SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Air Cargo Security 
Improvement Act of 2018’’. 
SEC. 2. ESTABLISHMENT OF AIR CARGO SECURITY DIVI-
SION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 449 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 44947. Air cargo security division 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 90 days after 
the date of the enactment of this section, the Adminis-
trator of the Transportation Security Administration shall 
establish an air cargo security division to carry out all pol-
icy and engagement with air cargo security stakeholders. 
‘‘(b) LEADERSHIP; STAFFING.—The air cargo secu-
rity division established pursuant to subsection (a) shall 
be headed by an individual in the executive service within 
the Transportation Security Administration and be staffed 
by not fewer than four full-time equivalents, including the 
head of the division. 
‘‘(c) STAFFING.—The Administrator of the Trans-
portation Security Administration shall staff the air cargo 
security division with existing Transportation Security Ad-
ministration personnel.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 449 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by inserting after the item related to 
section 44946 the following new item: 
‘‘44947. Air cargo security division.’’. 
SEC. 3. FEASIBILITY STUDY AND PILOT PROGRAM FOR 
EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES. 
(a) STUDY.—Not later than 120 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Transportation Security Administration, in coordination 
with the Under Secretary for Science and Technology of 
the Department of Homeland Security, shall submit to 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate a feasibility study re-
garding expanding the use of computed tomography tech-
nology for the screening of air cargo transported on pas-
senger aircraft operated by an air carrier or foreign air 
carrier in air transportation, interstate air transportation, 
or interstate air commerce. Such study shall consider the 
following: 
(1) Opportunities to leverage computed tomog-
raphy systems used for screening passengers and 
baggage. 
(2) Costs and benefits of using computed to-
mography technology for screening air cargo. 
(3) An analysis of emerging computed tomog-
raphy systems that may have potential to enhance
the screening of air cargo, including systems that 
may address aperture challenges associated with 
screening certain categories of air cargo. 
(4) An analysis of emerging screening tech-
nologies, in addition to computed tomography, that 
may be used to enhance the screening of air cargo. 
(b) PILOT PROGRAM.—Not later than 120 days after 
submission of the feasibility study required under sub-
section (a), the Administrator of the Transportation Secu-
rity Administration shall initiate a 2-year pilot program 
to achieve enhanced air cargo security screening outcomes 
through the use of new or emerging screening tech-
nologies, such as computed tomography technology, as 
identified through such study. 
(c) UPDATES.—Not later than 60 days after the initi-
ation of the pilot program under subsection (b) and every 
6 months thereafter for 2 years, the Administrator of the 
Transportation Security Administration shall brief the 
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate on the progress of im-
plementation of such pilot program. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section:
(1) AIR CARRIER.—The term ‘‘air carrier’’ has 
the meaning given such term in section 40102 of 
title 49, United States Code. 
(2) AIR
TRANSPORTATION.—The term ‘‘air 
transportation’’ has the meaning given such term in 
section 40102 of title 49, United States Code. 
(3) FOREIGN AIR CARRIER.—The term ‘‘foreign 
air carrier’’ has the meaning given such term in sec-
tion 40102 of title 49, United States Code. 
(4) INTERSTATE
AIR
COMMERCE.—The term 
‘‘interstate air commerce’’ has the meaning given 
such term in section 40102 of title 49, United 
States Code. 
(5) INTERSTATE
AIR
TRANSPORTATION.—The 
term ‘‘interstate air transportation’’ has the mean-
ing given such term in section 40102 of title 49, 
United States Code. 
SEC. 4. AIR CARGO REGULATION REVIEW. 
(a) REVIEW.—Not later than 150 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Transportation Security Administration 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 report on ac-
tions to improve the Certified Cargo Screening Program
as established by the Administrator in September 2009. 
The report shall— 
(1) review the degree to which the Program is 
effective at fully addressing evolving threats to air 
cargo, particularly as air cargo volumes fluctuate; 
(2) review any vulnerabilities in the Program 
and effectiveness of information sharing with air 
cargo security stakeholders; and 
(3) include information on actions to be taken 
to address findings in paragraphs (1) and (2), in-
cluding information on plans to issue new rule-
making, if necessary. 
SEC. 5. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General 
of the United States shall— 
(1) review the Department of Homeland Secu-
rity’s analysis and intelligence pre-screening proc-
esses and procedures for air cargo entering the 
United States; 
(2) review the pilot program conducted pursu-
ant to section 3; 
(3) assess the effectiveness of the Department’s 
risk-based strategy for examining air cargo and en-
suring compliance with air cargo security rules and 
regulations; and 
(4) review the Department’s information shar-
ing procedures and practices for disseminating infor-
mation to relevant stakeholders on preventing, miti-
gating, and responding to air cargo related threats. 
SEC. 6. KNOWN SHIPPER PROGRAM REVIEW. 
The Administrator shall request the Air Cargo Sub-
committee of Aviation Security Advisory Committee (es-
tablished under section 44946 of title 49, United States 
Code) to— 
(1) conduct a comprehensive review and secu-
rity assessment of the known shipper program under 
sections 1546.215 and 1548.17 of title 49, Code of 
Federal Regulations; 
(2) recommend whether the Known Shipper 
Program should be modified or eliminated consid-
ering the full implementation of 100 percent screen-
ing under section 44901(g) of title 49, United States 
Code; and
(3) report its findings and recommendations to 
the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration. 
Passed the House of Representatives March 19, 
2018. 
Attest: 
Clerk.
115TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4176 
AN ACT 
To strengthen air cargo security, and for other 
purposes.