Pilot program for one-stop security

(a)

In general

Notwithstanding 44901(a) of title 49, United States Code, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection, is authorized to conduct a pilot program at not more than ten foreign last point of departure airports to permit passengers and their accessible property arriving on direct flights or flight segments originating at such participating foreign airports to continue on additional flights or flight segments originating in the United States without additional security re-screening if—(1)the initial screening was conducted in accordance with an aviation security screening agreement described in subsection (c);(2)passengers arriving from participating foreign airports are unable to access their checked baggage prior to arrival at their final destination; and(3)upon arrival in the United States, passengers arriving from participating foreign airports do not come into contact with other arriving international passengers or those passengers’ property or other persons who have not been screened or subjected to other appropriate security controls required for entry into the airport’s sterile area.(b)

Re-Screening of checked baggage

The Administrator may determine whether, based on risk, checked baggage arriving from participating foreign airports referenced in subsection (a) must be re-screened in the United States by an explosives detection system before such baggage continues on any additional flight or flight segment.(c)

Aviation security screening agreement described

An aviation security screening agreement described in this subsection is an agreement with a foreign country that delineates and implements security standards and protocols utilized at a foreign last point of departure airport that are determined by the Administrator to be comparable to those of the United States and therefore sufficiently effective to enable passengers and their accessible property to deplane into sterile areas of airports in the United States without the need for re-screening.(d)

Re-Screening requirement

If the Administrator determines that the foreign country participating in the aviation security screening agreement has not maintained and implemented security standards and protocols comparable to those of the United States at foreign last point of departure airports at which a pilot program has been established in accordance with this section, the Administrator shall ensure that passengers and their property arriving from such airports are re-screened in the United States before such passengers and their property are permitted into sterile areas of airports in the United States.(e)

Termination

Each aviation security screening agreement shall—(1)be executed no later than three years after the date of enactment of this section; and(2)be in effect for up to four years from the date of execution.(f)

Briefings to Congress

The Administrator shall brief the appropriate committees of Congress on—(1)the substance of each aviation security screening agreement within 90 days after the agreement is executed; and(2)the status of the pilot program annually until the expiration of the last aviation security screening agreement.(g)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this section may be construed as limiting the authority of U.S. Customs and Border Protection to inspect persons and baggage arriving in the United States in accordance with applicable law.(h)

Definitions

In this section:(1)

Administration; TSA

The terms Administration and TSA mean the Transportation Security Administration.(2)

Administrator

The term Administrator means the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.(3)

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.