Title: Checkpoint Safety Act of 2019
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Checkpoint Safety Act of 2019
This bill revises minimum requirements for the deployment of armed law enforcement personnel at security screening locations at certain airports.
Specifically, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) must (1) order the deployment of at least one armed law enforcement officer within 300 feet of the security screening location and within the terminal during operating hours of each airport having annual enplanements of 8 million or more or international enplanements of 1 million or more, and (2) order the deployment of additional armed law enforcement officers at such airports if necessary to ensure airport security.
The bill modifies air transportation security program requirements to include ensuring high training standards for all security and law enforcement personnel, and multiple means for the TSA or members of the public to request prompt law enforcement assistance in the airport.
The bill eliminates the TSA authority for allowing deputized state and local law enforcement officers to be stationed other than at airport security screening locations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4020 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4020

To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the deployment of law 
  enforcement personnel at airport screening locations at very large 
                   airports, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             July 25, 2019

     Mr. Engel (for himself, Ms. Meng, Mr. Zeldin, Mr. Swalwell of 
   California, Mr. Pascrell, Mr. Quigley, and Miss Rice of New York) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require the deployment of law 
  enforcement personnel at airport screening locations at very large 
                   airports, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Checkpoint Safety Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. DEPLOYMENT OF LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL AT AIRPORT SCREENING 
              LOCATIONS AT VERY LARGE AIRPORTS.

    Section 44901(h)(2) of title 49, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
            ``(2) Minimum requirements.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except at airports required to 
                enter into agreements under subsection (c), the 
                Administrator shall order the deployment of at least 
                one law enforcement officer authorized to carry 
                firearms within 300 feet of each airport security 
                screening location and within the terminal during 
                operating hours at each airport at which the number of 
                annual enplanements for the most recent calendar year 
                for which data are available is 8 million or more or 
                the number of international enplanements is 1 million 
                or more. The Administrator shall order the deployment 
                of additional law enforcement officers authorized to 
                carry firearms at such airports if the Administrator 
                determines that such additional deployment is necessary 
                to ensure airport security.
                    ``(B) Waiver.--The Administrator may waive the 
                application of all or part of the requirements of 
                subparagraph (A) only if the relevant law enforcement 
                agency with jurisdiction over an airport described in 
                such subparagraph certifies in a written application to 
                the Administrator that adherence to all or part of such 
                requirements would--
                            ``(i) make provision of adequate security 
                        for such airport impossible; and
                            ``(ii) cause extreme hardship to such law 
                        enforcement agency that would severely impair 
                        its ability to perform its duties.''.

SEC. 3. LAW ENFORCEMENT ASSISTANCE IN FEDERAL AIRPORT SECURITY.

    Section 44903 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b), in the matter preceding paragraph 
        (1), by striking ``passengers'' and inserting ``persons''; and
            (2) in subsection (c)(1)--
                    (A) in the first sentence, as amended by paragraph 
                (2)--
                            (i) by striking ``The Administrator'' and 
                        inserting ``(A) The Administrator''; and
                            (ii) by striking ``passengers'' and 
                        inserting ``all persons and property''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end the following new 
                subparagraph:
    ``(B) Any air transportation security program established pursuant 
to subparagraph (A) shall be adequate to ensure--
            ``(i) close cooperation between all relevant parties in 
        ensuring airport security;
            ``(ii) high training standards for all security and law 
        enforcement personnel;
            ``(iii) prompt notification of and law enforcement response 
        to any security incidents which may arise at the airport, 
        including detention of persons who may attempt to evade 
        transportation security screening; and
            ``(iv) multiple means for Transportation Security Officers 
        or members of the public to request prompt law enforcement 
        assistance in the airport.''.

SEC. 4. STATIONING OF DEPUTIZED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.

    Section 44922 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
striking subsection (f).
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