ports. 
‘‘(E) If the 10-year look-back period for 
disqualifying offenses is appropriate, in light of 
the current aviation security threat environ-
ment, particularly the terrorism insider threat. 
‘‘(2) WAIVER.—Not later than 180 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Admin-
istrator shall provide an adequate redress process for 
an employee who is subject to an adverse employ-
ment decision, including removal or suspension of 
such employee, due to a disqualifying offense re-
ferred to in paragraph (1), that is consistent with 
the appeals and waiver process established for appli-
cants for commercial motor vehicle hazardous mate-
rials endorsements and transportation workers at 
ports under section 70105(c) of title 46, United 
States Code. 
‘‘(3) NOTICE.—Any changes to the Secure 
Identification Display area badge program, such as 
changes considered pursuant to subparagraphs (B), 
(C), (D), and (E) of paragraph (1) shall be subject 
to notice of proposed rulemaking.
‘‘(4) BRIEFING TO CONGRESS.—Upon comple-
tion of the aviation security risk-based review re-
quired under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall 
brief the Committee on Homeland Security of the 
House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and 
the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate on the results of such re-
view. 
‘‘(c) CREDENTIALING.—Not later than 120 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the Admin-
istrator, in consultation with the Aviation Security Advi-
sory Committee, shall review the auditing procedures for 
all airport-issued identification media. Such review shall 
determine the following: 
‘‘(1) The efficacy of the auditing program re-
quirements at domestic airports to ensure the integ-
rity, accountability, and control of airport-issued 
identification media. 
‘‘(2) The feasibility of including biometrics 
standards for all airport-issued identification media 
used for identity verification and badge verification. 
‘‘(3) The feasibility of integrating other depart-
mental programs’ eligibility requirements for access 
to secure areas of airports.
‘‘(d) VETTING.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 
after the date of the enactment of this section, the 
Administrator shall— 
‘‘(A) establish a program to allow airport 
badging offices to utilize the employment eligi-
bility confirmation system established under 
section 404 of the Illegal Immigration Reform 
and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 
U.S.C. 1324a note; commonly referred to as ‘E- 
Verify’) to determine the eligibility to work in 
the United States of all applicants seeking ac-
cess to secure areas of airports; 
‘‘(B) establish a process to transmit appli-
cants’ biometric fingerprint data to the Office 
of Biometric Identity Management’s (OBIM’s) 
Automated Biometrics Identification System 
(IDENT) for vetting; and 
‘‘(C) conduct a data quality assessment to 
ensure that credential application data elements 
received by the Administration are complete 
and match the data submitted by the airport 
operators. 
‘‘(2) BRIEFING TO CONGRESS.—Upon comple-
tion of the responsibilities specified in paragraph