--- kind: "diff" citation: "H.R. 876" bill: "115-hr-876" heading: "Aviation Employee Screening and Security Enhancement Act of 2017" from: "ih" from_label: "Introduced in House" to: "rh" to_label: "Reported in House" sections_amended: 5 sections_added: 0 sections_removed: 0 url: "https://uscodex.org/bills/115/hr/876/changes/rh" --- # H.R. 876 — what changed H.R. 876, Aviation Employee Screening and Security Enhancement Act of 2017 — 5 sections amended between Introduced in House and Reported in House. Edits are marked `struck` and `inserted`. ## Sec. 2 Definitions - In this Act: - (1) Administration— The term Administration “Administration” means the Transportation Security Administration. - (2) Administrator— The term Administrator “Administrator” means the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration. - (3) Air carrier— The term air carrier “air carrier” has the meaning given such term in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code. - (4) Appropriate congressional committees— The term appropriate “appropriate congressional committees committees” means the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate. - (5) Foreign air carrier— The term foreign “foreign air carrier carrier” has the meaning given such term in section 40102 of title 49, United States Code. - (6) Intelligence community— The term intelligence community “intelligence community” has the meaning given such term in section 3(4) of the National Security Act of 1947 (50 U.S.C. 3003(4)). - (7) Secured area— The term “secured area” has the meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. - (8) Security Identification Display Area— The term “Security Identification Display Area” has the meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. - (9) Sterile area— The term “sterile area” has the meaning given such term in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations. ## Sec. 3 Cost and feasibility study - (a) In general— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (established under section 44946 of title 49, United States Code), shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, appropriate congressional committees and the Comptroller General of the United States a cost and feasibility study of a statistically significant number of Category I, II, III, IV, and X airports to ensure that assessing the impact if all employee entry and exit access points that lead from non-secured areas to secure secured areas of such airports are comprised of the following: - (1) A secure door utilizing card and pin entry or biometric technology. - (2) Surveillance video recording, capable of storing video data for at least 30 days. - (3) Advanced screening technologies, including at least one of the following: - (A) Magnetometer (walk-through or hand-held). - (B) Explosives detection canines. - (C) Explosives trace detection swabbing. - (D) Advanced imaging technology. - (E) X-ray bag screening technology. - (b) Contents— The study required under subsection (a) shall include information related to the employee screening costs of those category I, II, III, IV, and X airports which have already implemented practices of screening 100 percent of employees entering secure accessing secured areas of airports, including the following: - (1) Costs associated with establishing an operational minimum number of employee entry and exit points. - (2) A comparison of estimated costs and effectiveness associated with implementing the requirements security features specified in paragraph (1), based on whether such implementation was carried out by the Administration or airports.subsection (a) to— - (A) the Federal Government; and - (B) airports and the aviation community. - (c) Comptroller General general assessment— - (1) In general— Upon completion of the study required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall review such study to assess the quality and reliability of such study. - (2) Assessment— Not later than 60 days after the receipt of the study required under subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States shall report to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the results of the review required under paragraph (1). ## Sec. 4 Airport worker education and security awareness - (a) Cooperative efforts To to enhance airport security awareness— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall work with air carriers, foreign air carriers, airport operators, airport vendors, labor unions representing credentialed employees, and airport concessionaires the Aviation Security Advisory Committee to enhance security awareness of credentialed airport populations regarding insider threats to aviation security and best practices related to airport access controls. - (b) Credentialing standards— - (1) In general— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall, in consultation with air carriers, foreign air carriers, airport operators, vendors, labor unions representing credentialed employees, and airport concessionaires, the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, assess credentialing standards, policies, and practices to ensure that insider threats to aviation security are adequately addressed. - (2) Report— Not later than 30 days after completion of the assessment required under paragraph (1), the Administrator shall report to the appropriate congressional committees on the results of such assessment. - (c) SIDA applications— - (1) Social security numbers required— Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall require airport operators to submit the social security number of an individual applying for a credential granting access to the Security Identification Display Area to strengthen security vetting effectiveness. An applicant who does not provide such applicant’s social security number may be denied such a credential. - (2) Screening notice— The Administrator shall issue requirements for airport operators to include in applications for access to a Security Identification Display Area a notice informing applicants that an employee holding a credential granting access to a Security Identification Display Area may be screened at any time while gaining access to, working in, or leaving a Security Identification Display Area. - (c) SIDA applications— Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall revise the application submitted by an individual applying for a credential granting access to the Secure Identification Display Area (as such term is defined in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations) of an airport to require the social security number of such individual in order to strengthen security vetting effectiveness. ## Sec. 5 Securing airport worker access - (a) In general— The Administrator shall work with airport operators and the Aviation Security Advisory Committee to identify advanced technologies, including biometric identification technologies, for securing employee access to the secure secured areas and sterile areas of airports (as such terms are defined in section 1540.5 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations).airports. - (b) Rap Back back vetting— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall ensure that all credentialed aviation worker populations currently requiring a fingerprint-based criminal record history check are continuously vetted through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Rap Back Service, in order to more rapidly detect and mitigate insider threats to aviation security. - (c) Insider threat education and mitigation— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall identify means of enhancing the Administration’s ability to leverage the resources of the Department of Homeland Security and the intelligence community to educate Administration personnel on insider threats to aviation security and how the Administration can better mitigate such insider threats. - (d) Playbook operations— The Administrator shall ensure that Administration-led employee screening efforts, physical inspection efforts of aviation workers, known as Playbook operations, are targeted, strategic, and focused on providing the greatest level of security effectiveness. - (e) Covert testing— - (1) In general— The Administrator shall increase conduct covert testing of Administration-led employee screening inspection operations at airports and measure existing levels of security effectiveness. The Administrator shall provide to air carriers, foreign air carriers, airport operators, airport vendors, and airport concessionaires—provide— - (A) the results of such testing to the airport operator for the airport that is the subject of any such testing, and, as appropriate, to air carriers and foreign air carriers that operate at the airport that is the subject of such testing; and - (B) recommendations based on such results and measurements on how technical assistance for air carriers, foreign air carriers, and airport operators to improve such security screening operations.conduct their own employee inspections, as needed. - (2) Annual reporting— The Administrator shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees an annual report on the frequency, methodology, strategy, and effectiveness of employee screening operations at airports. - (f) Centralized database— Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator, in consultation with the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, shall— - (1) establish a national database of Administration employees individuals who have had either their airport or aircraft airport operator-issued badge revoked for failure to comply with aviation security requirements; - (2) determine the appropriate reporting mechanisms for airports and air carriers and carriers, foreign air carriers carriers, and airport operators to— - (A) submit to the Administration data regarding employees individuals described in paragraph (1); and - (B) access the database established pursuant to such paragraph; and - (3) establish a process that allows to allow individuals whose names were mistakenly entered into such database to correct the record and have their names removed and have their credentialing restored.from such database. ## Sec. 6 Insider threat coordination efforts - The Department of Homeland Security is the lead interagency coordinator pertaining to insider threat investigations and mitigation efforts at airports. The Department shall make every practicable effort to coordinate with other relevant Government entities entities, as well as the security representatives of air carriers, foreign air carriers, and airport operators, as appropriate, when undertaking such investigations and efforts.