[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7941 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 7941
To ensure the passenger security fee paid by airline passengers is used
exclusively for aviation security, establish a Transportation Security
Trust Fund to support the operations and personnel of the
Transportation Security Administration, and ensure continuity of
aviation security operations during a lapse in appropriations, and for
other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 16, 2026
Mr. Langworthy (for himself, Mr. Lawler, and Ms. Malliotakis)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Homeland Security
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A BILL
To ensure the passenger security fee paid by airline passengers is used
exclusively for aviation security, establish a Transportation Security
Trust Fund to support the operations and personnel of the
Transportation Security Administration, and ensure continuity of
aviation security operations during a lapse in appropriations, 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 ``Pay TSA Act of 2026''.
SEC. 2. TRANSPORTATION SECURITY FUNDING.
(a) Repeal of Diversion of Passenger Security Fees.--Section 44940
of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by striking subsection (f); and
(2) by striking subsection (i).
(b) Transportation Security Trust Fund.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Department
of Homeland Security a fund to be known as the ``Transportation
Security Trust Fund'' (referred to in this Act as the
``Fund'').
(2) Deposits.--Amounts collected from fees imposed under
section 44940 of title 49, United States Code (commonly known
as the ``9/11 Security Fee''), shall be deposited into the Fund
and available without further appropriation and without fiscal
year limitation.
(3) Use of funds.--Amounts in the Fund shall be available
to the Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration for activities to strengthen aviation security,
including relating to the following:
(A) Salaries, benefits, training, and workforce
support for Administration personnel.
(B) Passenger and baggage screening operations.
(C) Aviation security checkpoint and screening
technology.
(D) Airport security infrastructure and equipment.
(E) Research, development, and deployment of
advanced aviation security systems.
(4) Restriction on diversion of funds.--Amounts deposited
in the Fund--
(A) shall be used only for the aviation security
purposes specified in paragraph (3); and
(B) may not be transferred to the general fund of
the Treasury or used for deficit reduction or other
non-aviation security purposes.
(c) Availability of Funds During a Lapse in Appropriations.--
(1) Availability.--
(A) In general.--If during any period during any
fiscal year the discretionary appropriations Act
providing funding for the Transportation Security
Administration, or continuing appropriations for the
Transportation Security Administration, are not enacted
into law, amounts in the Fund shall be available
without further appropriation or fiscal year limitation
to the Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration for the continuation of programs,
projects, and activities necessary to maintain aviation
security operations.
(B) Aviation security capital fund.--
Notwithstanding section 44923(h) of title 49, United
States Code, during any period described in
subparagraph (A), amounts available in the Aviation
Security Capital Fund established under such section
44923(h) shall be available to the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration to carry out the
activities described in such subparagraph, subject to
the priorities described in this subsection.
(2) Priority for tsa personnel.--
(A) In general.--In carrying out paragraph (1), the
Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration shall prioritize the use of funds made
available pursuant to paragraph (1) for the following:
(i) Salaries, benefits, and overtime
compensation of Transportation Security
Officers and other personnel necessary to
conduct passenger and baggage screening and
aviation security operations.
(ii) Staffing levels required to maintain
the safe and efficient operation of aviation
security screening checkpoints and related
security functions.
(iii) Other operational expenses directly
supporting frontline aviation security
personnel.
(B) Application.--Amounts made available under this
paragraph shall first be applied to carry out
subparagraph (A)(i).
(3) Secondary uses for security infrastructure and
technology.--After the funding requirements described in
paragraph (2) have been satisfied, remaining amounts made
available pursuant to paragraph (1) may be used for the
following:
(A) The procurement, deployment, and sustainment of
aviation security checkpoint technology.
(B) Baggage screening equipment and related
aviation security infrastructure.
(C) Maintenance and modernization of airport
security systems.
(D) Grants to airports for aviation security
technology improvements.
(4) Rate for operations.--Funds made available under this
subsection shall be provided at a rate for operations not
greater than the rate for operations provided for the
Transportation Security Administration programs, projects, and
activities described in this subsection during the immediately
preceding fiscal year.
(5) Duration of authority.--The authority provided under
this subsection shall remain in effect for the period beginning
on the first day of a lapse in appropriations and ending on the
date on which--
(A) the applicable regular appropriation Act
providing funding for the Transportation Security
Administration is enacted into law; or
(B) continuing appropriations for the
Transportation Security Administration are enacted into
law.
(6) Terms and conditions.--Funds made available under this
subsection shall be subject to the terms, conditions, and
limitations applicable to the Transportation Security
Administration programs, projects, and activities on the date
immediately preceding the date on which the applicable lapse of
appropriations occurs for the immediately preceding fiscal
year.
(d) Aviation Security Technology and Infrastructure Account.--
(1) Establishment.--There is established in the Fund an
account to be known as the ``Aviation Security Technology and
Infrastructure Account'' (referred to in this subsection as the
``Account'').
(2) Purpose.--The purpose of the Account is to support the
modernization, procurement, deployment, and sustainment of
aviation security technology and infrastructure necessary to
enhance the safety and efficiency of passenger and baggage
screening operations.
(3) Availability of funds.--Amounts in the Account shall be
available until expended to the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration for aviation security
technology and infrastructure investments only after the
funding requirements necessary to support Transportation
Security Administration personnel and operational aviation
security activities have been satisfied, including the
compensation and staffing requirements described in subsection
(c)(2).
(4) Authorized uses.--Amounts made available under this
subsection may be used for the following:
(A) Procurement, deployment, and sustainment of
aviation security checkpoint technology.
(B) Computed tomography screening systems and
related screening equipment.
(C) Credential authentication technology and
related passenger screening systems.
(D) Airport security screening infrastructure and
associated equipment.
(E) Exit lane and perimeter security technology.
(F) Grants to airports for aviation security
technology deployment and modernization.
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