[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 9]
[House]
[Pages 12774-12775]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       TSA PRECHECK EXPANSION ACT

  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill 
(H.R. 2843) to require certain improvements in the Transportation 
Security Administration's PreCheck expedited screening program, and for 
other purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 2843

       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 ``TSA PreCheck Expansion 
     Act''.

     SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

       In this Act:
       (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
     Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
       (2) Department.--The term ``Department'' means the 
     Department of Homeland Security.
       (3) TSA.--The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation 
     Security Administration.

     SEC. 3. ENROLLMENT EXPANSION.

       (a) In General.--Not later than 90 days after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall publish 
     PreCheck application enrollment standards to add multiple 
     private sector application capabilities for the TSA PreCheck 
     program to increase the public's enrollment access to such 
     program, including standards that allow the use of secure 
     technologies, including online enrollment, kiosks, tablets, 
     or staffed laptop stations at which individuals can apply for 
     entry into such program.
       (b) Requirements.--Upon publication of the PreCheck program 
     application enrollment standards pursuant to subsection (a), 
     the Administrator shall--
       (1) coordinate with interested parties to deploy TSA-
     approved ready-to-market private sector solutions that meet 
     the TSA PreCheck application enrollment standards described 
     in paragraph (1), make available additional PreCheck 
     enrollment capabilities, and offer secure online and mobile 
     enrollment opportunities;
       (2) partner with the private sector to collect biographic 
     and biometric identification information via kiosks, mobile 
     devices, or other mobile enrollment platforms to reduce the 
     number of instances in which passengers need to travel to 
     enrollment centers;
       (3) ensure that the kiosks, mobile devices, or other mobile 
     enrollment platforms referred to in paragraph (3) are 
     certified as secure and not vulnerable to data breaches;
       (4) ensure that any biometric and biographic information is 
     collected in a manner which is comparable with the National 
     Institute of Standards and Technology standards and ensures 
     privacy and data security protections, including that 
     applicants' personally identifiable information is collected, 
     retained, used, and shared in a manner consistent with 
     section 552a of title 5, United States Code (commonly known 
     as ``Privacy Act of 1974''), and agency regulations;
       (5) ensure that an individual who wants to enroll in the 
     PreCheck program and has started an application with a single 
     identification verification at one location will be able to 
     save such individual's application on any kiosk, personal 
     computer, mobile device, or other mobile enrollment platform 
     and be able to return within a reasonable time to submit a 
     second identification verification; and
       (6) ensure that any enrollment expansion using a private 
     sector risk assessment instead of a fingerprint-based 
     criminal history records check is determined, by the 
     Secretary of Homeland Security, to be equivalent to a 
     fingerprint-based criminal history records check conducted 
     through the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
       (c) Marketing of PreCheck Program.--Upon publication of 
     PreCheck program application enrollment standards pursuant to 
     subsection (a), the Administrator shall--
       (1) in accordance with the standards described in paragraph 
     (1) of subsection (a), develop and implement--
       (A) a process, including an associated timeframe, for 
     approving private sector marketing of the TSA PreCheck 
     program; and
       (B) a strategy for partnering with the private sector to 
     encourage enrollment in such program; and
       (2) submit to Congress a report on any PreCheck fees 
     collected in excess of the costs of administering such 
     program, including recommendations for using such amounts to 
     support marketing of such program under this subsection.
       (d) Identity Verification Enhancement.--Not later than 90 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Administrator shall--
       (1) coordinate with the heads of appropriate components of 
     the Department to leverage Department-held data and 
     technologies to verify the citizenship of individuals 
     enrolling in the TSA PreCheck program; and
       (2) partner with the private sector to use advanced 
     biometrics and standards comparable with National Institute 
     of Standards and Technology standards to facilitate 
     enrollment in such program.
       (e) PreCheck Lane Operation.--The Administrator shall--
       (1) ensure that TSA PreCheck screening lanes are open and 
     available during peak and high-volume travel times at 
     airports to individuals enrolled in the PreCheck program; and
       (2) make every practicable effort to provide expedited 
     screening at standard screening lanes during times when 
     PreCheck screening lanes are closed to individuals enrolled 
     in such program in order to maintain operational efficiency.
       (f) Vetting for PreCheck Participants.--Not later than 90 
     days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the 
     Administrator shall initiate an assessment of the security 
     vulnerabilities in the vetting process for the PreCheck 
     program that includes an evaluation of whether subjecting 
     PreCheck participants to recurrent fingerprint-based criminal 
     history records checks, in addition to recurrent checks 
     against the terrorist watchlist, could be done in a cost-
     effective manner to strengthen the security of the PreCheck 
     program.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New 
York (Mr. Katko) and the gentlewoman from New York (Miss Rice) each 
will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.


                             General Leave

  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 
5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and 
include any extraneous material on the bill under consideration.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from New York?

[[Page 12775]]

  There was no objection.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2843, the TSA PreCheck 
Expansion Act. This piece of legislation serves as an important driving 
force to advance risk-based security and better secure our Nation's 
aviation sector.
  TSA's PreCheck program, which grants expedited security screening to 
passengers at airports nationwide, has been an incredibly popular tool 
used by the Agency to improve the traveling public's airport screening 
experience, while moving away from a one-size-fits-all approach to 
security screening by identifying trusted travelers.
  Risk-based security hinges on the ability to deploy our resources on 
those passengers whom we have not thoroughly vetted. However, the 
effectiveness and integrity of this program depends on TSA's ability to 
better market this program and increase passenger enrollment.
  As the Agency has become overly dependent on alternate methods of 
expedited screening, such as managed inclusion, a problem addressed by 
Ranking Member Thompson's bill, which I cosponsored, H.R. 2127, TSA has 
become ineffective in prioritizing enrollment and partnering with the 
private sector.
  Only the level of innovation found in the private sector will be able 
to assist TSA in driving continued enrollment in PreCheck. That being 
said, it is important that any expansion of the PreCheck program be 
conducted in a secure and responsible manner, which ensures the 
public's security and privacy.
  This bill before the Congress right now does just that. Specifically, 
this legislation directs TSA to partner with the private sector to find 
technological solutions for expanding enrollment in PreCheck and 
requires the Agency to develop a comprehensive marketing strategy for 
PreCheck.
  Additionally, H.R. 2843 mandates that the Administrator coordinate 
with other Department of Homeland Security components to leverage 
existing data and technologies while also encouraging TSA to develop 
alternative recurrent vetting capabilities for those enrolled in 
PreCheck in order to maintain the program's security effectiveness.

                              {time}  1645

  Every day, TSA screens 2 million passengers. By expanding known 
traveler programs such as PreCheck, we can ensure that TSA is focusing 
its resources on those passengers who are unknown and therefore pose a 
greater risk.
  I would like to thank Chairman McCaul and Congressman Rogers for 
joining me as cosponsors of this important piece of legislation. I urge 
my other colleagues to do the same, and I look forward to continuing 
our efforts to expand PreCheck in a secure and effective manner.
  I reserve the balance of my time.
  Miss RICE of New York. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 2843, the TSA PreCheck 
Expansion Act.
  A decade after Congress directed the establishment of a trusted 
passenger program, TSA announced its PreCheck pilot program in 2011. 
Initially, PreCheck participants were frequent flyers of major 
airlines, Active Duty military members, and participants in other 
Department of Homeland Security known traveler programs.
  Over the past 4 years, PreCheck participation has expanded 
significantly and now encompasses over 1 million Americans who 
submitted biographic and biometric information and paid a fee to 
participate in the program.
  While I am pleased that TSA has reached the milestone of enrolling 1 
million people, there are 650 million people who fly in the U.S. every 
year, and we must keep working to bring more of them into the program.
  Enrolling in PreCheck is a win-win for passengers and for airport 
security. Passengers get the benefit of expedited screening, and we get 
the benefit of an expanded universe of passengers who have undergone 
extensive vetting and are known to be low risk, and that allows TSA to 
focus its limited resources on passengers who are unknown and may be 
higher risk.
  We can expand PreCheck participation by streamlining the enrollment 
process to make it more convenient and more accessible. H.R. 2843 seeks 
to do just that by requiring enrollment standards to include secure 
technologies such as kiosks and tablets that can collect biographic and 
biometric information.
  Additionally, this bills directs TSA to more aggressively market the 
PreCheck program. Getting the word out about the merits of PreCheck is 
vital to ensuring that the program continues to grow.
  To keep Congress engaged in its progress, this bill requires that TSA 
report any fees in excess of administration costs.
  This is also an opportunity for the private sector to work together 
with the Federal Government to expand PreCheck participation, and this 
partnership will continue to push the program in the right direction.
  I support this commonsense legislation, and I congratulate my partner 
on the Transportation Security Subcommittee, Chairman Katko, for 
authoring it.
  I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 2843, and I yield back the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. KATKO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I once again urge my colleagues to support this strong, 
bipartisan piece of legislation. Miss Rice is absolutely correct: it is 
common sense. It is common sense that a program that has been with TSA 
for a while now and that has not been expanded on by TSA despite its 
popularity and it is common sense with respect to risk-based security 
that this should be passed. I urge passage of it, and 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. Katko) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, H.R. 2843, 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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