[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 196 (Monday, December 9, 2019)]
[House]
[Pages H9371-H9373]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
EMERGING TRANSPORTATION SECURITY THREATS ACT OF 2019
Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3318) to require the Transportation Security Administration
to establish a task force to conduct an analysis of emerging and
potential future threats to transportation security, and for other
purposes, as amended.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
H.R. 3318
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 ``Emerging Transportation
Security Threats Act of 2019''.
[[Page H9372]]
SEC. 2. EMERGING AND FUTURE THREATS TASK FORCE.
(a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with
the Director of National Intelligence and the intelligence
community (as such term is defined in section 3(4) of the
National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4))) and the
heads of other Federal agencies, as determined appropriate by
the Administrator, shall establish a task force to conduct an
analysis of emerging and potential future threats to
transportation security.
(b) Membership.--The task force established under
subsection (a) shall be comprised of employees of the
Department of Homeland Security who, in carrying out the
analysis required under such subsection, shall consult with
the Director of National Intelligence and the intelligence
community and the heads of Federal agencies, as determined
appropriate by the Administrator.
(c) Deadline.--Not later than 270 days after the
Administrator establishes the task force under subsection
(a), the task force shall submit to the Administrator the
analysis required under such subsection.
(d) Elements.--The analysis required under subsection (a)
shall include emerging and potential future threats posed by
the following:
(1) Evolving tactics by terrorist organizations that may
pose a catastrophic risk to an aviation or surface
transportation entity.
(2) Explosive and explosive devices or attacks involving
the use of explosives that may cause catastrophic damage to
an aviation or surface transportation system.
(3) Chemical or biological agents being released in either
aviation or surface transportation systems.
(4) Cyberthreat actors seeking to undermine confidence in
transportation systems or cause service disruptions that
jeopardize transportation security.
(5) Unmanned aerial systems with the capability of
inflicting harm on transportation targets.
(6) Individuals or groups seeking to attack soft targets,
public areas, or crowded spaces of transportation systems,
including attacks against Transportation Security
Administration employees and other security personnel.
(7) Foreign actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities posed
by the inconsistent or inadequate security screening
protocols at last point of departure airports with direct
flights to the United States.
(8) Information sharing challenges within the Federal
Government and among partner governments.
(9) Information sharing challenges between the
Administration or other relevant Federal agencies and
transportation stakeholders, including air carriers, airport
operators, surface transportation operators, and State and
local law enforcement.
(10) Growth in passenger volume in both the aviation and
surface transportation sectors.
(e) Mitigation.--Not later than 120 days after the
completion of the analysis required under subsection (a), the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
shall develop, as appropriate, a threat mitigation strategy
for each of the threats examined in such analysis, and--
(1) assign appropriate resources of the Administration to
address such threats, based on calculated risk; or
(2) provide recommendations through the Department of
Homeland Security to the appropriate Federal department or
agency responsible for addressing such threats.
(f) Stakeholder Engagement.--When carrying out the analysis
required under subsection (a), the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration shall engage
transportation stakeholders referred to in subsection (b)(9)
and account for security concerns of transportation operators
by--
(1) convening not fewer than three industry day events for
such transportation stakeholders to hear from relevant public
and private sector security partners and provide feedback on
threats such transportation stakeholders identify as
emerging;
(2) developing strategies to solicit feedback on a
consistent basis from such transportation stakeholders across
all modes of transportation and providing consistent
responses to stakeholder concerns;
(3) improving the quality, timeliness, and relevancy of
information sharing products disseminated by the
Administration to such transportation stakeholders, including
classified information sharing products;
(4) coordinating security incident response and
communications drills, including tabletop exercises, to
improve incident preparedness and response capabilities
across transportation modes and among transportation systems;
(5) encouraging regular communication between Federal
Security Directors, Field Intelligence Officers, Federal Air
Marshal Special Agents in Charge, and such transportation
stakeholders;
(6) establishing regular opportunities for senior
Administration leadership to engage with such transportation
stakeholders regarding changes in the threat environment and
how the Administration can offer security support to address
such changes; and
(7) briefing the Aviation Security Advisory Committee and
the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee on the
efforts of the task force established pursuant to subsection
(a).
(g) Briefing to Congress.--The Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration shall brief 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 the analysis
required under subsection (a) and relevant mitigation
strategies developed in accordance with subsection (c).
(h) Non-applicability of FACA and PRA.--The Federal
Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) and the Paperwork
Reduction Act (44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq.) shall not apply to the
task force established under subsection (a).
SEC. 3. COMPTROLLER GENERAL STUDY.
(a) In General.--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 feasibility,
risks, costs, and potential threat mitigation benefits of the
Transportation Security Administration deploying the agency's
passenger and property screening assets to conduct screening
in areas or facilities prior to passenger arrival at airport
terminals.
(b) Stakeholder Engagement.--In conducting the review
required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the
United States shall consult with the Transportation Security
Administration, airport operators, air carriers, businesses
that operate in airports, labor groups representing the
Transportation Security Administration and transportation
sector personnel, and other stakeholders.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Michigan (Ms. Slotkin) and the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Higgins)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Michigan.
General Leave
Ms. SLOTKIN. 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
gentlewoman from Michigan?
There was no objection.
Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to support H.R. 3318, the Emerging
Transportation Security Threats Act of 2019.
Millions of people travel every day and rely on a secure
transportation system to get them to their destination safely.
Terrorists and other nefarious actors are constantly looking for new
ways to attack and disrupt our Nation's transportation systems. All it
takes is one successful attack for the public to lose confidence in the
system as a whole.
We must ensure that our security systems remain one step ahead of
nefarious actors and that all entities responsible for transportation
security are collaborating and sharing information in an effective
manner to help prevent an attack. This bill is a good step in this
direction.
Importantly, it requires the TSA, in consultation with the
intelligence community and other relevant Federal agencies, to
establish a task force to analyze emerging and future threats to
transportation security. Having individuals from across the Federal
Government work together to assess emerging threats will help promote
collaboration and efficiency across the agencies.
After the analysis is complete, H.R. 3318 requires TSA to develop a
threat mitigation strategy for each threat the task force identifies.
These mitigation strategies will be important tools for TSA as they
consider how best to prevent potential threats from occurring.
Finally, the bill requires the Government Accountability Office to
conduct a review to determine the costs and benefits of conducting
screening prior to passenger arrival at an airport terminal.
Mr. Speaker, we must do all that we can to prevent an attack on our
transportation systems. This bill promotes collaboration to put our
security agencies in a better position to identify and mitigate
threats.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this legislation,
and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3318, the Emerging
Transportation Security Threats Act of 2019, sponsored by my good
friend and colleague, the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).
This legislation establishes a task force aimed at improving the
security of the traveling public by bringing together relevant Federal
authorities and transportation security stakeholders.
The task force established by this legislation will look at emerging
and
[[Page H9373]]
potential future threats to transportation security from a number of
threat vectors, including cybersecurity, explosives, public area
security, and evolving terrorist attacks.
This bill also directs the Administrator of the TSA to develop
relevant threat mitigation plans in close coordination with
transportation security stakeholders and appropriate Federal agencies.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania for his
leadership on this issue.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared
to close after the gentleman from Louisiana closes.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the
gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce).
Mr. JOYCE of Pennsylvania. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my
bill, H.R. 3318, the Emerging Transportation Security Threats Act of
2019. This legislation will ensure that Homeland Security is forward-
looking in regard to threats facing America's transportation systems.
My district, Pennsylvania's 13th, is home to the Flight 93 National
Memorial in Somerset County, which serves as a stark reminder of the
heroism of ordinary Americans and why, as a Congress, we must act to
protect our Nation against threats to the homeland.
Oftentimes, the Transportation Security Administration faces
criticism from Congress, stakeholders, and the traveling public that
the agency is too reactionary to evolving threats and not
proactive enough in mitigating emerging threats to transportation.
H.R. 3318 seeks to improve collaboration among the TSA, the
intelligence community, other Federal agencies, and transportation
security stakeholders by creating a task force to conduct an analysis
of emerging threats to transportation security. Once established, this
task force will examine threats posed by evolving terrorist tactics,
explosive devices, chemical and biological agents, cyber actors,
unmanned aerial systems, and inadequate information sharing, among
other security challenges.
For each threat examined by the task force established in this
legislation, the TSA is directed to develop a mitigation strategy to
protect the traveling public and identify needed security enhancements.
This bill ensures that each of these efforts will include close
collaboration with transportation stakeholders on the development of
security strategies, improved information sharing practices, and
regular interactions with senior TSA leadership on security matters.
Finally, this legislation requires the Government Accountability
Office to conduct a review ensuring that the TSA effectively implements
the bill's requirements.
Mr. Speaker, I thank the gentleman from Louisiana, Clay Higgins, for
his support of this bill and for working to bring it to the floor
today. I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation.
Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the bill,
and I yield back the balance of my time.
Ms. SLOTKIN. Mr. Speaker, securing our Nation's transportation
systems from successful attack requires the collaboration of all
stakeholders responsible for transportation security.
I thank the gentleman from Pennsylvania (Mr. Joyce) for bringing this
legislation forward, and I urge passage of H.R. 3318.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentlewoman from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3318, 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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