I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3397 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to enhance security at general 
aviation airports in the United States. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 21, 2005 
Mr. SWEENEY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Homeland Security 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to enhance security 
at general aviation airports in the United States. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘General Aviation Secu-
rity Act of 2005’’. 
SEC. 2. GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT SECURITY. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 449 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following:
‘‘§ 44926. General aviation airport security 
‘‘(a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section, the following 
definitions apply: 
‘‘(1) GENERAL AVIATION AIRPORT.—The term 
‘general aviation airport’ means an airport that 
serves the operation of civilian aircraft for purposes 
other than commercial passenger transport, includ-
ing personal, business, and instructional flying, and 
that the Secretary of Homeland Security determines, 
by regulation, is subject to the requirements of this 
section. 
‘‘(2) PRIVATE-USE
AIRPORT.—The term ‘pri-
vate-use airport’ means a general aviation airport 
used exclusively by the owner of the airport and per-
sons authorized by the owner. 
‘‘(3) PUBLIC-USE AIRPORT.—The term ‘public- 
use airport’ means a general aviation airport avail-
able for use by the general public without a require-
ment for the prior approval of the owner or operator 
of the airport except as may be required by Federal 
law or regulation. 
‘‘(b) REGISTRATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—In order to enhance the se-
curity at the general aviation airports of the United 
States, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall re-
quire a person desiring to operate a private-use or
public-use airport to register with the Secretary 
within one year of the date of enactment of this sec-
tion. 
‘‘(2) INITIAL REGISTRATION.— 
‘‘(A) PERIOD
OF
EFFECTIVENESS.—The 
registration of a private-use or public-use air-
port under this subsection shall be effective for 
a period of 3 years. 
‘‘(B) FORMS.—The registration shall be 
submitted on forms provided by the Secretary. 
Such forms shall contain the following informa-
tion: 
‘‘(i) The physical and mailing address-
es of the airport. 
‘‘(ii) The telephone number, facsimile 
number, and e-mail address of the airport. 
‘‘(iii) The name or names and tele-
phone number or numbers of one or more 
24-hour security contact persons, as des-
ignated by the airport. 
‘‘(iv) A map showing the location and 
general boundaries of the airport. 
‘‘(v) Such other information as the 
Secretary may reasonably prescribe.
‘‘(3) SECURITY
PLAN.—The registration also 
shall be accompanied by the written security plan re-
quired under subsection (c). 
‘‘(4) RENEWAL OF REGISTRATION.— 
‘‘(A) PERIOD FOR RENEWALS.—A private- 
use or public-use airport shall renew its reg-
istration with the Secretary every 3 years. 
‘‘(B) FORMS.—Requests for renewal shall 
be made on forms supplied by the Secretary 
and shall not be accepted unless accompanied 
with an updated written security plan as pro-
vided in subsection (c). 
‘‘(5) FEE.—The Secretary may impose fees to 
cover the costs of incurred by the Secretary in car-
rying out registrations and renewals under this sub-
section, and shall ensure that any such fee is reason-
ably related, as determined by the Secretary, to such 
costs. 
‘‘(c) WRITTEN SECURITY PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) SUBMISSION
TO
SECRETARY.—The Sec-
retary shall require each private-use and public-use 
airport to document its security procedures in a 
written security plan that is consistent with the most 
recent security guidelines for general aviation air-
ports published by the Transportation Security Ad-
ministration. 
‘‘(2) UPDATES.—The Secretary shall require an 
airport that submits a plan under paragraph (1) to 
submit to the Secretary an updated version of the 
plan every 3 years with the airport’s renewal appli-
cation for registration under subsection (b). 
‘‘(3) SECURITY ENHANCEMENT RECOMMENDA-
TIONS.— 
‘‘(A) CONSIDERATION
IN
DEVELOPING 
WRITTEN PLANS.—In developing a written secu-
rity plan, an airport shall consider the applica-
ble security enhancement recommendations con-
tained in the most recent security guidelines for 
general aviation airports published by the 
Transportation Security Administration. 
‘‘(B) 
DESCRIPTIONS
AND
JUSTIFICA-
TIONS.—A written security plan shall include a 
description of how the airport has addressed 
each applicable recommendation of such guide-
lines and a justification for not adopting any 
applicable recommendation suggested by such 
guidelines for the airport’s security characteris-
tics.