[House Report 113-516]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


113th Congress                                                   Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session                                                     113-516

======================================================================



 
                            HONOR FLIGHT ACT

                                _______
                                

  July 3, 2014.--Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 
              State of the Union and ordered to be printed

                                _______
                                

  Mr. McCaul, from the Committee on Homeland Security, submitted the 
                               following

                              R E P O R T

                        [To accompany H.R. 4812]

      [Including cost estimate of the Congressional Budget Office]

    The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 4812) to amend title 49, United States Code, to 
require the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration to establish a process for providing expedited 
and dignified passenger screening services for veterans 
traveling to visit war memorials built and dedicated to honor 
their service, and for other purposes, having considered the 
same, report favorably thereon without amendment and recommend 
that the bill do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     2
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     2
Hearings.........................................................     2
Committee Consideration..........................................     3
Committee Votes..................................................     3
Committee Oversight Findings.....................................     3
New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures     3
Congressional Budget Office Estimate.............................     3
Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives............     4
Duplicative Federal Programs.....................................     4
Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff 
  Benefits.......................................................     4
Federal Mandates Statement.......................................     4
Preemption Clarification.........................................     4
Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings..............................     5
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     5
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     5
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     5

                          Purpose and Summary

    The purpose of H.R. 4812 is to amend title 49, United 
States Code, to require the Administrator of the Transportation 
Security Administration to establish a process for providing 
expedited and dignified passenger screening services for 
veterans traveling to visit war memorials built and dedicated 
to honor their service, and for other purposes.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    The Honor Flight Network is a non-profit organization that 
works to transport veterans on charter flights operated by 
commercial airlines to Washington, DC, in order to visit 
memorials built and dedicated in honor of their service. The 
organization was created in 2005 after Earl Morse, a former 
physician's assistant with the Department of Veterans Affairs 
and a private pilot, saw his patients' desire to visit the 
newly-built World War II Memorial and recognized that many of 
these patients lacked the resources to make the trip on their 
own.
    Currently, the Honor Flight Network prioritizes 
transporting WWII veterans, as well as veterans from any war 
who have a terminal illness, but the organization intends to 
expand the program to transport veterans who served during the 
Korean and Vietnam Wars, eventually extending to veterans of 
more current wars.
    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) supports 
the Honor Flight Network by expediting the screening process 
for veterans visiting their memorials in the District of 
Columbia, saving the veterans time and showing them their due 
respect and appreciation.
    H.R. 4812 authorizes the collaboration between TSA and the 
Honor Flight Network, as well as with other non-profit 
organizations that transport veterans to visit memorials, so 
that the agency's practice of ensuring expedited and dignified 
screening for veterans continues.

                                Hearings

    No hearings were held on H.R. 4812. However, the Committee 
held the following oversight hearings.
    On March 14, 2013, the Subcommittee on Transportation 
Security held a hearing entitled ``TSA's Efforts to Advance 
Risk-Based Security.'' The Subcommittee received testimony from 
Hon. John S. Pistole, Administrator, Transportation Security 
Administration, U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The 
purpose of the hearing was to provide an opportunity for the 
TSA Administrator to discuss efforts of applying a risk-based 
approach to TSA's aviation and surface transportation programs 
and ongoing efforts to make TSA more effective and efficient.
    The Subcommittee on Transportation Security held a second 
hearing on April 11, 2013, entitled ``TSA's Efforts to Advance 
Risk-Based Security: Stakeholder Perspectives.'' The 
Subcommittee received testimony from Mr. Ken Dunlap, Global 
Director, Security & Travel Facilitation, International Air 
Transport Association; Ms. Sharon L. Pinkerton, Senior Vice 
President, Legislative and Regulatory Policy, Airlines for 
America; Mr. Geoff Freeman, Chief Operating Officer and 
Executive Vice President, U.S. Travel Association; Mr. Michael 
C. Mullen, Executive Director, Express Association of America; 
Mr. Christopher U. Browne, Airport Manager, Washington Dulles 
International Airport, testifying on behalf of the American 
Association of Airport Executives; and Mr. David A. Borer, 
General Counsel, American Federation of Government Employees.

                        Committee Consideration

    The Committee met on June 11, 2014, to consider H.R. 4812, 
and ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a 
favorable recommendation, without amendment, by voice vote. 
Prior to consideration, the Chair discharged the Subcommittee 
on Transportation Security from further consideration of H.R. 
4812.

                            Committee Votes

    Clause 3(b) of rule XIII of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives requires the Committee to list the recorded 
votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments 
thereto.
    No recorded votes were requested during consideration of 
H.R. 4812.

                      Committee Oversight Findings

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, the Committee has held oversight 
hearings and made findings that are reflected in this report.

   New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures

    In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of rule XIII of the Rules 
of the House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R. 
4812, the honor Flight Act, would result in no new or increased 
budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or 
revenues.

                  Congressional Budget Office Estimate

    The Committee adopts as its own the cost estimate prepared 
by the Director of the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to 
section 402 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

                                     U.S. Congress,
                               Congressional Budget Office,
                                     Washington, DC, June 26, 2014.
Hon. Michael McCaul,
Chairman, Committee on Homeland Security,
House of Representatives, Washington, DC.
    Dear Mr. Chairman: The Congressional Budget Office has 
prepared the enclosed cost estimate for H.R. 4812, the Honor 
Flight Act.
    If you wish further details on this estimate, we will be 
pleased to provide them. The CBO staff contact is Megan 
Carroll.
            Sincerely,
                                              Douglas W. Elmendorf.
    Enclosure.

H.R. 4812--Honor Flight Act

    The Honor Flight Network is a private organization that 
transports U.S. veterans to visit war memorials built to honor 
their service. H.R. 4812 would direct the Administrator of the 
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to provide an 
expedited screening process for veterans traveling on flights 
operated by the Honor Flight Network or other not-for-profit 
organizations providing similar services to veterans.
    CBO estimates that any increased costs to TSA under H.R. 
4812 would be negligible, particularly because of the 
relatively small number of veterans who would qualify for 
expedited screening under the bill. Any such spending would be 
subject to the availability of appropriated funds. H.R. 4812 
would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-
as-you-go procedures do not apply.
    H.R. 4812 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector 
mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and 
would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal 
governments.
    The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. 
The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant 
Director for Budget Analysis.

         Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, H.R. 4812 contains the following 
general performance goals and objectives, including outcome 
related goals and objectives authorized.
    This bill would require the Transportation Security 
Administration to establish, in collaboration with the Honor 
Flight Network or other not-for-profit organization that honors 
veterans, a process for providing expedited and dignified 
passenger screening services for veterans traveling to visit 
war memorials on charter flights.

                      Duplicative Federal Programs

    The Committee finds that H.R. 4812 does not contain any 
provision that establishes or reauthorizes a program known to 
be duplicative of another Federal program.

   Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff 
                                Benefits

    In compliance with rule XXI of the Rules of the House of 
Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no 
congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff 
benefits as defined in clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the rule 
XXI.

                       Federal Mandates Statement

    The Committee adopts as its own the estimate of Federal 
mandates prepared by the Director of the Congressional Budget 
Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform 
Act.

                        Preemption Clarification

    In compliance with section 423 of the Congressional Budget 
Act of 1974, requiring the report of any Committee on a bill or 
joint resolution to include a statement on the extent to which 
the bill or joint resolution is intended to preempt State, 
local, or Tribal law, the Committee finds that H.R. 4812 does 
not preempt any State, local, or Tribal law.

                  Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings

    The Committee estimates that H.R. 4812 would require no 
directed rule makings.

                      Advisory Committee Statement

    No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) 
of the Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this 
legislation.

                  Applicability to Legislative Branch

    The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to 
the terms and conditions of employment or access to public 
services or accommodations within the meaning of section 
102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act.

             Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation


Section 1.   Short title

    This section provides that bill may be cited as the ``Honor 
Flight Act''.

Section 2.   Honor Flight program

    This section amends section 44927 of title 49 by 
establishing a new section requiring the Administrator of TSA 
to establish a process for providing expedited and dignified 
passenger screening services for veterans traveling on an Honor 
Flight Network private charter, or such other not-for-profit 
organization that honors veterans, to visit war memorials built 
and dedicated to honor the service of such veterans. Such a 
process shall be established in collaboration with the Honor 
Flight Network or other not-for-profit organizations that honor 
veterans.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

  In compliance with clause 3(e) of rule XIII of the Rules of 
the House of Representatives, changes in existing law made by 
the bill, as reported, are shown as follows (new matter is 
printed in italic and existing law in which no change is 
proposed is shown in roman):

TITLE 49, UNITED STATES CODE

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SUBTITLE VII--AVIATION PROGRAMS

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PART A--AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY

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SUBPART III--SAFETY

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CHAPTER 449--SECURITY

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SUBCHAPTER I--REQUIREMENTS

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Sec. 44928. Honor Flight Program

  The Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration shall establish, in collaboration with the Honor 
Flight Network or other not-for-profit organization that honors 
veterans, a process for providing expedited and dignified 
passenger screening services for veterans traveling on an Honor 
Flight Network private charter, or such other not-for-profit 
organization that honors veterans, to visit war memorials built 
and dedicated to honor the service of such veterans.

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