[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 17, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2903-S2904]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
SA 5840. Mr. MORAN (for himself and Mr. Van Hollen) submitted an
amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S. 4784, to
authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2027 for military activities
of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for
defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which
was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. ___. SAFEGUARDS ACT OF 2026.
(a) Short Title.--This Act may be cited as the ``Spending
Aviation Fees for Equipment, Guaranteeing Upgraded and
Advanced Risk Detection and Safety Act of 2026'' or the
``SAFEGUARDS Act of 2026''.
(b) Improving the Aviation Security Capital Fund.--Section
44923(h) of title 49, United States Code, is amended to read
as follows:
``(h) Aviation Security Capital Fund.--
``(1) In general.--There is established within the
Department of Homeland Security a fund to be known as the
Aviation Security Capital Fund (in this subsection referred
to as the `Fund').
``(2) Source of funding.--
``(A) Fiscal year 2004 through 2025.--In each of fiscal
years 2004 through 2025, the first $250,000,000 derived from
fees received under section 44940(a)(1) shall be available to
be deposited in the Fund in paragraph (1). The Administrator
of the Transportation Security Administration shall impose
the fee authorized by section 44940(a)(1) so as to collect at
least $250,000,000 in each of such fiscal years for deposit
into the Fund.
``(B) Fiscal year 2026 through fiscal year 2036.--In each
of fiscal years 2026 through 2036, the first $400,000,000
derived from fees received under section 44940(a)(1) shall be
available to be deposited in the Fund under paragraph (1).
The Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration shall impose the fee authorized by section
44940(a)(1) so as to collect at least $400,000,000 in each of
such fiscal years for deposit into the Fund.
``(3) Grant authority.--Amounts in the Fund shall be
available to the Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration to make grants for projects under subsection
(a).''.
(c) Establishment of the Aviation Security Checkpoint
Technology Fund.--
(1) In general.--Section 44923 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by--
(A) by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j); and
(B) by inserting after subsection (h) the following new
subsection (i):
``(i) Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund.--
``(1) In general.--There is established within the
Department of Homeland Security a fund to be known as the
Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund (in this
subsection referred to as the `ASCT Fund').
``(2) Funding.--In each of fiscal years 2026 through 2036,
after the first $400,000,000 is deposited into the Aviation
Security Capital Fund pursuant to subsection (h)(2)(B), the
next $250,000,000 from fees received under section
44940(a)(1) shall be available to be deposited in the ASCT
Fund. The Administrator of
[[Page S2904]]
the Transportation Security Administration shall impose the
fee authorized by section 44940(a)(1) so as to collect not
less than $250,000,000 in each of such fiscal years for
deposit into the ASCT Fund. Amounts in the ASCT Fund shall be
available until expended to the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration to fund the
procurement, sustainment, and deployment of--
``(A) aviation security checkpoint technology, including
computed tomography scanners, explosives trace detection
equipment, liquid explosive detection systems, advanced
imaging technology, or credential authentication technology
machines; and
``(B) exit lane technology.
``(3) Grant authority.--Amounts in the ASCT Fund shall be
available to the Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration to make grants under this section.''.
(2) Technical and conforming amendments.--Section 44940(i)
of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(A) in paragraph (1), by striking ``section 44923(h)'' and
inserting ``subsections (h) and (i) of section 44923''; and
(B) in paragraph (4), by redesignating subparagraphs (M)
and (N) as subparagraphs (I) and (J), respectively.
(d) Reports to Congress.--
(1) Initial report.--Prior to carrying out the use of funds
and disbursements for fiscal year 2026 under subsections (h)
and (i) of section 44923 of title 49, United States Code, the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
shall provide a briefing to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee
on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and
submit to such committees a report that includes--
(A) a detailed description of the use of funds and
disbursements authorized by section 44923(h) of title 49,
United States Code, for fiscal year 2004 through fiscal year
2025, including a detailed description of projects and
capital needs addressed through the Aviation Security Capital
Fund for each airport security category; and
(B) projected aviation security project and capital needs
for each airport security category for fiscal year 2026
through fiscal year 2036.
(2) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the enactment of this Act, and each fiscal year thereafter,
the Administrator of the Transportation Security
Administration shall provide a briefing to the Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the
Committee on Homeland Security of the House of
Representatives and submit to such committees a report that
includes--
(A) a detailed description of the projects and capital
needs addressed pursuant to subsections (h) and (i) of
section 44923 of title 49, United States Code; and
(B) an identification of the most critical aviation
security capital needs for each airport security category as
determined by the Administrator.
(e) Biennial Inspector General Audits.--
(1) In general.--Not later than the date that is two years
after the date of the enactment of this Act, and every 2
years thereafter through fiscal year 2036, the Inspector
General of the Department of Homeland Security shall conduct
an audit of the oversight by the Transportation Security
Administration of any applicable grant and disbursements made
pursuant to subsections (h) and (i) of section 44923 of title
49, United States Code.
(2) Considerations.--In conducting an audit under paragraph
(1), the Inspector General shall assess the efficacy of such
oversight of grant and disbursements made with respect to--
(A) satisfying the statutory direction in subsections (h)
and (i) of section 44923 of title 49, United States Code;
(B) addressing aviation security capital needs at airports
representative of each airport security category; and
(C) preventing fraud, waste, and abuse of funds allocated
for such purposes.
(3) Briefings to congress.--Not later than 30 days after
completing an audit pursuant to paragraph (1), the Inspector
General shall provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a briefing
on the findings of such audit.
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