[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 119 (Monday, July 27, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H5499-H5501]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               KEEPING OUR TRAVELERS SAFE AND SECURE ACT

  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2770) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require 
certain maintenance of security-related technology at airports, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2770

       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 ``Keeping our Travelers Safe 
     and Secure Act''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

       Congress finds the following:
       (1) The Administrator of the Transportation Security 
     Administration has stated that the maintenance of security-
     related technology such as x-rays, explosive trace detection 
     systems, explosive detection systems, liquid scanners, and 
     enhanced walk-through metal detectors, is central to the 
     execution of Transportation Security Administration's mission 
     to protect United States transportation systems.
       (2) Preventive and corrective maintenance is essential to 
     ensuring and extending the service lives of security-related 
     technology.
       (3) In May 2015, the Inspector General of the Department of 
     Homeland Security, reporting on the results of a performance 
     audit conducted between December 2013 and November 2014, 
     concluded that because the Transportation Security 
     Administration did not properly manage the maintenance of its 
     security-related technology deployed to airports, it cannot 
     be assured that routine preventive maintenance is performed 
     or that equipment is repaired and ready for operational use.
       (4) Specifically, the Inspector General found that the 
     Transportation Security Administration did not issue adequate 
     policies and procedures to document, track, and maintain 
     preventive maintenance actions at the airport level and 
     oversight of contractor-performed maintenance needed to be 
     strengthened.
       (5) According to the Inspector General, if the equipment is 
     not fully operational, the Transportation Security 
     Administration may have to use other screening measures that 
     may be less effective at detecting dangerous items, thereby 
     potentially jeopardizing passenger safety and security.

     SEC. 3. MAINTENANCE OF SECURITY-RELATED TECHNOLOGY.

       (a) In General.--Title XVI of the Homeland Security Act of 
     2002 (6 U.S.C. 561 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end 
     the following:

        ``Subtitle C--Maintenance of Security-Related Technology

     ``SEC. 1621. MAINTENANCE VALIDATION AND OVERSIGHT.

       ``(a) In General.--Not later than 180 days after the date 
     of the enactment of this subtitle, the Administrator shall 
     develop and

[[Page H5500]]

     implement a preventive maintenance validation process for 
     security-related technology deployed to airports.
       ``(b) Maintenance by Administration Personnel at 
     Airports.--For maintenance to be carried out by 
     Administration personnel at airports, the process referred to 
     in subsection (a) shall include the following:
       ``(1) Guidance to Administration personnel, equipment 
     maintenance technicians, and other personnel at airports 
     specifying how to conduct and document preventive maintenance 
     actions.
       ``(2) Mechanisms for the Administrator to verify compliance 
     with the guidance issued pursuant to paragraph (1).
       ``(c) Maintenance by Contractors at Airports.--For 
     maintenance to be carried out by a contractor at airports, 
     the process referred to in subsection (a) shall require the 
     following:
       ``(1) Provision of monthly preventive maintenance schedules 
     to appropriate Administration personnel at each airport that 
     includes information on each action to be completed by a 
     contractor.
       ``(2) Notification to appropriate Administration personnel 
     at each airport when maintenance action is completed by a 
     contractor.
       ``(3) A process for independent validation by a third party 
     of contractor maintenance.
       ``(d) Penalties for Noncompliance.--The Administrator shall 
     require maintenance contracts for security-related technology 
     deployed to airports to include penalties for noncompliance 
     when it is determined that either preventive or corrective 
     maintenance has not been completed according to contractual 
     requirements and manufacturers' specifications.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of contents of the 
     Homeland Security Act of 2002 is amended by inserting after 
     the item relating to section 1616 the following:

        ``Subtitle C--Maintenance of Security-Related Technology

``Sec. 1621. Maintenance validation and oversight.''.

     SEC. 4. INSPECTOR GENERAL ASSESSMENT.

       Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of 
     this Act, the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland 
     Security shall assess implementation of the requirements 
     under this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and 
     provide findings and recommendations with respect to the 
     provision of training to Administration personnel, equipment 
     maintenance technicians, and other personnel under section 
     1621 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (as added by 
     section 3 of this Act) and the availability and utilization 
     of equipment maintenance technicians employed by the 
     Administration.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Katko) and the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2770, the Keeping Our 
Travelers Safe and Secure Act, sponsored by my colleague, Miss Rice. 
This legislation will strengthen TSA's management of its screening 
equipment maintenance contracts and related maintenance activities.
  The Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General 
released a report in May that found that TSA is not properly managing 
the maintenance of its critical airport screening equipment. Because 
TSA does not adequately oversee this equipment, it cannot be assured 
that the routine preventive maintenance is performed or that equipment 
is repaired and ready for operational use.
  This bill codifies the three recommendations made by the IG, all of 
which TSA concurred with. I am pleased to join Miss Rice; Mr. Thompson; 
my fellow New York delegation members Mr. King, Mr. Donovan, and Mr. 
Higgins; along with Mr. Payne; Mr. Keating; and Mr. Richmond as 
cosponsors of this important legislation.
  I urge my other colleagues to join me in supporting H.R. 2770.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume, and I rise in strong support of H.R. 2770, the Keeping Our 
Travelers Safe and Secure Act.
  Mr. Speaker, last May, the Department of Homeland Security inspector 
general released a report with a blunt and revealing title: ``The 
Transportation Security Administration Does Not Properly Manage Its 
Airport Screening Equipment Maintenance Program.''
  The report revealed that TSA lacks strict policies and procedures for 
maintaining critical screening technology, including x-ray machines and 
explosive detection equipment. The consequences of this deficiency 
could be severe.
  First, as the inspector general's report noted, the lack of regular 
maintenance reduces the life of screening equipment, which means TSA 
would have to incur the cost of new equipment. That is a problem for 
American taxpayers.
  Even more importantly, the inspector general also noted that, if 
screening equipment becomes less than fully operational, TSA will be 
forced to rely on alternative screening measures that may not be as 
effective at detecting dangerous items. That creates serious risks for 
passengers, risks that we can and must eliminate.
  As threats to our homeland evolve, particularly threats to our 
commercial aviation sector, we cannot afford to be complacent about 
maintaining screening equipment.
  This legislation, which I introduced with Ranking Member Thompson, 
Chairman Katko, and Representative Payne, requires TSA to get serious 
about maintaining security-related technology in our Nation's airports.
  Specifically, it requires TSA, within 180 days of enactment, to 
develop and implement a comprehensive preventive maintenance validation 
process. This process must include strict maintenance schedules, clear 
guidance for TSA personnel and contractors on how to conduct and 
document maintenance actions, mechanisms to ensure compliance, and 
penalties for noncompliance.
  These measures are common sense. This is a threat that we can 
neutralize. I urge my colleagues to do so by supporting this bipartisan 
legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank members of the 
Committee on Homeland Security for supporting this legislation. There 
was truly a constructive bipartisan effort to make this legislation 
what it is today, and because of it, the commercial aviation sector 
will be more secure.
  I once again urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation. I 
thank Chairman Katko for his support.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support this strong, 
bipartisan piece of legislation.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support to H.R. 2770, the 
``Keeping Our Travelers Safe and Secure Act of 2015'', which would 
amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require improvements in the 
maintenance of security-related technology located at airports.
  I commend my colleague's bill, which would outline specific 
requirements and procedures that the Transportation Security 
Administration (TSA) must follow in maintaining security-related 
technology deployed at airports.
  I strongly support the measures that would be implemented in this 
bill in light of the Homeland Security Department's Inspector General 
Examination of the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA's) 
airport screening equipment maintenance program, which determined that 
adequate policies and procedures had not been implemented.
  Mr. Speaker, as a senior Member of the Homeland Security Committee 
and former chair of the Subcommittee on Transportation Security, I 
strongly support measures to improve aviation security.
  The Inspector General, report focused on concerns in the security 
technologies maintenance processes of our airports.
  The report said that TSA did not have sufficient policies to oversee 
whether routine preventative maintenance was accomplished.
  Mr. Speaker, in my hometown of Houston, nearly 40 million passengers 
traveled through Bush International Airport (IAH) and an additional 10 
million traveled through William P. Hobby (HOU).
  This makes my city one of the busiest traveled cities in the country, 
and as TSA is the first line of defense in safeguarding transportation 
throughout the nation, we as a Congress should make sure we do all we 
can to support their needs.
  This bill will ensure that these imperative steps in the upkeep of 
TSA equipment are not overlooked any more, as the agency must provide a 
monthly preventive maintenance schedule to appropriate airport 
personnel, streamlining the communication process amongst contractors 
and the airports themselves.

[[Page H5501]]

  Also, this bill requires that the TSA must impose penalties for 
noncompliance when preventative and/or corrective maintenance does not 
meet contractual requirements or manufacturer specifications.
  Mr. Speaker, we must provide the guidance and tools needed by the TSA 
to ensure the safety of the millions that travel through our nation's 
airports.
  H.R. 2770, the ``Keeping Our Travelers Safe and Secure Act of 2015'' 
is a positive step forward in handling the issues raised by the 
Inspector General's report on our country's airports security systems.
  I urge my colleagues to join me in voting in support of H.R. 2770.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2770, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further 
proceedings on this motion will be postponed.

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