[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 7, 2019)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2690-S2691]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
By Mr. THUNE (for himself and Mr. Peters):
S. 1349. A bill to expand enrollment in TSA PreCheck to expedite
commercial travel screening and improve airport security; to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of
the bill be printed in the Record.
There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be
printed in the Record, as follows:
S. 1349
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 ``Secure Traveler Act''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Public agency.--The term ``public agency'' means the
Federal Government, a State government, a unit of local
government, any combination of such government entities, or
any department, agency, or instrumentality of any such
government entity.
(2) Sponsoring agency.--The term ``sponsoring agency''
means a government agency for which a security clearance is
obtained, as determined by the Director of the National
Background Investigations Bureau of the Office of Personnel
Management.
(3) Public safety officer.--the term ``public safety
officer'' means a person serving as a law enforcement
officer, as determined by the Attorney General
SEC. 3. TSA PRECHECK ENROLLMENT FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH ACTIVE
SECURITY CLEARANCE.
(a) Process.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with
the Director of the National Background Investigations Bureau
of the Office of Personnel Management and other appropriate
departments and agencies of the Federal Government, shall
establish a process to permit the verification of an active
security clearance to enable enrollment in TSA PreCheck.
(b) Components.--In establishing the process required under
subsection (a), the Administrator shall ensure that--
(1) eligible applicants for TSA PreCheck provide
verification of active clearance through coordination with
their sponsoring agency;
(2) active clearance is required at the time an application
is submitted and at the time of its approval;
(3) interim security clearance is not accepted for purposes
of paragraphs (1) and (2); and
(4) approved applicants are assigned a trusted traveler
number.
(c) Eligible Levels of Clearance.--An individual holding
any of the following security clearances shall be eligible to
participate in TSA PreCheck under the process established
under subsection (a):
(1) Secret.
(2) Top Secret, including Sensitive Compartmented
Information.
(3) L Clearance.
(4) Q Clearance.
(5) Yankee White, all categories.
(d) Fees.--Any individual who enrolls in TSA PreCheck
through the process established under subsection (a) shall
submit any fee required to cover the costs of participation
in such program. Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31,
United States Code, such fee shall be retained and used by
the Transportation Security Administration.
(e) Termination; Renewal.--
(1) Term.--If an individual remains eligible for membership
in TSA PreCheck under the requirements established by the
Transportation Security Administration, his or her
participation in TSA PreCheck will terminate on the date that
is 5 years after the date on which such enrollment is
approved
[[Page S2691]]
unless it is renewed in accordance with applicable law.
(2) Revocation.--
(A) In general.--An individual's participation in TSA
PreCheck that was initiated through the process established
under subsection (a) shall be terminated if the underlying
security clearance is revoked, as determined by the
sponsoring agency.
(B) Exceptions.--Except as provided in subparagraph (A), an
individual's participation in TSA PreCheck that was initiated
through the process established under subsection (a) may be
revoked, at the discretion of the Administrator, if--
(i) the individual is determined to pose a threat to
aviation or national security; and
(ii) the underlying security clearance is inactivated as a
result of a change of the individual's employment or the end
of an individual's appointment in a particular position.
SEC. 4. TSA PRECHECK ENROLLMENT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
(a) Process.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with
the Attorney General, shall establish a process to permit the
enrollment of certain law enforcement officers in TSA
PreCheck.
(b) Components.--In establishing the process required under
subsection (a), the Attorney General and the Administrator
shall ensure that--
(1) eligible applicants for TSA PreCheck provide
verification of active employment through coordination with
their sponsoring agency;
(2) active employment in good standing is required--
(A) at the time an application is submitted; and
(B) at the time an application is approved;
(3) interim disciplinary status is not accepted for
purposes of paragraphs (1) and (2); and
(4) approved applicants are assigned a trusted traveler
number.
(c) Eligible Law Enforcement Officers.--An individual shall
be eligible to participate in TSA PreCheck under the process
established under subsection (a) if he or she--
(1) is a public safety officer for a public agency
(including a court system) that receives Federal financial
assistance;
(2) is a law enforcement officer for a public agency; or
(3) occupies another position, as deemed appropriate by the
Attorney General and the Administrator.
(d) Fees.--Any individual who enrolls in TSA PreCheck
through the process established under subsection (a) shall
submit any fee required to cover the costs of participation
in such program. Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31,
United States Code, such fee shall be retained and used by
the Transportation Security Administration.
(e) Termination; Renewal.--
(1) Term.--If an individual remains eligible for membership
in TSA PreCheck under the requirements established by the
Transportation Security Administration, his or her
participation in TSA PreCheck shall terminate on the date
that is 5 years after the date on which such enrollment is
approved unless such enrollment is renewed in accordance with
applicable law.
(2) Revocation.--An individual's participation in TSA
PreCheck that was initiated through the process established
under subsection (a)--
(A) shall be revoked if the underlying employment is
terminated or suspended, as determined by the sponsoring
agency; and
(B) may be revoked, at the discretion of the Attorney
General and the Administrator, based on the termination of
the underlying employment if such termination is a result
of--
(i) a voluntary change of the individual's employment; or
(ii) the expiration of the term of service in a particular
position to which an individual was appointed.
SEC. 5. REPORT ON EXPANDED ENROLLMENT FOR TRUSTED TRAVELER
PROGRAMS.
(a) In General.--Not later than 270 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs
and Border Protection and the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with
the Attorney General, the Director of the National Background
Investigations Bureau of the Office of Personnel Management,
and other appropriate departments and agencies of the Federal
Government, shall submit a report to Congress on the
feasibility of expanding the enrollment processes established
under sections 3 and 4 to the Trusted Traveler Programs
listed in subsection (b).
(b) Trusted Traveler Programs.--The programs listed in this
subsection are--
(1) Global Entry;
(2) SENTRI;
(3) NEXUS; and
(4) any travel facilitation program that is similar to any
of the programs listed in paragraphs (1) though (3) and has
been designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security to be
included in the report required under subsection (a).
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