[House Report 114-493]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]


114th Congress    }                                     {       Report
                        HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
 2d Session       }                                     {      114-493

======================================================================
 
           TREATING SMALL AIRPORTS WITH FAIRNESS ACT OF 2016

                                _______
                                

 April 13, 2016.--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. 4549]

    The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred 
the bill (H.R. 4549) to require the Transportation Security 
Administration to conduct security screening at certain 
airports, and for other purposes, having considered the same, 
reports favorably thereon with an amendment and recommends that 
the bill as amended do pass.

                                CONTENTS

                                                                   Page
Purpose and Summary..............................................     2
Background and Need for Legislation..............................     2
Hearings.........................................................     3
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............     3
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..............................     4
Advisory Committee Statement.....................................     4
Applicability to Legislative Branch..............................     4
Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation...................     5
Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported............     5

    The amendment is as follows:
      Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

  This Act may be cited as the ``Treating Small Airports with Fairness 
Act of 2016''.

SEC. 2. CONDUCT OF SECURITY SCREENING BY THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY 
                    ADMINISTRATION AT CERTAIN AIRPORTS.

  (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration shall provide for security screening to be conducted by 
the Transportation Security Administration at, and provide all 
necessary staff and equipment to, any airport--
          (1) that lost commercial air service on or after January 1, 
        2013; and
          (2) the operator of which, following the loss described in 
        paragraph (1), submits to the Administrator--
                  (A) a request for security screening to be conducted 
                at such airport by the Transportation Security 
                Administration; and
                  (B) written confirmation of a commitment from a 
                commercial air carrier--
                          (i) that such air carrier intends to resume 
                        commercial air service at such airport; and
                          (ii) to resume such service not later than 
                        the date that is one year after the date of the 
                        submission of the request under subparagraph 
                        (A).
  (b) Deadline.--Subject to the one-year limitation described in 
subsection (a)(2)(B)(ii), the Administrator of the Transportation 
Security Administration shall ensure that the process of implementing 
security screening by the Transportation Security Administration at an 
airport described in subsection (a) is complete not later than the 
later of--
          (1) the date that is 90 days after the date on which the 
        operator of such airport submits to the Administrator a request 
        for such screening under paragraph (2)(A) of such subsection; 
        or
          (2) the date on which the commercial air carrier that is the 
        subject of such a request intends to resume commercial air 
        service at such airport.
  (c) Effects on Other Airports.--The Administrator of the 
Transportation Security Administration shall carry out this section in 
a manner that does not negatively affect operations at airports not 
described in this section that are otherwise provided security 
screening conducted by the Transportation Security Administration.

                          Purpose and Summary

    The purpose of H.R. 4549 is to require the Transportation 
Security Administration to conduct security screening at 
certain airports, and for other purposes.

                  Background and Need for Legislation

    There are currently at least six airports that have had 
requests denied by the Transportation Security Administration 
(TSA) to return security screening and personnel airports after 
temporary gaps in commercial air service:
       Del Rio International Airport in Del Rio, Texas (DRT)
       Sheridan County Airport in Sheridan, Wyoming (SHR)
       Fair Child International Airport in Port Angeles, 
        Washington (CLM)
       Salina Regional Airport in Salina, Kansas (SLN)
       Canyonlands Field Airport in Moab, Utah (CNY)
       Crater Lake Klamath Regional Airport in Klamath Falls, 
        Oregon (LMT)
    TSA has stated they have no requirement under law to return 
this needed service, and instead has directed the airports to 
allow passengers to fly unscreened to their next destination, 
and undergo reverse security screening there. This poses 
serious security issues, and would increase travel time and 
costs for passengers. According to local officials and the 
commercial airlines hoping to return service to these small 
airports, this is not a feasible option due to the security 
concerns of 30 passengers flying unscreened to a major 
metropolitan area, the added travel time caused by using a 
shuttle bus to reach the front of the airport for screening, 
and other logistical challenges.

                                Hearings

    No hearings were held on H.R. 4549.

                        Committee Consideration

    The Committee met on March 23, 2016, to consider H.R. 4549, 
and ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a 
favorable recommendation, as amended, by unanimous consent. The 
Committee took the following actions:
    The following amendments were offered:
 An amendment offered by Mr. Thompson of Mississippi (#1); was 
AGREED TO by unanimous consent.
     In section 2, add at the end a new subsection entitled 
``(c) Effects on Other Airports.''

                            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. 4549.

                      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. 
4549, the Treating Small Airports with Fairness Act of 2016, 
would result in no new or increased budget authority, 
entitlement authority, or tax expenditures or revenues.

                  Congressional Budget Office Estimate

    Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the 
House of Representatives, a cost estimate provided by the 
Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the 
Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was not made available to the 
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chairman 
of the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the 
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.

         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. 4549 contains the following 
general performance goals and objectives, including outcome 
related goals and objectives authorized.
    The goal of this bill is to ensure that all necessary staff 
and screening equipment is provided to any airport that lost 
commercial air service on or after January 1, 2013, and the 
operator of which, submits to the Transportation Security 
Administrator a request for screening and written confirmation 
of a commitment from a commercial air carrier that such carrier 
intends to resume commercial air service at such airport not 
later than the date that is one year after the date of the 
submission of the request to the Administrator.

                      Duplicative Federal Programs

    Pursuant to clause 3(c) of Rule XIII, the Committee finds 
that H.R. 4549 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

    An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of 
the Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the 
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the 
Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chairman 
of the Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the 
Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee.

                        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. 4549 does 
not preempt any State, local, or Tribal law.

                  Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings

    The Committee estimates that H.R. 4549 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 this bill may be cited as the 
``Treating Small Airports with Fairness Act of 2016''.

Sect. 2.   Conduct of Security Screening by the Transportation Security 
        Administration at Certain Airports.

    This section requires the Transportation Security 
Administration (TSA) to provide the necessary staff and 
screening equipment to any airport that lost commercial air 
service on or after January 1, 2013. Additionally, the operator 
must submit a request for security screening to the 
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and 
a written confirmation of a commitment from a commercial air 
carrier that such carrier intends to resume commercial air 
service at such airport and service will be resumed not later 
than one year after the date that the operator submitted a 
request for security screening to the Administrator.
    This section also requires the Administrator to ensure that 
security screening is implemented by the TSA at an airport 
described above not later than the later of 90 days after the 
airport operator submits a request for such screening or the 
date which the commercial air carrier that is the subject of 
such request intends to resume commercial air service at such 
airport.
    This section requires that the restoration of screening 
services by the Transportation Security Administration at 
airports described in this section does not negatively affect 
airport operations at airports not described in this section.

         Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported

    As reported, H.R. 4549 makes no changes to existing law.

                                  [all]