---
kind: "section"
citation: "49 U.S.C. § 44916"
title: "49"
title_heading: "Transportation"
number: "44916"
heading: "Assessments and evaluations"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/49/44916"
units:
  - "Subtitle VII — Aviation Programs"
  - "Part A — Air Commerce and Safety"
  - "Subpart iii — safety"
  - "Chapter 449 — Security"
  - "Subchapter I — Requirements"
---

# §44916. Assessments and evaluations

- (a) **Periodic Assessments.—** The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall require each [air carrier](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-2) and [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) (including the [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) owner or operator in cooperation with the [air carriers](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-2) and vendors serving each [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9)) that provides for intrastate, interstate, or [foreign air transportation](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-23) to conduct periodic vulnerability assessments of the security systems of that [air carrier](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-2) or [airport](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9), respectively. The Transportation Security Administration shall perform periodic audits of such assessments.
- (b) **Investigations.—** The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall conduct periodic and unannounced inspections of security systems of [airports](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-9) and [air carriers](/usc/49/40102.md?p=a-2) to determine the effectiveness and vulnerabilities of such systems. To the extent allowable by law, the Administrator may provide for anonymous tests of those security systems.

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 104–264, title III, § 312(a), Oct. 9, 1996, 110 Stat. 3253; amended Pub. L. 107–71, title I, § 101(f)(3), (7), Nov. 19, 2001, 115 Stat. 603; Pub. L. 115–254, div. K, title I, § 1991(d)(14), Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3635.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(14)(A), substituted “Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration” for “Under Secretary of Transportation for Security”.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(14)(B), substituted “Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall” for “Under Secretary shall” and “Administrator may” for “Under Secretary may”.

2001—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 107–71, § 101(f)(3), substituted “Under Secretary of Transportation for Security” for “Administrator” in first sentence and “Transportation Security Administration” for “Administration” in second sentence.

Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 107–71, § 101(f)(7), substituted “Under Secretary” for “Administrator” in two places.

### Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

### Effective Date

Except as otherwise specifically provided, section applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1996, and not to be construed as affecting funds made available for a fiscal year ending before Oct. 1, 1996, see section 3 of Pub. L. 104–264, set out as an Effective Date of 1996 Amendment note under section 106 of this title.