Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 720, the Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015, and yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the bill before us today is named in honor of Officer Gerardo Hernandez, a Transportation Security Administration officer who was tragically shot and killed in the line of duty on November 1, 2013, at Los Angeles International Airport.

Officer Hernandez was the first TSA employee ever to be killed in the line

of duty, and this bill that bears his name seeks to better prepare our Nation's airports to respond to such security incidents in hopes that we can prevent another TSA officer, airport employee, or passenger from suffering the same fate.

That morning in November 2013, a man entered LAX with a semiautomatic rifle, a bagful of ammunition, and the intent to target TSA officers. After killing Officer Hernandez at the TSA checkpoint, the man proceeded into the secure area of the terminal where he shot and wounded two more TSA officers and a civilian.

Those two TSA officers heroically continued to help passengers escape to safety while the shooter made it as far as the food court at the end of the terminal before he was shot and wounded by LAX police officers.

The men and women of the Los Angeles World Airports Police Department and all emergency responders who arrived on the scene that morning acted bravely and swiftly prevented further loss of life despite tremendous communications challenges.

It is with those men and women and all emergency responders in mind that I rise to support this bill because this incident exposed serious deficiencies in planning, preparedness, and communication that must be corrected for the safety of emergency responders and all who use and work in our airports.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 720 would implement commonsense security measures to ensure that our Nation's airports have in place individualized strategies for responding to a security incident such as an active shooter scenario or an act of terrorism.

This bill also specifically requires TSA to provide information to airports on best practices for responding to a security incident at checkpoints; provide Transportation Security officers with practical training for responding to active shooter scenarios; and conduct a nationwide assessment of the interoperable communications capabilities of the law enforcement, fire, and medical personnel responsible for responding to an active shooter event at an airport.

These requirements are informed by postincident reviews conducted by TSA and LAX, as well as hearings and oversight work conducted by the Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security.

Mr. Speaker, prior to my time here in Congress, I understand that the Subcommittee on Transportation Security also visited LAX to see firsthand how the tragedy unfolded and hear from TSA airport officials and the American Federation of Government Employees about how the response to a similar incident can be improved going forward.

I hope that we can continue that productive dialogue with LAX and our other airports and work together to better prepare for such violence in the airport environment.

We will never forget what happened at LAX on November 1, 2013, nor can we afford to forget the lessons to be learned from that tragic day. The threats to our Nation's airports are ceaseless and constantly evolving. There could be another attack on any given day at any given airport. We must assume that it will happen. We must be more prepared. We must do better. We owe it to Officer Hernandez and his family.

That is why I rise today in support of H.R. 720, and I urge all of my colleagues to pass this important bill.

With that, Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters), the ranking member on the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services whose district encompasses Los Angeles International Airport.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to thank Subcommittee Chairman Katko for the bipartisan, inclusive, and constructive way in which he has conducted the subcommittee's response to this incident. I am proud to join Ranking Member Thompson and Chairman McCaul as an original cosponsor of H.R. 720. This is bipartisan legislation that was unanimously passed by the House last Congress, and I urge my colleagues to do the same with this bill.

I strongly believe that with our votes today, we will not only honor the life of Officer Hernandez, we have the opportunity to save lives, be they transportation security officers, airport workers, or members of the flying public. At the end of the day, saving those lives is the best way we can honor Officer Hernandez and his family. I once again urge my colleagues to pass this bill.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 720) to improve intergovernmental planning for and communication during security incidents at domestic airports, and for other purposes.

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.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 720, the Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015.

H.R. 720 is a bipartisan measure I introduced to enhance preparedness at our Nation's airports for responding to active shooters and other security incidents.

The legislation was championed last Congress by my predecessor, the former chairman of the Transportation Security Subcommittee, Mr. Hudson, in response to the tragic shooting at Los Angeles International Airport in November of 2013.

The shooting at LAX took the life of Transportation Security Officer Hernandez and wounded two other TSA officers and one passenger. The event highlighted vulnerabilities in airport preparedness, including in the areas of incident command, communication with travelers, communication between TSA and law enforcement, and evacuation measures. H.R. 720 would apply lessons learned and help close gaps in preparedness at other U.S. airports around the country.

Mr. Speaker, the time to act is now. Everyone within the airport community--from law enforcement and emergency medical personnel, to airport and airline personnel, to TSA officials and the traveling public--must know how to respond to an active shooter or other threat inside the airport.

If not, we risk repeating the communication and coordination challenges among responding agencies that were well documented in the aftermath of the LAX shooting. There is no excuse for such inaction.

Many airports have taken their own steps following the shooting to strengthen preparedness and response plans, and they should be applauded for that.

H.R. 720 would require TSA to verify that airports maintain plans for evacuating travelers, conducting joint exercises within the airport community, establishing unified command posts during security incidents, and testing radio equipment.

The bill would also make TSA a clearinghouse for security incident response and communications best practices--a key recommendation from the airport community--as well as require the agency to certify to Congress that all screening personnel have participated in active shooter training.

H.R. 720 explicitly does not authorize any new spending to implement these commonsense measures. TSA continues to achieve millions of dollars in cost savings with risk-based programs such as TSA Precheck, and I believe the agency must continually prioritize its resources to address real threats to the traveling public.

This bipartisan bill was developed with public and private sector input following multiple subcommittee hearings, site visits, meetings, and afteraction reviews conducted by both the TSA and Los Angeles World Airports.

Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank Chairman McCaul, Ranking Member Thompson, Ranking Member Rice, Congressman Hudson, and other bipartisan cosponsors of the bill for joining me in introducing this legislation and for their strong support in getting this legislation to the floor today.

I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time and look forward to the comments from the gentlewoman from California (Ms. Waters).

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, the tragic event that unfolded at LAX in November of 2013 was a stark reminder that much remains to be done in securing America's transit hubs, particularly the nonsterile or nonsecure side of airports that are in many ways just like open shopping malls.

Given this reality, we must ensure that airport communities are prepared to respond swiftly to any major security incidents that threaten the safety of the traveling public. In remembrance of Transportation Security Officer Hernandez, I urge my colleagues to pass this important legislation.

I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H. R. 720, The Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015, which improves intergovernmental planning and communication during security incidents at domestic airports.

As a former chair and ranking member of the Homeland Security Committee Transportation Security Subcommittee, I understand how important this bill will be in enhancing safety and protection in the air transit industry, not just for our citizens but for our Transportation Security Officers working in the line of duty.

This legislation, which requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to devote more resources for planning and communication during and in case of threats or emergencies, is prompted by the tragic death of Gerardo I. Hernandez, a Transportation Security Officer who was killed in the line of duty at Los Angeles International Airport on November 1, 2013.

At just 39 years old, Gerardo Hernandez was the first TSA officer to lose his life in the line of duty in the 12 year history of the agency.

He died from several gunshot wounds inflicted by an assailant while on duty at the Los Angeles International Airport

Gerardo Hernandez was among those thousands of TSA employs carrying out their mission to keep the airways safe for traveling citizens, and their work across the nation cannot be understated.

Seven victims were treated at the scene of the attack and three victims who were wounded by gunfire, including two TSA officers, identified as 54-year-old James Speer and 36-year-old Tony Grigsby needed hospital treatment.

On average, TSA officers screen 1.7 million air passengers at more than 450 airports across the nation, which averaged over 637.5 million passengers in 2012.

H.R. 720 will help ensure that all screening personnel have received training in how to handle potential shooting threats.

The bill also requires TSA to verify that all airports have plans in place to respond to any security threats, and provide technical assistance as necessary to improve those plans.

The bill also directs the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Office of Cybersecurity and Communication to report to Congress the capacity of law enforcement, fire, and medical response teams' communication and response to security threats at airports.

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the implementation of H.R. 720 would cost about $2.5 million in 2015. Of the $2.5 million, an estimated $1.5 million would serve to provide additional technical assistance to airports, and the remaining $1 million would be used to evaluate the interoperability of communication systems used by emergency response teams.

Mr. Speaker, it has been almost 14 years since our country suffered the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

We will never forget how that day changed our lives, and the lives of every American generation to follow.

Security measures in airports across the country have been enhanced dramatically, and the resulting inconvenience is a small price to pay for the protective measures needed to keep the travelling public safe.

It is people like Gerardo Hernandez who do their best to make the necessary screening as least intrusive and burdensome as possible, consistent with the mission of ensuring the security of all members of the flying public.

TSA officers willingly risk their lives to make sure the job gets done, and for that we owe these men and women a debt of gratitude.

In honor of Gerardo Hernandez's contribution to his country, I strongly support this bill and urge all my colleagues to join me in voting for its passage.

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 720, a bill I am pleased to be a cosponsor of.

The shooting at LAX resulted in the loss of Officer Hernandez's life and served as a stark reminder of the dangers the men and women on the front lines of securing our aviation sector face.

Unarmed and exposed, Transportation Security Officers perform the often thankless task of screening 1.8 million passengers per day.

They do so with limited workplace protections and the great responsibility of preventing another terrorist attack on the scale of 9/11.

Given their vulnerability and the critical role they play in protecting our homeland, it is essential that airports and the law enforcement agencies that serve them have the resources, training, and plans in place to ensure a swift and effective response when an incident that threatens the safety of Transportation Security Officers occurs.

In March of 2014, I had the opportunity to attend the Subcommittee on Transportation Security's site visit and field hearing at Los Angeles International Airport focused on the tragic shooting that occurred there on November 1st of 2013.

While the response of the individual police officers who prevented further loss of life on that tragic day is to be commended, the overall response at LAX left much to be desired.

Panic buttons at the checkpoint were not in working order. The emergency phone Transportation Security Officers have been trained to use did not display the location of the incident to the command center, and the police, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel responding could not communicate via interoperable radios.

The bill before us today represents a bipartisan effort to remedy many of the deficiencies identified following the shooting.

During Committee consideration of the bill last Congress, Representative Payne offered an amendment to the bill requiring TSA to conduct a nationwide assessment of the interoperability capabilities of emergency responders at airports.

I am pleased that the amendment was adopted and is still included in the bill before the House today.

Such an assessment will help inform where communications gaps that may hamper emergency response at airports still exist.

I would like to once again give my condolences for Officer Hernandez.

Under current law, the families of individuals serving a public agency in an official capacity as a law enforcement officer, firefighter, or chaplain receive compensation if their loved one is killed in the line of duty.

The same is true for families of employees of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and members of rescue squads or ambulance crews.

Unfortunately, the law has not been updated to include Transportation Security Officers within the definition of what constitutes a public safety officer.

As a result, the families of TSOs who are killed in the line of duty, such as the Hernandez family, are not entitled to funds from the Public Safety Officer's Benefits Program.

Last Congress, Representative Brownley introduced legislation that would grant Transportation Security Officers the benefits of other law enforcement officers that are killed in the line of duty.

It is my understanding that Representative Brownley intends to reintroduce the ``Honoring Our Fallen TSA Officers Act'' this Congress.

I implore my colleagues to support the forthcoming legislation so that the families of the men and women on the front lines of protecting our aviation sector are properly compensated when tragedy strikes.

Mr. Speaker, on February 10, 2015, on Roll Call #69 on the Motion

to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 719--TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On February 10, 2015, on Roll Call #70 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 720--Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On February 11, 2015, on Roll Call #71 on Ordering the Previous Question for H. Res. 100, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On February 11, 2015, on Roll Call #72 on H. Res. 100, Providing for consideration of S. 1, the Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On February 11, 2015, on Roll Call #74 on the Democratic Motion to Commit S. 1, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On February 11, 2015, on Roll Call #75 on Passage of S. 1--Keystone XL Pipeline Approval Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On February 11, 2015, on Roll Call #76 on the Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass H.R. 431--To award a Congressional Gold Medal to the Foot Soldiers who participated in Bloody Sunday, Turnaround Tuesday, or the final Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights March in March of 1965, which served as a catalyst for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On February 12, 2015, on Roll Call #77 on Ordering the Previous Question for H. Res. 101, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On February 12, 2015, on Roll Call #78 on H. Res. 101, Providing for consideration of H.R. 644, the Fighting Hunger Incentive Act of 2015 and H.R. 636, to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to permanently extend increased expensing limitations, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On February 12, 2015, on Roll Call #79 on the Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 644, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On February 12, 2015, on Roll Call #80 on Passage of H.R. 644-- Fighting Hunger Incentive Act, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.

On February 13, 2015, on Roll Call #81 on the Democratic Motion to Recommit H.R. 636, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted YEA.

On February 13, 2015, on Roll Call #82 on Passage of H.R. 636-- America's Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2015, I am not recorded because I was absent for medical reasons. Had I been present, I would have voted NAY.