[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 156 (Thursday, September 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8020-H8021]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRUSTED TRAVELER RECONSIDERATION AND RESTORATION ACT OF 2019
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3675) to require a review of Department of Homeland Security
trusted traveler programs, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3675
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 ``Trusted Traveler
Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2019''.
SEC. 2. COMPTROLLER GENERAL REVIEW.
Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of
this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall
conduct a review of Department of Homeland Security trusted
traveler programs. Such review shall examine the following:
(1) The extent to which the Department of Homeland Security
tracks data and monitors trends related to trusted traveler
programs, including root causes for identity-matching errors
resulting in an individual's enrollment in a trusted traveler
program being reinstated.
(2) Whether the Department coordinates with the heads of
other relevant Federal, State, local, Tribal, or territorial
entities regarding redress procedures for disqualifying
offenses not covered by the Department's own redress
processes but which offenses impact an individual's
enrollment in a trusted traveler program.
(3) How the Department may improve individuals' access to
reconsideration procedures regarding a disqualifying offense
for enrollment in a trusted traveler program that requires
the involvement of any other Federal, State, local, Tribal,
or territorial entity.
(4) The extent to which travelers are informed about
reconsideration procedures regarding enrollment in a trusted
traveler program.
SEC. 3. ENROLLMENT REDRESS.
Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Secretary
of Homeland Security shall, with respect to an individual
whose enrollment in a trusted traveler program was revoked in
error extend by an amount of time equal to the period of
revocation the period of active enrollment in such a program
upon re-enrollment in such a program by such an individual.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
California (Mr. Correa) and the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from California.
General Leave
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous material on this measure.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from California?
There was no objection.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3675, the Trusted
Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2019.
Millions of people have applied for a variety of DHS Trusted Traveler
Programs such as TSA's PreCheck program and CBP's Global Entry, Nexus,
Sentri, and FAST programs.
Once approved, enrollment in these programs allows travelers to go
through expedited screening while allowing DHS officers to focus on
higher risk travelers.
While I commend DHS for taking steps to focus on high-risk travelers,
I am troubled by examples of travelers who meet all the security
requirements for enrollment but are unable to enroll.
Misidentification or misinformation impairs DHS' ability to
appropriately make determinations on eligibility and limits the
public's willingness to participate in these programs.
This bill seeks to strengthen the DHS Trusted Traveler Programs by
requiring the GAO to conduct a study of them. Specifically, the bill
requires GAO to evaluate the identity matching process as well as the
redress process for individuals who believe they have been wrongly
disqualified from these programs.
Such a review will help ensure that the Trusted Traveler Programs are
working more efficiently and that individuals seeking to participate
are subject to consistent processes that ensure fair treatment for all.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3675, the Trusted
Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2019.
This bill, sponsored by my colleague, Representative John Katko,
seeks to ensure the rights of travelers who have erroneously had their
trusted traveler status revoked.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Representative Katko for his leadership on this
bipartisan bill, and for Chairman Thompson and Ranking Member Rogers'
commitment to bringing this bill to the floor today.
[[Page H8021]]
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the bill, and I
reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I also want to thank Mr. Katko for his
leadership on this measure.
I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close after the
gentleman from Tennessee closes.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko).
Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my bill,
H.R. 3675, the Trusted Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of
2019.
This bipartisan legislation seeks to improve the process of having
one's trusted traveler status reinstated after it may have been revoked
in error.
Every day, the Department of Homeland Security's Trusted Traveler
Programs keep the traveling public moving freely and securely. The
Trusted Traveler Programs, like PreCheck, Global Entry, Nexus, and
Sentri, facilitate growing passenger volumes at airports and ports of
entry while also making screening risk-based.
Unfortunately, however, some travelers have suffered from instances
of miscommunication or misidentification, causing them to lose their
trusted traveler status.
Unlike the Department's redress program for individuals who are
originally denied enrollment in these programs, the process for
restoration when someone's trusted traveler status has been erroneously
revoked is much less clear.
The traveling public should not be subjected to a litany of
bureaucratic hurdles and lengthy procedures at multiple different
agencies when seeking help having their trusted traveler status
reinstated.
H.R. 3675 helps alleviate this burden by implementing a top-to-bottom
audit of the Department's existing data and processes by the Government
Accountability Office.
It is my intention that this review will yield recommendations for
Homeland Security to improve how travelers engage with the government
on these issues, and break down communication barriers between Federal,
State, and local agencies.
Importantly, my legislation also directs the Secretary of Homeland
Security to provide commensurate re-enrollment time to those
individuals found to have had their trusted traveler status revoked in
error.
Mr. Speaker, I want to thank my bill's bipartisan cosponsors,
including my friends, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Mr. Correa, and Ms. Slotkin
for their support of this important bill. I also thank the chairman of
the full committee, Mr. Thompson, and Ranking Member Rogers for
bringing this bill to the floor today.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I reaffirm my support for the
bill. I have no further speakers, and I yield back the balance of my
time.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, our citizens expect that DHS' Trusted Traveler Programs
are operated in a consistent manner and that DHS properly identifies
those individuals that are low-risk travelers.
This bill will provide insight into DHS' identity matching process
and ensure that individuals seeking to participate are subject to
consistent processes that ensure fair treatment.
We also want DHS to focus its time and resources on individuals who
are high risk. This bill will ensure that the programs that DHS uses to
vet individuals are executed effectively.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko) for
introducing this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I urge the bill's passage, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
{time} 1415
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from California (Mr. Correa) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, H.R. 3675.
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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