[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 119 (Monday, July 27, 2015)]
[House]
[Pages H5501-H5502]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TSA PRECHECK EXPANSION ACT
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 2843) to require certain improvements in the Transportation
Security Administration's PreCheck expedited screening program, and for
other purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 2843
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 ``TSA PreCheck Expansion
Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
(2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the
Department of Homeland Security.
(3) TSA.--The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation
Security Administration.
SEC. 3. ENROLLMENT EXPANSION.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall publish
PreCheck application enrollment standards to add multiple
private sector application capabilities for the TSA PreCheck
program to increase the public's enrollment access to such
program, including standards that allow the use of secure
technologies, including online enrollment, kiosks, tablets,
or staffed laptop stations at which individuals can apply for
entry into such program.
(b) Requirements.--Upon publication of the PreCheck program
application enrollment standards pursuant to subsection (a),
the Administrator shall--
(1) coordinate with interested parties to deploy TSA-
approved ready-to-market private sector solutions that meet
the TSA PreCheck application enrollment standards described
in paragraph (1), make available additional PreCheck
enrollment capabilities, and offer secure online and mobile
enrollment opportunities;
(2) partner with the private sector to collect biographic
and biometric identification information via kiosks, mobile
devices, or other mobile enrollment platforms to reduce the
number of instances in which passengers need to travel to
enrollment centers;
(3) ensure that the kiosks, mobile devices, or other mobile
enrollment platforms referred to in paragraph (3) are
certified as secure and not vulnerable to data breaches;
(4) ensure that any biometric and biographic information is
collected in a manner which is comparable with the National
Institute of Standards and Technology standards and ensures
privacy and data security protections, including that
applicants' personally identifiable information is collected,
retained, used, and shared in a manner consistent with
section 552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly known
as ``Privacy Act of 1974''), and agency regulations;
(5) ensure that an individual who wants to enroll in the
PreCheck program and has started an application with a single
identification verification at one location will be able to
save such individual's application on any kiosk, personal
computer, mobile device, or other mobile enrollment platform
and be able to return within a reasonable time to submit a
second identification verification; and
(6) ensure that any enrollment expansion using a private
sector risk assessment instead of a fingerprint-based
criminal history records check is determined, by the
Secretary of Homeland Security, to be equivalent to a
fingerprint-based criminal history records check conducted
through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
(c) Marketing of PreCheck Program.--Upon publication of
PreCheck program application enrollment standards pursuant to
subsection (a), the Administrator shall--
(1) in accordance with the standards described in paragraph
(1) of subsection (a), develop and implement--
(A) a process, including an associated timeframe, for
approving private sector marketing of the TSA PreCheck
program; and
(B) a strategy for partnering with the private sector to
encourage enrollment in such program; and
(2) submit to Congress a report on any PreCheck fees
collected in excess of the costs of administering such
program, including recommendations for using such amounts to
support marketing of such program under this subsection.
(d) Identity Verification Enhancement.--Not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall--
(1) coordinate with the heads of appropriate components of
the Department to leverage Department-held data and
technologies to verify the citizenship of individuals
enrolling in the TSA PreCheck program; and
(2) partner with the private sector to use advanced
biometrics and standards comparable with National Institute
of Standards and Technology standards to facilitate
enrollment in such program.
(e) PreCheck Lane Operation.--The Administrator shall--
(1) ensure that TSA PreCheck screening lanes are open and
available during peak and high-volume travel times at
airports to individuals enrolled in the PreCheck program; and
(2) make every practicable effort to provide expedited
screening at standard screening lanes during times when
PreCheck screening lanes are closed to individuals enrolled
in such program in order to maintain operational efficiency.
(f) Vetting for PreCheck Participants.--Not later than 90
days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Administrator shall initiate an assessment of the security
vulnerabilities in the vetting process for the PreCheck
program that includes an evaluation of whether subjecting
PreCheck participants to recurrent fingerprint-based criminal
history records checks, in addition to recurrent checks
against the terrorist watchlist, could be done in a cost-
effective manner to strengthen the security of the PreCheck
program.
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. 2843, the TSA PreCheck
Expansion Act. This piece of legislation serves as an important driving
force to advance risk-based security and better secure our Nation's
aviation sector.
TSA's PreCheck program, which grants expedited security screening to
passengers at airports nationwide, has been an incredibly popular tool
used by the Agency to improve the traveling public's airport screening
experience, while moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to
security screening by identifying trusted travelers.
Risk-based security hinges on the ability to deploy our resources on
those passengers whom we have not thoroughly vetted. However, the
effectiveness and integrity of this program depends on TSA's ability to
better market this program and increase passenger enrollment.
As the Agency has become overly dependent on alternate methods of
expedited screening, such as managed inclusion, a problem addressed by
Ranking Member Thompson's bill, which I cosponsored, H.R. 2127, TSA has
become ineffective in prioritizing enrollment and partnering with the
private sector.
Only the level of innovation found in the private sector will be able
to assist TSA in driving continued enrollment in PreCheck. That being
said, it is important that any expansion of the PreCheck program be
conducted in a secure and responsible manner, which ensures the
public's security and privacy.
This bill before the Congress right now does just that. Specifically,
this
[[Page H5502]]
legislation directs TSA to partner with the private sector to find
technological solutions for expanding enrollment in PreCheck and
requires the Agency to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for
PreCheck.
Additionally, H.R. 2843 mandates that the Administrator coordinate
with other Department of Homeland Security components to leverage
existing data and technologies while also encouraging TSA to develop
alternative recurrent vetting capabilities for those enrolled in
PreCheck in order to maintain the program's security effectiveness.
{time} 1645
Every day, TSA screens 2 million passengers. By expanding known
traveler programs such as PreCheck, we can ensure that TSA is focusing
its resources on those passengers who are unknown and therefore pose a
greater risk.
I would like to thank Chairman McCaul and Congressman Rogers for
joining me as cosponsors of this important piece of legislation. I urge
my other colleagues to do the same, and I look forward to continuing
our efforts to expand PreCheck in a secure and effective manner.
I reserve the balance of my time.
Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2843, the TSA PreCheck
Expansion Act.
A decade after Congress directed the establishment of a trusted
passenger program, TSA announced its PreCheck pilot program in 2011.
Initially, PreCheck participants were frequent flyers of major
airlines, Active Duty military members, and participants in other
Department of Homeland Security known traveler programs.
Over the past 4 years, PreCheck participation has expanded
significantly and now encompasses over 1 million Americans who
submitted biographic and biometric information and paid a fee to
participate in the program.
While I am pleased that TSA has reached the milestone of enrolling 1
million people, there are 650 million people who fly in the U.S. every
year, and we must keep working to bring more of them into the program.
Enrolling in PreCheck is a win-win for passengers and for airport
security. Passengers get the benefit of expedited screening, and we get
the benefit of an expanded universe of passengers who have undergone
extensive vetting and are known to be low risk, and that allows TSA to
focus its limited resources on passengers who are unknown and may be
higher risk.
We can expand PreCheck participation by streamlining the enrollment
process to make it more convenient and more accessible. H.R. 2843 seeks
to do just that by requiring enrollment standards to include secure
technologies such as kiosks and tablets that can collect biographic and
biometric information.
Additionally, this bills directs TSA to more aggressively market the
PreCheck program. Getting the word out about the merits of PreCheck is
vital to ensuring that the program continues to grow.
To keep Congress engaged in its progress, this bill requires that TSA
report any fees in excess of administration costs.
This is also an opportunity for the private sector to work together
with the Federal Government to expand PreCheck participation, and this
partnership will continue to push the program in the right direction.
I urge my colleagues to support this bipartisan legislation, Mr.
Speaker, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I support this commonsense legislation, and I congratulate my partner
on the Transportation Security Subcommittee, Chairman Katko, for
authoring it.
I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2843, and 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. Miss Rice is absolutely correct: it is
common sense. It is common sense that a program that has been with TSA
for a while now and that has not been expanded on by TSA despite its
popularity and it is common sense with respect to risk-based security
that this should be passed. I urge passage of it, and I yield back the
balance of my time.
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. 2843, as amended.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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