[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 89 (Tuesday, June 7, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H3467-H3470]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
CHECKPOINT OPTIMIZATION AND EFFICIENCY ACT OF 2016
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(H.R. 5338) to reduce passenger wait times 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. 5338
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 ``Checkpoint Optimization and
Efficiency Act of 2016''.
SEC. 2. SENSE OF CONGRESS.
It is the sense of Congress that airport checkpoint wait
times should not take priority over the security of the
Nation's aviation system.
SEC. 3. ENHANCED STAFFING ALLOCATION MODEL.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration shall complete an
assessment of the Administration's staffing allocation model
to determine the necessary staffing positions at all airports
in the United States at which the Administration operates
passenger checkpoints.
(b) Appropriate Staffing.--The staffing allocation model
described in subsection (a) shall be based on necessary
staffing levels to maintain minimal passenger wait times and
maximum security effectiveness.
(c) Additional Resources.--In assessing necessary staffing
for minimal passenger wait times and maximum security
effectiveness referred to in subsection (b), the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
shall include the use of canine explosives detection teams
and technology to assist screeners conducting security
checks.
(d) Transparency.--The Administrator of the Transportation
Security Administration shall share with aviation security
stakeholders the staffing allocation model described in
subsection (a), as appropriate.
(e) Exchange of Information.--The Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration shall require each
Federal Security Director to engage on a regular basis with
the appropriate aviation security stakeholders to exchange
information regarding airport operations, including security
operations.
(f) Gao Review.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the
United States shall review the staffing allocation model
described in subsection (a) and report to the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate on the results of such review.
SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE UTILIZATION OF STAFFING RESOURCES.
(a) In General.--To the greatest extent practicable, the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
shall direct that Transportation Security Officers with
appropriate certifications and training are assigned to
passenger and baggage security screening functions and that
other Administration personnel who may not have certification
and training to screen passengers or baggage are utilized for
tasks not directly related to security screening, including
restocking bins and providing instructions and support to
passengers in security lines.
(b) Assessment and Reassignment.--The Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration shall conduct an
assessment of headquarters personnel and reassign appropriate
personnel to assist with airport security screening
activities on a permanent or temporary basis, as appropriate.
SEC. 5. TSA STAFFING AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION.
(a) In General.--Not later than 30 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration shall take the
following actions:
(1) Utilize the Administration's Behavior Detection
Officers for passenger and baggage security screening,
including the verification of traveler documents,
particularly at designated PreCheck lanes to ensure that such
lanes are operational for use and maximum efficiency.
(2) Make every practicable effort to grant additional
flexibility and authority to Federal Security Directors in
matters related to checkpoint and checked baggage staffing
allocation and employee overtime in furtherance of
maintaining minimal passenger wait times and maximum security
effectiveness.
[[Page H3468]]
(3) Disseminate to aviation security stakeholders and
appropriate Administration personnel a list of checkpoint
optimization best practices.
(4) Expand efforts to increase the public's participation
in the Administration's PreCheck program, including deploying
Administration-approved ready-to-market private sector
solutions and offering secure online and mobile enrollment
opportunities.
(5) Request the Aviation Security Advisory Committee
(established pursuant to section 44946 of title 49, United
States Code) provide recommendations on best practices for
checkpoint security operations optimization.
(b) Staffing Advisory Coordination.--Not later than 30 days
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
shall--
(1) direct each Federal Security Director to coordinate
local representatives of aviation security stakeholders to
establish a staffing advisory working group at each airport
at which the Administration oversees or performs passenger
security screening to provide recommendations to the
Administrator on Transportation Security Officer staffing
numbers, for such airport; and
(2) certify to the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate that such staffing
advisory working groups have been established.
(c) Reporting.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration shall--
(1) report to the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate regarding how the
Administration's Passenger Screening Canine assets may be
deployed and utilized for maximum efficiency to mitigate risk
and optimize checkpoint operations; and
(2) report to the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the status of
the Administration's Credential Authentication Technology
Assessment program and how deployment of such program might
optimize checkpoint operations.
SEC. 6. AVIATION SECURITY STAKEHOLDERS DEFINED.
For purposes of this Act, the term ``aviation security
stakeholders'' shall mean, at a minimum, air carriers,
airport operators, and labor organizations representing
Transportation Security Officers or, where applicable,
contract screeners.
SEC. 7. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.
Nothing in this Act may be construed as authorizing or
directing the Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration to prioritize reducing wait times over
security effectiveness.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Katko) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) 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
to include any extraneous materials 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.
We have all seen, heard about, or even experienced for ourselves the
recent crisis of wait times at TSA checkpoints at airports across this
great Nation. With record passenger volumes, inefficient staffing
models, and collaboration challenges with airports and airlines, the
TSA has found itself stretched way too thin. The fact of the matter is
that security effectiveness and efficiency are not mutually exclusive.
Now that the summer holiday season is upon us, it is imperative that
we move to alleviate the nightmarish scenarios that have been playing
out at airports across the United States in recent months. Passengers
should not be missing flights due to long security lines when they are
arriving to the airport 2 hours prior to their flights. Similarly,
airports should not be approaching an operational ground stop related
to TSA checkpoint lines. Also, they should not be having to sleep
overnight on cots, in airports, because of TSA snafus.
The House has already passed important legislation to expand TSA
PreCheck, which is still awaiting passage in the Senate. Getting more
passengers enrolled in PreCheck is essential to security and efficiency
by identifying low-risk travelers and expediting them through
screening. Today, we have the opportunity to act again and swiftly.
When I came to Congress, I made a commitment to my constituents to
tackle problems head-on and get things done.
A few weeks ago, my colleagues and I had convened representatives
from airports and airlines from across this country to discuss this
wait time crisis and to hear directly from them what they think needs
to be done to help. The message was consistent, and it was loud: the
TSA needs to collaborate with individual airlines and airport
authorities to coordinate sufficient staffing levels on a local basis.
We heard their message. This bill will require the TSA to maximize
all of its available resources and give airports, airlines, and labor
organizations a seat at the table to ensure those resources are being
utilized and allocated in the most effective and efficient manner.
The Checkpoint Optimization and Efficiency Act will make a meaningful
impact in shortening the burdensome security wait times being
experienced by Americans who travel through airports across this
country. It is critical that Congress act to swiftly get this bill to
the President's desk.
Specifically, this legislation redeploys TSA assets, such as behavior
detection officers, of which there are 3,000, and K-9 teams so that
more personnel are made available to perform screening functions.
Further, the bill grants additional flexibility to local TSA
supervisors in order to empower them to make decisions on an airport-
by-airport basis, rather than a top-down approach from TSA
headquarters.
This bill will also direct the TSA to undergo a comprehensive
workforce assessment and report to Congress to ensure that the agency
is deploying personnel in the most risk-based manner. The TSA must also
share its staffing practices with airport operators, airlines, and
labor organizations in order to enhance the coordination between peak
travel times, flight schedules, and TSA checkpoint staffing.
Mr. Speaker, this wait time crisis is an issue that touches airports
across this great country, and a swift response to problems like this
is what the American people sent us here to accomplish. This
legislation implements commonsense practices while preventing a one-
size-fits-all approach to aviation security. Above all, the bill
explicitly states that security is paramount and that wait times should
not be prioritized at the expense of effective security screening.
I thank the chairman of the full committee, Mr. McCaul, for his
strong support of this legislation and for ensuring that it was a top
priority for the committee. Additionally, I thank Ranking Member Rice
and Representative Keating for their bipartisan support on this bill. I
also thank the ranking minority member on the Homeland Security
Committee, my colleague who works with us hand in hand again and again
on these matters, Mr. Thompson. We are here, before Congress, passing
yet another bill in a bipartisan manner. This is what Congress is
supposed to do, and I thank Mr. Thompson for his support. I also
express thanks to each of the bill's cosponsors for recognizing the
importance of this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as
I may consume.
I rise in support of H.R. 5338, the Checkpoint Optimization and
Efficiency Act of 2016.
Over the past few months, the Transportation Security Administration
has been scrutinized and criticized regarding wait times. As the peak
travel season began, there were several reports of wait times that
exceeded 2 hours. Those lengthy waits caused anxiety and disappointment
among travelers. At times, the prolonged wait times caused many
passengers to miss their flights.
In response to this crisis, the Department of Homeland Security and
the Transportation Security Administration took a series of actions.
The TSA deployed additional K-9 teams to screen passengers at
checkpoints; it intensified its efforts to promote participation in the
PreCheck program; it partnered more closely with airlines and airports;
and it increased research and development efforts for technologies that
will improve screening. This bill codifies many of those actions.
However, it does not encompass
[[Page H3469]]
the entirety of the Department's efforts to address the wait times
crisis.
DHS Secretary Johnson also requested that $34 million in
appropriations be reprogrammed from other TSA accounts to help cover
the costs for overtime, converting part-time workers to full-time, and
expediting the hiring of new transportation security officers. DHS'
request was approved. Just 2 weeks after the reprogramming, Secretary
Johnson requested an additional infusion of cash to TSA operations of
$28 million. That reprogramming request is pending. The infusion of $34
million in additional resources into TSA security operations has had a
tremendous impact on wait times at the Nation's airports. In fact,
during the Memorial Day weekend, most airports reported wait times of
less than 30 minutes during peak time.
If the TSA is to maintain the operational gains that have been
realized in recent weeks and keep wait times down, it will require
Congress' stepping up and providing resources. Even though the measures
within this bill will codify much of what the TSA and the DHS are
already doing to address the issue, the only way to achieve long-term,
measurable success is by giving the TSA the resources it needs on an
ongoing basis.
The TSA's current staffing is out of step with its own projection for
volumes in fiscal year 2016. As you can see from the poster, the TSA's
staffing in fiscal year 2016 was 42,525 TSOs, which is nearly 2,500
fewer frontline staff than in fiscal year 2011. The TSA is expected to
screen nearly 100 million more passengers in FY 2016, with about 2,500
fewer staff.
That is why I joined with Representative DeFazio and Representative
Dold in introducing H.R. 5340, the FASTER Act, which is bipartisan
legislation that directs the money that is collected from the flying
public through the September 11 Security Fee to actually be used to
secure the Nation's commercial aviation system. Unfortunately, a
significant portion of the funds collected, which has totaled $12.6
billion over 10 years, is being diverted to offset the Federal budget.
I urge Members to support H.R. 5340, the FASTER Act.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 1 minute to the distinguished
gentleman from Ohio (Mr. Joyce).
Mr. JOYCE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 5338, the
Checkpoint Optimization and Efficiency Act of 2016.
Every week, when I come and go from the Cleveland airport, I worry
about the chaotic lines and the long wait times in security. I am glad
for the opportunity to speak in support of legislation that intends to
alleviate this ever-growing problem. I am increasingly hearing from
constituents about the frustration of subjecting oneself to air travel.
Traveling with children is even more stressful, as my wife and I can
empathize with. Missing a flight because of ridiculously long lines at
security is unacceptable. At the same time, we need a system that
guarantees passenger safety.
It is all of our jobs here in Congress to ensure that our
constituents are safe, and it is the responsibility of TSA officers to
ensure travelers are thoroughly screened. This legislation will boost
their efficiency in doing so. Reviewing the TSA's staffing model is
necessary to determine best practices and implement them as soon as
possible. This legislation increases transparency and accountability.
Examining big-picture problems with the current system and tackling the
issues at the source will help to reduce passenger wait times and will
ensure the safety of all of our constituents.
This legislation presents a commonsense approach in addressing the
airport wait times issue, and I urge my colleagues to support H.R.
5338.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the distinguished
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Dold).
Mr. DOLD. I, certainly, thank my good friend from New York for
yielding the time.
I thank my friend from Mississippi, who talked a little bit before
about the bill that we are working on together, that being the FASTER
Act, which I do believe is a step in the right direction.
Mr. Speaker, I represent a district just north of Chicago, so the
airport that I go in and out of right now is Chicago's O'Hare--the
busiest airport in the country. In fact, we believe about 77 million
passengers are going to go through O'Hare this year--77 million. It is
not uncommon, obviously, for me to go there and have extremely long
wait times at the TSA. Unfortunately, what we have seen more recently
is these wait times continuing to build--to build so much that,
actually, the wait time is longer than the flight, itself, which, to
me, is completely unacceptable. Frankly, the American public deserves a
little bit more accountability.
Over the past few weeks, these long wait times, obviously, have been
exacerbated, so we have put on a Band-Aid--a patch--to try to make sure
that we have a little bit more staffing at some of these busiest of
airports around the country, and we have seen those wait times come
down. Yet what we do know is that people are missing their flights.
People who have missed their flights, at least in the last couple of
weeks, have been able to be put on flights without too much
inconvenience. If this were to happen this summer, the chances are, at
least from the airlines, they wouldn't be able to get on their flights
for a week or more, which could completely disrupt family vacations and
the like.
The current screening procedures need to be updated to ensure that we
protect passengers from terrorist threats and to make sure that
passengers are screened in the most efficient manner possible. This is,
really, a two-pronged approach. In one, my friend from Mississippi
talked about the FASTER Act, which is, again, trying to make sure that
the resources that passengers pay are actually going toward the TSA to
make sure that it has the manpower necessary to do the screening.
Today's bill, the Checkpoint Optimization and Efficiency Act, will go
a long way towards ensuring that the TSA updates the screening
procedures to improve customer service at the Nation's busiest
airports. This bill will ensure that TSA position screeners are where
they are needed most, which, I think, is absolutely critical. The bill
will allow the TSA to reallocate K-9 teams to the Nation's busiest
airports or where they are needed. K-9 detecting teams are a vital tool
in ensuring the quick and effective screening of passengers.
Mr. Speaker, just this last week, I was at O'Hare. I went down and
had an opportunity to talk with some of the K-9 screeners in Chicago.
One actually came from Fairbanks, Alaska, and the other one came in
from Cincinnati.
{time} 1600
There is no question that there was a huge issue at O'Hare that
needed to be rectified, and what this legislation does--and the
gentleman from New York proposes--will allow that flexibility to
happen.
Finally, I want to just talk about the TSA's Federal Security
Directors and making sure that they are placed at the busiest airports
and have some of the flexibility that they need to make the staffing
decisions that are best for the people.
The bill today, I believe, will go a long way toward alleviating the
crisis at our busiest airports around the country and will help make
sure that our hours-long wait times will be reduced and diminished.
I certainly hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle will
support this legislation.
Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance
of my time to close.
Mr. Speaker, the measure under consideration will codify much of what
the Department and TSA have been doing to address wait times at our
Nation's airports. Thankfully, through bipartisan negotiations on this
measure, we were able to ensure that when local airport working groups
are stood up, the voices of the airport operators, air carriers, and
those who represent the men and women on the front lines of aviation
security would be heard.
Also, I am pleased that the bill, as amended, takes a broader view on
how behavior detection officers could be used at our airports. I have
long been skeptical of TSA's investment in the Behavior Detection
Officer program,
[[Page H3470]]
given the risks of racial or ethnic profiling and the lack of science
to back TSA's claim of this security effectiveness.
I am pleased that Chairman Katko was receptive to repurposing this
position, at the Federal Security Director's discretion, to any
alternate position within TSA's checkpoint screening functions.
I, once again, urge Members to support H.R. 5340, the FASTER Act, as
it will ensure that TSA receives funding it needs to acquire and
maintain staff and resources to efficiently carry out its mission
without compromising security effectiveness.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
The threats facing our Nation's aviation system are constantly
changing and adapting. For this reason, TSA's mission is not only
difficult, but critical to the national security of the United States
and the safety of traveling Americans.
I, again, wish to thank all of the bipartisan cosponsors of this
legislation, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. McCAUL. Mr. Speaker, the traveling public is suffering from
staggeringly long airport wait times. As the busy summer travel season
has begun, I am consistently hearing reports of missed flights, delays,
and two-hour plus wait times at TSA security checkpoints. This
bipartisan legislation includes meaningful reforms that the Homeland
Security Committee has identified to address wait times, while making
sure that the traveling public remains safe. I also want to encourage
the Senate to act on other House-passed bills that would help alleviate
checkpoint wait times.
TSA's Admiral Neffenger testified before my committee that the
provisions outlined in H.R. 5338 would help optimize checkpoints and
reduce the burden on TSA and passengers. Our bill has also received
overwhelming support from transportation stakeholders, such as the
airport and airline community.
The Checkpoint Optimization and Efficiency Act redeploys TSA
personnel to enhance staffing and increase operational capability,
allowing more screening lanes to be open. The bill ushers in a new era
of transparency and accountability between TSA and its airport and
airline stakeholders, while pushing continued expansion of TSA's
PreCheck program, which the House has already sought to expand with the
passage of the TSA PreCheck Expansion Act.
Mr. Speaker, the President's recent budget requests have failed to
predict the resources that were needed to mitigate this problem before
it started. In fact, last year, TSA gave $100 million back to the U.S.
Treasury. Now, Secretary Johnson has had to ask Congress for
reprogramming requests to alleviate the burden placed on TSA
operations. While these reprogramming requests were necessary, I am
pleased that this legislation will go a step further by reallocating
existing assets in a much more effective manner.
I wish to thank Chairman Katko for his leadership on this important
issue, as well as each of the cosponsors of the bill. In particular, I
wish to thank Ranking Member Rice and Representative Keating for
lending their support to the bill and for their engagement and work on
enhancing transportation security. I urge my colleagues to support this
critical legislation.
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. 5338, 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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