Aviation Employee Screening and Security Enhancement Act of 2017

Bill: 115-hr-876
Sponsor: Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24]
Introduced: 2017-02-06 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Computer security and identity theft
Congressional oversight
Criminal justice information and records
Firearms and explosives
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Personnel records
Service animals
Transportation employees
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2017-02-06
text: 

Aviation Employee Screening and Security Enhancement Act of 2017

 
This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to submit a cost and feasibility study of a statistically significant number of Category I, II, and X airports to ensure that all airport employee entry and exit points leading to secure airport areas are comprised of:
 
 
a secure door utilizing card and pin entry or biometric technology;
 
surveillance video recording capable of storing video data for at least 30 days; and
 
certain advanced screening technologies.
 
 
The TSA shall:
 
 
work with air carriers and airport operators, vendors, and concessionaires to enhance security awareness of credentialed airport workers regarding insider threats to aviation security and best practices related to airport access controls;
 
assess credentialing standards, policies, and practices to ensure that such threats are adequately addressed; and
 
 require the application for a credential granting access to the Secure Identification Display Area of an airport to include the individual's social security number in order to strengthen security vetting effectiveness.
 
 
The TSA also shall:
 
 
work with airport operators to identify advanced technologies for securing employee access to secure and sterile airport areas;
 
ensure that credentialed aviation workers are continuously vetted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Rap Back Service in order to more rapidly detect and mitigate insider threats;
 
identify ways to enhance TSA's ability to educate its personnel on insider threats to aviation security and mitigate such threats;
 
increase covert testing of TSA employee screening operations at airports and measure security effectiveness; 
 
establish a national database of TSA employees who have had either their airport or aircraft operator-issued badge revoked for failure to comply with aviation security requirements; and 
 
 submit a plan for recurring reviews of the security controls for TSA information technology systems at airports.
 

action_date: 2017-04-25
text: 

Aviation Employee Screening and Security Enhancement Act of 2017

 
(Sec. 3) This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to conduct, and submit to Congress and the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a cost and feasibility study of a statistically significant number of Category I, II, III, IV, and X airports assessing the impact if all airport employee access points from non-secured to secured airport areas are comprised of the following:
 
 
a secure door utilizing card and pin entry or biometric technology;
 
surveillance video recording capable of storing video data for at least 30 days;
 
certain advanced screening technologies, including magnetometers, explosives detection canines, explosives trace detection swabbing, advanced imaging technology, and X-ray bag screening technology; and
 
information related to employee screening costs of such airports that have already implemented practices of screening 100% of employees accessing secured areas.
 
 
The GAO shall assess the completed study and report the results to Congress.
 
(Sec. 4) The TSA shall:
 
 
work with air carriers, foreign air carriers, airport operators, labor unions representing credentialed airport employees, and the TSA's Aviation Security Advisory Committee to enhance security awareness of credentialed airport workers regarding insider threats to aviation security and best practices related to airport access controls;
 
assess credentialing standards, policies, and practices to ensure that insider threats to aviation security are adequately addressed; 
 
require airport operators to submit the social security number of an individual applying for a credential granting access to the Security Identification Display Area of an airport to strengthen security vetting effectiveness; and
 
issue requirements for airport operators to include in applications for access to such area a notice that an employee holding a credential granting such access may be screened at any time while entering, working in, or leaving the area.
 
 
(Sec. 5) The TSA shall also:
 
 
work with airport operators and the TSA Advisory Committee to identify advanced technologies for securing employee access to secured and sterile airport areas;
 
ensure that credentialed aviation worker populations currently requiring a fingerprint-based criminal record history check are continuously vetted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Rap Back Service to mitigate insider threats;
 
identify ways to enhance TSA's ability to educate its personnel on insider threats to aviation security and on how to mitigate such threats;
 
ensure that TSA employee physical inspection efforts of aviation workers (Playbook operations) are focused on providing the greatest level of security effectiveness;
 
conduct covert testing of TSA employee screening operations at airports; 
 
report on the frequency, methodology, strategy, and effectiveness of employee inspection operations at airports; and
 
establish a national database of individuals who have had either their airport or aircraft operator-issued badge revoked for failure to comply with aviation security requirements, as well a process to allow individuals whose names were mistakenly entered into such database to correct the record and have their names removed from it.
 
 
(Sec. 6) The DHS is the lead interagency coordinator to insider threat investigations and mitigation efforts at airports.
 
(Sec. 7) The TSA shall submit a plan to conduct recurring reviews of the operational security controls for TSA information technology systems at airports.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-04-26
text: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 - 0 (Roll no. 223). (text: CR H2825-2826)
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 409 - 0 (Roll no. 223).(text: CR H2825-2826)
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H2838-2839)
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 876.
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H2825-2828)
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Mr. Katko moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 54.
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-94.
action_date: 2017-04-25
text: Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-94.
action_date: 2017-03-08
text: Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
action_date: 2017-03-08
text: Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
action_date: 2017-02-24
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security.
action_date: 2017-02-06
text: Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
action_date: 2017-02-06
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2017-02-06
text: Introduced in House