I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 720 
To improve intergovernmental planning for and communication during 
security incidents at domestic airports, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 4, 2015 
Mr. KATKO (for himself, Miss RICE of New York, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. THOMP-
SON of Mississippi, Mr. HUDSON, Mrs. TORRES, Ms. BROWNLEY of Cali-
fornia, and Ms. MAXINE WATERS of California) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 
A BILL 
To improve intergovernmental planning for and communica-
tion during security incidents at domestic airports, and 
for other purposes. 
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 ‘‘Gerardo Hernandez 
Airport Security Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ASSISTANT SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Assist-
ant Secretary’’ means the Assistant Secretary of 
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Homeland Security (Transportation Security) of the 
Department of Homeland Security. 
(2) ADMINISTRATION.—The term ‘‘Administra-
tion’’ means the Transportation Security Adminis-
tration. 
SEC. 3. SECURITY INCIDENT RESPONSE AT AIRPORTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary shall, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Emer-
gency Management Agency, conduct outreach to all air-
ports 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 individual-
ized working plans for responding to security incidents in-
side 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. 
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(2) A plan for establishing a unified command, 
including identification of staging areas for non-air-
port-specific law enforcement and fire response. 
(3) A schedule for regular testing of commu-
nications 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 commu-
nicate with travelers and all other persons inside the 
perimeter of the airport. 
(6) To the extent practicable, a projected max-
imum 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 ten-
ants, and any relevant law enforcement, airport po-
lice, fire, and medical personnel. 
(8) A schedule for producing after-action joint 
exercise reports to identify and determine how to im-
prove 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 Se-
curity of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
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on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate 
on the findings from its outreach to airports under sub-
section (a), including an analysis of the level of prepared-
ness such airports have to respond to security incidents, 
including active shooters, acts of terrorism, and incidents 
that target passenger-screening checkpoints. 
SEC. 4. DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ON BEST PRAC-
TICES. 
The Assistant Secretary shall— 
(1) identify best practices that exist across air-
ports for security incident planning, management, 
and training; and 
(2) establish a mechanism through which to 
share such best practices with other airport opera-
tors nationwide. 
SEC. 5. CERTIFICATION. 
Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, and annually thereafter, the Assistant Sec-
retary shall certify in writing to the Committee on Home-
land 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. 
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SEC. 6. REIMBURSABLE AGREEMENTS. 
Not later than 90 days after the enactment of this 
Act, the Assistant Secretary shall provide to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security of the House of Representa-
tives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate an analysis of how the Ad-
ministration can use cost savings achieved through effi-
ciencies to increase over the next 5 fiscal years the funding 
available for checkpoint screening law enforcement sup-
port reimbursable agreements. 
SEC. 7. NO ADDITIONAL AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIA-
TIONS. 
No additional funds are authorized to be appro-
priated to carry out this Act, and this Act shall be carried 
out using amounts otherwise available for such purpose. 
SEC. 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 respon-
sible 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 
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oversees the implementation and performance of, security 
measures. 
(b) REPORT.—Not later than 30 days after the com-
pletion 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 Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate. 
Æ 
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