[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 193 (Monday, November 17, 2025)]
[House]
[Pages H4688-H4690]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
BOTTLES AND BREASTFEEDING EQUIPMENT SCREENING ENHANCEMENT ACT
Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass
the bill (S. 260) to amend the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment
Screening Act to require hygienic handling of breast milk and baby
formula by security screening personnel of the Transportation Security
Administration and personnel of private security companies providing
security screening, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 260
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 ``Bottles and Breastfeeding
Equipment Screening Enhancement Act''.
SEC. 2. HYGIENIC HANDLING OF BREAST MILK AND BABY FORMULA
DURING AVIATION SECURITY SCREENING.
The Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Act
(Public Law 114-293) is amended by adding at the end the
following new sections:
``SEC. 3. HYGIENIC HANDLING OF BREAST MILK AND BABY FORMULA
DURING AVIATION SECURITY SCREENING.
``Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of
this section and every five years thereafter, if appropriate,
the Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration shall issue or update, as the case may be,
guidance to minimize the risk for contamination of any breast
milk, baby formula, purified deionized water for infants, and
juice (as well as ice packs, freezer packs, frozen gel packs
and other accessories required to cool breast milk, baby
formula, and juice) that is subject to re-screening or
otherwise subject to additional screening. Such guidance
shall--
``(1) be developed in consultation with nationally
recognized maternal health organizations;
``(2) ensure adherence to hygienic standards, as
established by the Administrator, in consultation with
nationally recognized maternal health organizations;
``(3) ensure that, when any such re-screening or additional
screening requires additional testing, such testing so
adheres to such standards, to so minimize such risk; and
``(4) apply to security screening personnel of the
Administration and personnel of private security companies
providing security screening pursuant to section 44920 of
title 49, United States Code.
``SEC. 4. INSPECTOR GENERAL AUDIT.
``Not later than one year after the date of the enactment
of this section, the Inspector General of the Department of
Homeland Security shall submit to the Committee on
[[Page H4689]]
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the
Senate a report containing an audit of compliance with the
requirements of sections 2 and 3. Such audit shall also
include information relating to the effect of various types
of screening technologies, including bottled liquid scanners,
on the screening of breast milk, baby formula, purified
deionized water for infants, and juice (as well as ice packs,
freezer packs, frozen gel packs and other accessories
required to cool breast milk, baby formula, and juice) that
is subject to re-screening or otherwise subject to additional
screening, and the rate at which such items are denied entry
into the sterile area (as such term is defined in section
1540.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations).''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New
York (Mr. Garbarino) and the gentleman from Puerto Rico (Mr. Hernandez)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their
remarks and include extraneous material on S. 260.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 260, the Bottles and
Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act.
This legislation will require the administrator of the Transportation
Security Administration to update guidance related to screening of
infant feeding materials. It will make the airport experience more
bearable for traveling families. I thank my Democratic colleague, Mr.
Swalwell, for leading the House version of this legislation, H.R. 820,
through the committee earlier this year.
Madam Speaker, I urge support, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I rise in support of S. 260, the Bottles and
Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act.
This is a straightforward bill that directs the Transportation
Security Administration to update or issue guidance to adhere to
hygienic standards to reduce the risk of contamination of breast milk,
baby formula, juice, and purified water during TSA screening.
The bill would also require TSA to consult with nationally recognized
maternal health organizations to help develop guidelines and establish
hygienic screening standards for these items.
Traveling with kids is a difficult, stressful experience for many
parents and caretakers, one that I expect to undertake beginning in
January.
For many new moms, in particular, TSA screening has proven a
particularly challenging experience as well-meaning officers enforce
inconsistent and opaque screening requirements.
Far too many parents have been left wondering if their breast milk or
formula is still safe to give to an infant after TSA has handled and
screened it.
This bill would help enforce hygienic practices and make screening
less stressful for new parents while maintaining security standards.
Madam Speaker, I thank Senator Duckworth for her leadership on this
topic, as well as my colleague Congressman Swalwell, who sponsored the
House companion to this bill.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. HERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to
the gentleman from California (Mr. Swalwell), the author of the House
version of this bill.
Mr. SWALWELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of the Bottles
and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act.
Air travel with children is a nightmare, and I am just talking for
the nonparents who have to deal with them at an airport. For parents,
it is hell. It is like an Olympic sport. It is like going through a
gauntlet dragging little kids who just want to be attached to tablets
or anything but the directions that you are giving to them to hopefully
get them from the entrance of the airport to the plane.
Oftentimes with little kids, you have, in transit with them, a mother
who is breastfeeding. Many of us have experienced going through airport
security where our TSA agents, who are good natured and just doing
their jobs, can really slow down, jam up, clog, and delay this
experience.
For practicality's sake, the last thing you want for your kids to
experience when you are trying to move them from the gate to the plane,
is any interruption or delay. For traveling moms, it is humiliating to
have your breast milk sorted through by TSA agents. It doesn't feel
very safe to have agents open up the breast milk. Too many moms have
shared with me that working moms are often traveling on their own
without their kids, but they are still pumping, pumping and dumping as
they would call it, and are asked by TSA agents, what are you doing
with breast milk if you don't have kids with you, which is another
level of shame that is brought upon the mothers because they already
feel guilty that they are not with their kids.
It doesn't have to be this way.
My friend from New York (Mr. Garbarino), who has helped me shepherd
this bill through the Homeland Security Committee, has given me a good
snicker and a smirk over there because he probably sees me as the least
likely person to bring this bill forward and he is the least likely
ally that I have on the other side, but the two of us are smart enough
to listen to women and families.
Madam Speaker, I will share the origin of this bill because it is a
success story for anybody who believes that they can write to their
legislator and see a change in the laws that govern us. I thank
scientist Emily Calandrelli, a Californian whose advocacy and personal
testimony brought national attention to this issue. She wrote about the
exact experience I described, traveling as a working mother without her
kids and being asked why she had breast milk but no children. Her
experience made it clear to many parents who have faced similar
challenges.
I thank Senator Duckworth for leading the charge in the Senate and
sending us this bill so quickly as well as Representatives Salazar,
Pettersen, and Luna for their unwavering advocacy for traveling
mothers.
I also thank my former colleague, Katie Porter of Orange County, who
introduced this bill in prior Congresses. It is a commonsense bill, and
it is rightfully a bipartisan effort.
Compounding the chaos with the anxiety that mothers face are TSA
screeners who have inadequate or confusing guidelines as to what they
are supposed to do with breast milk. The Bottles and Breastfeeding
Equipment Screening Enhancement Act strengthens and streamlines TSA's
screening procedures so parents can travel with dignity, confidence,
and peace of mind.
{time} 1720
It requires TSA to work with maternal health experts to create clear,
science-based guidelines for screening breast milk, formula, and
pumping equipment. It ensures TSA officers receive proper training so
that every parent can travel with confidence that they will not be
forced to discard essential nutritional products.
Again, this is not a partisan issue. It is a parenting issue.
Unsanitary handling of breast milk and formula puts kids at risk.
Mothers who can't pump because TSA held up their equipment can suffer
painful, preventable medical complications. Every parent who has
traveled with young children knows the stress, as I mentioned, that
this creates.
This bill is also about accountability. It directs an independent
body to audit TSA's compliance with its own policies, ensuring that
violations like those experienced by Ms. Calandrelli and by countless
moms who shared their stories do not continue.
Madam Speaker, families deserve better than unnecessary stress at the
airport. They deserve clarity, dignity, and a safe travel system that
works for them, not against them.
Passing this bill now will send it to the President's desk. I can't
promise that passing this bill will make your plane get there on time
or give you the upgrade you are so desperately hoping
[[Page H4690]]
goes through or make sure that your kids behave, but it does finally
make our airports a more welcoming place for parents.
I welcome my colleagues' support and encourage them to support this
legislation by voting ``yes'' on S. 260.
Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I have no more speakers and am prepared
to close after the gentleman from Puerto Rico closes. I reserve the
balance of my time.
Mr. HERNANDEZ. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
This is a commonsense bill that will help make traveling a little bit
easier for millions of parents.
On behalf of myself and my wife, a future mother, I thank all the
Members who are part of this effort, especially Congressman Swalwell.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote ``yes,'' and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mr. GARBARINO. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
I congratulate my colleague (Mr. Swalwell) on this bill. I am happy
to support it. I am very pro-family and pro-parent, and I urge my
colleagues to support S. 260.
Madam 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. Garbarino) that the House suspend the
rules and pass the bill, S. 260.
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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