VETS Safe Travel Act

Bill: 118-s-5487
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN]
Introduced: 2024-12-11
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Latest action: action_date: 2024-12-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2024-12-11
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Veterans Expedited TSA Screening Safe Travel Act or the</strong> <strong>VETS Safe Travel Act</strong></p><p>This bill makes certain veterans eligible for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) PreCheck&nbsp;Program at no cost if they meet the program's background check and security requirements.</p><p>Veterans who are eligible for this fee waiver are those who the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)&nbsp;has determined to have a service-connected disability&nbsp;and require the use of a wheelchair, prosthetic limb, or other device to aid with mobility due to (1) loss, or loss of use, of an&nbsp;extremity; (2) full or partial paralyzation; or (3) permanent blindness. The veteran must also be in&nbsp;the patient enrollment system of the VA.</p><p>The bill specifies that the TSA may not increase enrollment fees for&nbsp;the&nbsp;PreCheck Program in order to&nbsp;carry out this fee waiver program.</p><p>The VA and the TSA must implement a process under which eligible veterans may receive the PreCheck Program benefit.</p><p>Further, the VA and the TSA must implement a process to provide disabled veterans with effective outreach about programs that are designed to improve the screening process for passengers with disabilities. The VA and the TSA must also assess the awareness of veterans of relevant TSA programs and examine the need and feasibility of other measures to improve travel security procedures for disabled veterans.</p>

tv_txt: II 118th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 5487 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES December 11, 2024 Mr. Young (for himself, Ms. Duckworth , Mr. Marshall , and Ms. Hassan ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To provide PreCheck to certain severely injured or disabled veterans, and for other purposes.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Veterans Expedited TSA Screening Safe Travel Act or the VETS Safe Travel Act . 2. Availability of PreCheck Program to certain severely injured or disabled veterans (a) In general Section 44927 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection: (g) Availability of PreCheck Program to certain severely injured or disabled veterans (1) In general A veteran described in paragraph (2) is eligible for security screening under the PreCheck Program under section 44919 at no cost to the veteran if the veteran is able to meet the background check and other security requirements for participation in the Program. (2) Veterans described A veteran described in this paragraph is a veteran who— (A) is enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code; (B) has been determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to have a service-connected disability under section 1110 or 1131 of such title, as the case may be, and such disability has been determined by such Secretary to have resulted in— (i) loss, or loss use of, an extremity; (ii) paralysis or partial paralysis; or (iii) permanent blindness; and (C) as a result of a loss, paralysis or partial paralysis, or blindness described in subparagraph (B), requires the use of a wheelchair, prosthetic limb, or other assistive device to aid with mobility. (3) Limitation The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall carry out this subsection subject to the availability of appropriations and may not increase fees for enrollment in the PreCheck Program for such purpose. . (b) Coordination on implementation The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly— (1) implement a process under which a veteran described in paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of section 44927 of title 49, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), can receive the benefits under such subsection by not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act; and (2) provide to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a briefing on the status of implementing the process required by paragraph (1) by not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act. (c) Outreach for disabled veterans on availability of Transportation Security Administration programs (1) Coordination The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall implement a process under which such Secretary provides to disabled veterans effective outreach regarding Transportation Security Administration programs designed to improve the screening process for passengers with disabilities. (2) Further enhancements To ease air travel for wounded warriors and other disabled veterans Notwithstanding subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the Paperwork Reduction Act ), or any other provision of law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, shall— (A) engage appropriate veterans service organizations and other relevant organizations, as appropriate, to assess the awareness of veterans of relevant Transportation Security Administration programs; and (B) examine the need and feasibility of other measures to improve travel security procedures for disabled veterans. (3) Briefing requirement Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall jointly provide to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a briefing on the status of the implementation of paragraphs (1) and (2).