[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 156 (Thursday, September 26, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H8024-H8025]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRAVELING PARENTS SCREENING CONSISTENCY ACT OF 2019
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3246) to require GAO review of certain TSA screening
protocols, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3246
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 ``Traveling Parents Screening
Consistency 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 the Transportation Security
Administration's (TSA) implementation of the Bottles and
Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Act (Public Law 114-293),
as well as the effectiveness of TSA in ensuring screening
protocol clarity and screening consistency relating to the
screening of formula,
[[Page H8025]]
breast milk, purified deionized water for infants, and juice.
Such review shall include the following:
(1) Consider whether TSA effectively manages consistency of
screening protocol applications for formula, breastmilk,
purified deionized water for infants, and juice, including
the extent to which Transportation Security officers engage
in screening beyond that which is prescribed through relevant
policies and training.
(2) Evaluate the need for TSA to update and revise
procedures for such screening.
(3) Assess whether TSA effectively tracks passenger
complaints related to such screening to monitor trends and
identify inconsistencies.
(4) Evaluate TSA's communications and information sharing
practices for passengers, air carriers, and airports relating
to screening protocols for such screening.
(5) Evaluate TSA's policies regarding the screening of
passengers with nursing products, including the extent to
which such passengers are more likely to receive secondary
screening.
(6) Make recommendations for improving TSA's overall
screening practices relating to such screening.
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
have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to
include extraneous materials 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. 3246, the Traveling
Parents Screening Consistency Act.
The stress of traveling through our airport checkpoints is very
familiar to all of us. This experience can be especially burdensome on
parents traveling with children. Too often, these families aren't given
clear direction and guidance on how to ensure that they meet TSA
guidelines while bringing baby supplies and nursing products through
the screening process.
Parents across the country are often left confused and inconvenienced
as they encounter different interpretations of TSA's policies at
different airports. In some cases, parents have discarded expensive
baby formula and other items after being instructed that such items
cannot be brought through security when, in fact, they are allowed
under TSA policy.
TSA must do better for these families by creating commonsense
policies and clearly communicating with them to ensure parents are able
to properly care for their children while traveling.
H.R. 3246, provides more certainty and protections to parents
traveling with baby supplies, such as breast milk and formula. This
bill will help improve traveling experiences for families, while
enforcing security standards for everyone traveling throughout our
Nation's airports.
I urge my House 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. 3246, the Traveling
Parent Screening Consistency Act, introduced by Representative Van
Taylor.
As many of us can attest, the life of a parent with young or infant
children can be quite stressful, particularly while traveling.
Screening by the Transportation Security Administration at airports can
make this even more stressful with inconsistent screening requirements
for the essentials like formula, breast milk, deionized water, and
juice.
This bill seeks to address any potential inconsistency in screening
requirements by requiring the Government Accountability Office to
conduct a review to determine if TSA needs to update or revise its
protocols for screening and information sharing.
In addition to this determination, the GAO will also assess how
passengers' complaints are monitored for trends and will include
recommendations for how TSA can improve its practices for screening
these items.
I would like commend Representative Taylor for his work on this
legislation that addresses an issue brought to him by one of his
constituents and is, likely, experienced by many new parents.
H.R. 3246 will be a tremendous benefit to the passenger experience
for new families, and I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Taylor).
Mr. TAYLOR. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my legislation,
H.R. 3246, the Traveling Parents Screening Consistency Act.
As a new Member of Congress, I endeavor to listen to my constituents.
As a new Member, I have actually had over 300 individual meetings with
my constituents in the last 8 months. I have had 24 Coffees with Your
Congressman.
One of my constituents, a mother from Fairview, Texas, took advantage
of this Coffee with Your Congressman opportunity and came and told me
about her problems that she was having with TSA as a new mother trying
to get her breast milk through to feed her child.
{time} 1445
This I realized was a problem not just for her, but many mothers
across my district and really many mothers across this entire country.
I have heard story after story, as I have worked on this legislation,
telling about how the TSA is just not consistent with how they are
applying their rules.
So this bill seeks to create clear and consistent rules that parents
can understand as they travel our Nation's airports. This is important
legislation to help streamline that very important process to both keep
us safe and make it easy to travel.
I want to thank my colleague very much from across the aisle,
Congresswoman Rice. I appreciate the leadership of Chairman Thompson
and Ranking Member Rogers, and I also want to thank Senator McSally for
carrying this piece of legislation in the other Chamber.
Mr. Speaker, I look forward to, hopefully, passing this today, and I
urge my colleagues to support H.R. 3246.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers on
the bill. I renew my support. I recommend my colleagues support this
bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. CORREA. Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3246 aims to ensure that families
receive consistent information regarding the screening process for baby
supplies and nursing products. This bill will enable parents to
properly prepare the supplies necessary to care for their children when
traveling while ensuring passenger security through the screening
process.
Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Taylor for this fine piece of legislation, I
urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I yield back the balance
of my time.
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. 3246.
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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