[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8630 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
118th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8630
To improve the passenger experience during aviation checkpoint security
screening, without reducing security effectiveness, by encouraging the
deployment of technological and other solutions, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 5, 2024
Mr. Robert Garcia of California (for himself, Mr. LaLota, and Mr.
McGarvey) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To improve the passenger experience during aviation checkpoint security
screening, without reducing security effectiveness, by encouraging the
deployment of technological and other solutions, 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 ``Supporting Passengers with Efficient
and Effective Detection through Screening Act'' or the ``SPEED through
Screening Act''.
SEC. 2. STRATEGIES TO REDUCE PATDOWNS AND THE NEED TO DIVEST ITEMS
DURING SCREENING WITHOUT REDUCING SECURITY EFFECTIVENESS.
(a) Strategy To Reduce Patdowns Without Reducing Security
Effectiveness.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for the
following five years to reduce the rate at which Administration
personnel are required to conduct patdowns during passenger
screening carried out pursuant to section 44901 of title 49,
United States Code, to the extent practicable, without reducing
overall security effectiveness.
(2) Considerations.--In producing the strategy required
under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consider the
following:
(A) The effects of improvements made to screening
activities within the immediately preceding five years,
including refinements to advanced imaging technology
detection algorithms, and an estimation of the extent
to which such improvements have already reduced the
rate of patdowns and enhanced security.
(B) The potential to make further improvements to
existing security technologies, including through
enhanced detection algorithms, to further reduce the
rate of patdowns during passenger screening without
reducing overall security effectiveness.
(C) The availability of next-generation or new
screening technologies, such as detection at range
technology or handheld screening equipment, that could
help reduce the rate of patdowns during passenger
screening without reducing overall security
effectiveness.
(D) The extent to which certain passenger
populations, including the categories of individuals
protected from discrimination under paragraph (a)(1) of
section 60307 of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs
Act (Public Law 117-58; 47 U.S.C. 1726), may undergo
patdowns at a higher rate than the general passenger
population during passenger screening, and methods for
reducing the rate of patdowns among such passenger
populations during passenger screening without reducing
overall security effectiveness.
(E) The factors contributing to any higher rate of
patdowns for particular passenger populations during
passenger screening, as described in subparagraph (D).
(F) Methods for developing screening technologies
and processes to address any higher rate of patdowns
among particular passenger populations during passenger
screening, as described in subparagraph (D), without
reducing overall security effectiveness.
(G) Projected costs and timelines for
implementation of the strategy.
(H) Any other considerations determined appropriate
by the Administrator.
(b) Strategy To Reduce the Need To Divest Items During Screening
Without Reducing Security Effectiveness.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a strategy for the
following five years to reduce the need for passengers to
divest items from their person or property during passenger
screening carried out pursuant to section 44901 of title 49,
United States Code, to the extent practicable, without reducing
overall security effectiveness.
(2) Considerations.--In producing the strategy required
under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consider the
following:
(A) The feasibility of reducing the need for
passengers to divest each of the following items:
(i) Shoes.
(ii) Belts.
(iii) Loose fitting or bulky clothing.
(iv) Hats, wigs, head coverings, and other
headwear, including religious headwear.
(v) Articles of faith.
(vi) Prosthetics, assistive devices, and
other medical or special needs items.
(vii) Liquids, aerosols, gels, creams,
pastes, and powders.
(viii) Laptops and other large electronic
devices.
(ix) Any other items determined appropriate
by the Administrator;
(B) The effects of improvements made to screening
activities within the immediately preceding five years,
including deployments of computed tomography machines
for screening carry-on baggage, and a description of
the extent to which such improvements have already
reduced the need for passengers to divest items
specified in subparagraph (A).
(C) The potential to make further improvements to
existing security technologies, including through
enhanced detection algorithms, to further reduce the
need for passengers to divest such items without
reducing overall security effectiveness.
(D) The availability of next-generation or new
screening technologies that could help reduce the need
for passengers to divest such items without reducing
overall security effectiveness.
(E) The extent to which efforts to reduce the need
for passengers to divest such items complicates any
efforts to reduce the rate of patdowns during security
screening, and options to ameliorate any such
complications.
(F) Projected costs and timelines for
implementation of the strategy.
(G) Any other considerations determined appropriate
by the Administrator.
(c) Feasibility Study on Allowance of Liquids, Aerosols, Gels, and
Powders.--
(1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees a report on the
findings of a feasibility study regarding allowing passengers
to board commercial aircraft carrying increased volumes of
liquids, aerosols, gels, creams, pastes, powders, or any other
substance currently subject to volume-based carriage
limitations, to the extent practicable, without reducing
overall security effectiveness.
(2) Considerations.--In carrying out the feasibility study
required under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consider
the following:
(A) The effects of improvements made to screening
activities within the immediately preceding five years,
including deployments of computed tomography machines
and bottle liquid scanners for screening carry-on
baggage.
(B) The potential to make further improvements to
existing security technologies, including through
enhanced detection algorithms, to reduce the need for
volume-based carriage limitations.
(C) The availability of next-generation or new
screening technologies that could help reduce the need
for volume-based carriage limitations.
(D) The effectiveness of security screening
practices used by counterparts in foreign countries
that allow carriage of increased volumes of substances
referred to in such paragraph.
(E) Current intelligence regarding threats posed by
the carriage of substances referred to in such
paragraph, and other risk considerations determined
appropriate by the Administrator.
(F) Any actions directed by the Administrator as a
result of such feasibility study and projected costs
and timelines for implementation of such actions.
(G) Any other considerations determined appropriate
by the Administrator.
(d) Classification and Publication.--The Administrator shall post
on a publicly available webpage of the Administration unclassified
versions of the strategies required under subsections (a) and (b) and
the report required under subsection (c). If the Administrator
determines such is appropriate, such strategies and report may contain
classified or sensitive annexes, and the Administrator shall submit to
the appropriate congressional committees any such annex at the time of
submission of the strategy or report, as the case may be, to which such
annex relates.
(e) Deployment of Detection at Range Technology.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator may deploy detection at
range technology for the screening of passengers carried out
pursuant to section 44901 of title 49, United States Code,
subject to standards for testing and evaluation of such
technology as determined appropriate by the Administrator.
(2) Allowing for use of detection at range technology.--
Subparagraph (C) of section 44901(l)(1) of title 49, United
States Code, is amended by inserting ``or a live image of the
individual being screened that does not look meaningfully
different from the individual's public presentation'' before
the period.
(3) Feasibility assessment.--Not later than 180 days after
the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall
assess the feasibility of using detection at range technology
for the following:
(A) Resolving alarms from other screening
technologies, including advanced imaging technology
machines, without the need for a patdown.
(B) Augmenting screening of nontrusted traveler
populations that may not otherwise be screened for
nonmetallic prohibited items.
(C) Improving the screening experience for--
(i) passengers with disabilities, personal
medical devices, or medical conditions; and
(ii) other passengers who may require
additional assistance.
(D) Primary screening of passengers, including to
allow passengers who opt out of being screened by an
advanced imaging technology to be screened without the
need for a patdown except to resolve alarms.
(4) Briefing.--Not later than 30 days after completing the
feasibility assessment required under paragraph (3), the
Administrator shall brief the appropriate congressional
committees regarding the results of such assessment.
(5) Prioritization.--In deploying detection at range
technology pursuant to paragraph (1), the Administrator shall,
to the extent determined feasible pursuant to paragraph (3),
prioritize deployments of such technology that--
(A) reduce the need for patdowns during passenger
screening without reducing overall security
effectiveness;
(B) enhance security effectiveness, including by
augmenting screening of nontrusted traveler populations
that may not otherwise be screened for nonmetallic
prohibited items;
(C) improve the screening experience for--
(i) passengers with disabilities, personal
medical devices, or medical conditions; and
(ii) other passengers who may require
additional assistance.
(D) provide primary screening of passengers,
including to allow passengers who opt out of being
screened by an advanced imaging technology to be
screened without the need for a patdown except to
resolve alarms.
(f) Screening Statistics.--
(1) In general.--The Administrator shall seek to collect
anonymized statistics regarding the screening of passengers
carried out by Administration personnel pursuant to section
44901 of title 49, United States Code. Such statistics shall,
to the extent practicable, be disaggregated by airport and date
and include the numbers of passengers who undergo any of the
following:
(A) Screening in TSA PreCheck lanes.
(B) Screening out of TSA PreCheck lanes.
(C) Enhanced screening based on vetting status.
(D) Patdowns, including patdowns of sensitive body
areas.
(E) Screening by advanced imaging technology
machines.
(F) Screening by canines.
(G) Screening by walk-through metal detectors out
of TSA PreCheck lanes without additional screening for
non-metallic prohibited items.
(H) Any other category of screening determined
appropriate by the Administrator.
(2) Considerations.--In seeking to collect statistics
pursuant to paragraph (1), the Administrator shall consider the
following:
(A) The need to protect the civil rights, civil
liberties, and privacy of passengers.
(B) The potential for noninvasive technologies,
such as cameras and artificial intelligence, to provide
information regarding passenger screening.
(C) Methods to collect statistics requiring minimal
input by Administration personnel, including new
technologies or enhancements to existing technologies,
such as by installing software allowing personnel to
easily specify how an alarm was cleared.
(D) If collecting statistics regarding the
screening of all passengers is not practicable, methods
to collect statistics regarding the screening of a
sample set of passengers sufficient to extrapolate
estimated statistics for all passengers.
(E) Any other considerations determined appropriate
by the Administrator.
(3) Annual briefing.--Not later than one year after the
date of the enactment of this Act and annually thereafter, the
Administrator shall brief the appropriate congressional
committees regarding the statistics collected pursuant to
paragraph (1). Each such briefing shall include monthly totals
disaggregated by airport.
(4) Publication.--The Administrator shall publish annually
on a publicly available website of the Administration the
statistics collected pursuant to paragraph (1), to the extent
practicable, while protecting classified or sensitive
information.
(g) Rule of Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed
to prevent the Administration from conducting patdowns, requiring
divestiture of items for screening, or carrying out other forms of
permissible modes of screening to ensure overall security
effectiveness.
(h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated to the Administration $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2024 to
research, test, evaluate, procure, and deploy screening processes or
technologies that may reduce the need for patdowns or item divestiture
or assist in the collection of statistics in furtherance of the
requirements of subsections (a) and (f).
(i) Comptroller General Review.--Not later than two years after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees
a report on the implementation of this Act.
(j) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the
Transportation Security Administration.
(2) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
(3) Advanced imaging technology.--The term ``advanced
imaging technology'' has the meaning given such term in section
44901(l)(1)(A) of title 49, United States Code.
(4) Appropriate congressional committees.--The term
``appropriate congressional committees'' means the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and Committee
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.
(5) Detection at range technology.--The term ``detection at
range technology'' means any technology using passive,
noninvasive means, such as thermal imaging, to screen
passengers for potential threat items without requiring
physical contact with such passengers.
(6) P