Title: Transportation Security Public Health Threat Preparedness Act of 2021
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Transportation Security Public Health Threat Preparedness Act of 2021
This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to analyze the preparedness of the U.S. transportation security system for public health threats. Additionally, the TSA may provide its personnel to other components of the Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to improve coordination with such components and agencies to prepare for, protect against, and respond to public health threats to the transportation security system.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1895 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1895

      To enhance the preparedness of the Transportation Security 
Administration for public health threats to the transportation security 
          system of the United States, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 16, 2021

 Mr. Gimenez introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To enhance the preparedness of the Transportation Security 
Administration for public health threats to the transportation security 
          system of the United States, 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 ``Transportation Security Public 
Health Threat Preparedness Act of 2021''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    For purposes of this Act:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
            (2) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term 
        ``appropriate congressional committees'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Homeland Security of the House 
                of Representatives; and
                    (B) the Committee on Homeland Security and 
                Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, 
                Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
            (3) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
        Department of Homeland Security.
            (4) Sterile area.--The term ``sterile area'' has the 
        meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of 
        Federal Regulations.
            (5) TSA.--The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation 
        Security Administration.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF TSA PERSONNEL DETAILS.

    (a) Coordination.--Pursuant to sections 106(m) and 114(m) of title 
49, United States Code, the Administrator may provide TSA personnel, 
who are not engaged in front line transportation security efforts, to 
other components of the Department and other Federal agencies to 
improve coordination with such components and agencies to prepare for, 
protect against, and respond to public health threats to the 
transportation security system of the United States.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate 
congressional committees regarding efforts to improve coordination with 
other components of the Department and other Federal agencies to 
prepare for, protect against, and respond to public health threats to 
the transportation security system of the United States.

SEC. 4. TSA PREPAREDNESS.

    (a) Analysis.--
            (1) In general.--The Administrator shall conduct an 
        analysis of preparedness of the transportation security system 
        of the United States for public health threats. Such analysis 
        shall assess, at a minimum, the following:
                    (A) The risks of public health threats to the 
                transportation security system of the United States, 
                including to transportation hubs, transportation 
                security stakeholders, TSA personnel, and passengers.
                    (B) Information sharing challenges among relevant 
                components of the Department, other Federal agencies, 
                international entities, and transportation security 
                stakeholders.
                    (C) Impacts to TSA policies and procedures for 
                securing the transportation security system.
            (2) Coordination.--The analysis conducted of the risks 
        described in paragraph (1)(A) shall be conducted in 
        coordination with the Chief Medical Officer of the Department 
        of Homeland Security, the Secretary of Health and Human 
        Services, and transportation security stakeholders.
    (b) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief the appropriate 
congressional committees on the following:
            (1) The analysis required under subsection (a).
            (2) Technologies necessary to combat public health threats 
        at security screening checkpoints to better protect from future 
        public health threats TSA personnel, passengers, aviation 
        workers, and other personnel authorized to access the sterile 
        area of an airport through such checkpoints, and the estimated 
        cost of technology investments needed to fully implement across 
        the aviation system solutions to such threats.
            (3) Policies and procedures implemented by TSA and 
        transportation security stakeholders to protect from public 
        health threats TSA personnel, passengers, aviation workers, and 
        other personnel authorized to access the sterile area through 
        the security screening checkpoints, as well as future plans for 
        additional measures relating to such protection.
            (4) The role of TSA in establishing priorities, developing 
        solutions, and coordinating and sharing information with 
        relevant domestic and international entities during a public 
        health threat to the transportation security system, and how 
        TSA can improve its leadership role in such areas.
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