[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 146 (Tuesday, September 4, 2018)]
[House]
[Pages H7809-H7810]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                   TSA NATIONAL DEPLOYMENT FORCE ACT

  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 6461) to amend title 49, United States Code, to establish in the 
Transportation Security Administration a National Deployment Office, 
and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 6461

       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 National Deployment 
     Force Act''.

     SEC. 2. NATIONAL DEPLOYMENT OFFICE.

       (a) In General.--Subchapter II of chapter 449 of title 49, 
     United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new section:

     ``Sec. 44947. National Deployment Office

       ``(a) Establishment.--There is established within the 
     Transportation Security Administration a National Deployment 
     Office, to be headed by an individual with supervisory 
     experience. Such individual shall be designated by the 
     Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
       ``(b) Duties.--The individual designated as the head of the 
     National Deployment Office shall be responsible for the 
     following:
       ``(1) Maintaining a National Deployment Force within the 
     Transportation Security Administration that is comprised of 
     transportation security officers, including supervisory 
     transportation security officers and lead transportation 
     security officers, to provide the Administration with rapid 
     and efficient response capabilities and augment the 
     Department of Homeland Security's homeland security 
     operations to mitigate and reduce risk, including for the 
     following:
       ``(A) Airports temporarily requiring additional security 
     personnel due to an emergency, seasonal demands, hiring 
     shortfalls, severe weather conditions, passenger volume 
     mitigation, equipment support, or other reasons.
       ``(B) Special events requiring enhanced security including 
     National Special Security Events, as determined by the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security.
       ``(C) Response in the aftermath of any manmade disaster, 
     including any terrorist attack.
       ``(D) Other such situations, as determined by the 
     Administrator.
       ``(2) Educating transportation security officers regarding 
     how to participate in the Administration's National 
     Deployment Force.
       ``(3) Recruiting officers to serve on the National 
     Deployment Force, in accordance with a staffing model to be 
     developed by the Administrator.
       ``(4) Approving one-year appointments for officers to serve 
     on the National Deployment Force, with an option to extend 
     upon officer request and with the approval of the appropriate 
     Federal Security Director.
       ``(5) Training officers to serve on the National Deployment 
     Force.''.
       (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for subchapter II of 
     chapter 449 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by 
     adding at the end the following new item:

``44947. National Deployment Office.''.

     SEC. 3. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

       Subsection (f) of section 114 of title 49, United States 
     Code, is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (14), by striking ``and'' after the 
     semicolon at the end;
       (2) by redesignating paragraph (15) as paragraph (16); and
       (3) by inserting after paragraph (14) the following new 
     paragraph:
       ``(15) establish and maintain a National Deployment Office 
     as required under section 44947 of this title; and''.

     SEC. 4. CAREER DEVELOPMENT.

       The Administrator of the Transportation Security 
     Administration may consider service in the National 
     Deployment Force as a positive factor when evaluating 
     applicants for promotion opportunities within the 
     Transportation Security Administration.

     SEC. 5. ANNUAL REPORT.

       Not later than one year after the date of enactment of this 
     Act and annually thereafter for five years, the Administrator 
     of the Transportation Security Administration shall submit to 
     the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of 
     Representatives and Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
     Transportation of the Senate a report regarding activities of 
     the National Deployment Office, including the National 
     Deployment Force, established under section 44947 of title 
     49, United States Code, as added by section 2 of this Act. 
     Each such report shall include information relating to the 
     following:
       (1) When, where, why, how many, and for how long the 
     National Deployment Force was deployed throughout the 12-
     month period covered by such report and the costs associated 
     with such deployment.
       (2) A description of collaboration between the National 
     Deployment Office and other components of the Department of 
     Homeland Security, other Federal agencies, and State and 
     local transportation security stakeholders.
       (3) The size of the National Deployment Force, including 
     information on the staffing model of such Force and adherence 
     to such model as established by the Administrator.
       (4) Information on recruitment, appointment, and training 
     activities, including processes utilized to attract, recruit, 
     appoint, and train officers to serve on the National 
     Deployment Force.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Katko) and the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson 
Coleman) 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 today in support of H.R. 6461, the TSA National 
Deployment Force Act, sponsored by my good friend and the ranking 
member of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security, 
Mrs. Watson Coleman.
  TSA security operations happen 365 days per year at nearly 440 
federalized airports. Our Nation depends on the professionals at TSA 
who are on the front lines every single day to keep our transportation 
systems moving and secure.
  In testimony before the committee, Administrator Pekoske has stated 
that TSA's greatest assets are its people, and I could not agree more. 
Transportation security officers are tasked with a zero-fail mission, 
and their dedication to duty is what helps keep traveling Americans 
secure when they fly within our civil aviation system.
  With a strengthening economy, passenger volume has surged over the 
past few years and is expected to go much higher in the years to come, 
and TSA has often struggled to accommodate massive traveler volume 
increases at checkpoints. However, one of the most practical, useful, 
and helpful tools in TSA's toolbox, the National Deployment Force, 
helps TSA alleviate long lines at airport checkpoints, providing both a 
national security value by minimizing public area security risk and 
providing efficiency by reducing passenger wait times.
  This legislation authorizes the National Deployment Force, or NDF, 
within TSA to provide rapid and efficient response capabilities.
  The NDF is comprised of transportation security officers who may be 
deployed across the country to supplement existing TSA staffing during 
periods of high seasonal demand, natural disasters, national special 
security events, or other scenarios requiring additional security 
screening support.
  Recently, the NDF has provided critical screening support for large-
scale events requiring additional security, such as the Super Bowl and 
in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. Given the anticipated increases in 
passenger growth, this bipartisan legislation will help ensure that TSA 
has the resources

[[Page H7810]]

it needs to quickly respond to influxes in passenger volume at specific 
airports.
  I am proud to cosponsor this bipartisan legislation with my good 
friend and colleague from New Jersey to authorize a National Deployment 
Force and help make TSA the agile agency the American people expect and 
deserve.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6461, the TSA National 
Deployment Force Act.
  Mr. Speaker, the Transportation Security Administration maintains a 
National Deployment Force, or NDF, a volunteer force made up of 
transportation security officers who are deployed to various locations 
across the country in support of TSA's homeland security mission.
  Today, the TSA Administrator is able to deploy this force to respond 
rapidly to operational challenges at more than 440 airports where TSA 
conducts security operations. Maintenance of this operational 
capability would not be possible if TSA did not maintain a robust 
federalized screening workforce.
  TSA deploys the NDF to address hiring difficulties, seasonal demands, 
severe weather conditions, and periods of relief and recovery following 
a natural disaster or other major incident, as well as to support 
securing national security events, again, such as the Super Bowl and 
national political conventions. In particular, the NDF was critical to 
ensuring TSA could continue to operate fully in the aftermath of 
Hurricane Sandy after that storm devastated my region of the country.
  Notably, TSA has called upon the NDF to fill staffing gaps at 
airports where private screening companies operating under TSA's 
screening partnership program are unable to hire enough officers. My 
bill authorizes the NDF to ensure its work continues and directs TSA to 
report to Congress on the NDF's activities to ensure proper oversight.
  Because officers serving on the NDF often go above and beyond, 
leaving their homes and families on short notice, my bill authorizes 
TSA to consider service in this force as a positive factor when 
evaluating applicants for promotions within TSA.
  The NDF is a critical component of TSA's homeland security efforts, 
and I urge my colleagues to support this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, in closing, in recent years, we have seen TSA face a 
wide array of challenges, including complex threat streams, lengthy 
wait times, and the need to reopen airports quickly after natural 
disasters. The NDF provides TSA with the operational flexibility it 
needs to maintain the security of our country's transportation systems 
in the face of these challenges.
  Mr. Speaker, I thank my partner on the Transportation and Protective 
Security Subcommittee, Mr. Katko, as well as my other colleagues for 
their support, and I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 6461.
  I agree with the comments of my colleague from New Jersey, and I 
think that this commonsense legislation will give TSA more flexibility 
and more elasticity in facing the ongoing challenges with staffing 
issues at airports, especially during peak travel times.
  Mr. Speaker, 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. 6461.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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