Traveler Redress Improvement Act of 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 2132) to require the implementation of a redress process and review of the Transportation Security Administration's intelligence- based screening rules for aviation security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their remarks and include any extraneous materials on the bill under consideration.

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

Mr. Speaker, this legislation seeks to expand the Department of Homeland Security's Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, commonly referred to as TRIP, to assist travelers who feel that they have been repeatedly selected for enhanced screening in an unfair manner.

Currently, the TRIP process only provides redress to individuals who have been placed on the no-fly list. However, for reasons unknown to the individual, they can be perpetually selected for enhanced screening without any opportunity to correct the record, if he or she fails, that this is due to an error.

This issue first came to our attention when an individual who works for a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit organization alerted the committee that he had been subject to enhanced pat-downs by TSA agents every time he traveled through an airport for over 3 years.

Although he twice submitted inquiries to the Department of Homeland Security through the TRIP process, he remained unable to obtain information as to why he was currently getting flagged as a potential security threat at the airport.

As you can imagine, this can cause a great deal of stress and worry for someone who feels that they have been targeted by the U.S. Government for unknown reasons.

After continued prodding of TSA by my subcommittee staff, this individual, a U.S. citizen, was cleared by Homeland Security and is now able to travel hassle free.

Unfortunately, this example is not an isolated case. Several weeks ago, a member of the committee staff also was repeatedly selected for enhanced

screening on multiple flights after traveling to the Middle East as part of an official congressional staff delegation.

When my staff looked into this case, the staffer had been mistakenly flagged for enhanced screening due to erroneous information that was entered into the Terrorist Screening Database, or TSDB.

As these anecdotes demonstrate, Homeland Security needs to establish a formal mechanism to handle these cases. My legislation requires the Department to do just that.

I would like to thank Chairman McCaul, Congressmen King and Vela, and Congresswoman Watson Coleman for their support of this bipartisan legislation. I thank the Speaker for allowing today's consideration of the bill, and I encourage my colleagues to support this bill.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.

Before I close, I want to note briefly that this is yet another bill that has come out of Homeland Security that has been done so in a purely bipartisan manner. I think that serves as an example of how Congress can abide, going forward, in getting things done, big issues and small. There are no small issues when it comes to terrorism, but we seem to be united in our quest to make this country as safe as we can.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues once again to support H.R. 2132, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, as a senior member of the Homeland Security Committee, I rise in support of H.R. 2132, ``Traveler Redress Improvement Act of 2017,'' which requires the implementation of a redress process and review of the Transportation Security Administration's intelligence-based screening rules for aviation security.

The DHS Traveler Redress Inquiry Program (DHS TRIP) provides a redress process for individuals who have been denied or delayed airline boarding, entry into or exit from the United States at a port of entry or border crossing, or have been repeatedly referred for additional (secondary) screening.

I thank the Committee for accepting the Jackson Lee Amendment to H.R. 2132, which extends the time for GAO to submit its report from 180 days to one year.

The Jackson Lee Amendment gives GAO additional time to do its work after TSA concludes its work on the Privacy Impact Assessment for the Secure Flight program.

In 2015, there were 178 days when TSA screened more than 2 million passengers in a single day.

George Bush International and William P. Hobby Airports are essential hubs for domestic and international air travel for Houston and the region.

Nearly 40 million passengers traveled through Bush International Airport (IAH) and an additional 10 million traveled through William P. Hobby (HOU).

Persons who routinely undergo secondary screening or incur delays in boarding flights only have the DHS TRIP as their sole means of redress.

DHS TRIP is a single point of contact for individuals who have inquiries or seek resolution regarding travel difficulties that may be caused by watch list issues, screening problems at ports of entry, and situations where travelers believe they have been unfairly or incorrectly delayed, denied boarding or identified for additional screening at our nation's transportation hubs.

H.R. 2132 requires TSA, to report within 18o days on the implementation of the redress process to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate.

TSA is also required to review and update the Privacy Impact Assessment Act for the Secure Flight programs in order to make sure this assessment reflects the operation of the DHS TRIP.

As an added measure to ensure DHS TRIP has the most up to date information, the TSA Assistant Administrator of the Office of Intelligence Analysis must conduct a comprehensive review of TSA's intelligence-based screening rules every 120 days.

Once this review is completed, the Office of Intelligence Analysis of TSA has 48 hours to notify relevant DHS offices if there is any change, update, implementation, or suspension of any rule or method.

Reviewing the screening rules allows TSA to keep the methods that are used for security as up to date as possible and to ensure that air travelers are treated fairly.

I am a strong proponent of privacy, civil liberties, and due process.

The Federal Privacy Act assures that when agencies use electronic databases to collect, retain, process, or make decisions regarding-U.S. citizens that their privacy is protected.

I ask my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to vote in support of H.R. 2132.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 2132, the Traveler Redress Improvement Act of 2017.

Mr. Speaker, the American flying public has seen many changes in how aviation security is handled since the devastating morning of September 11, 2001. Among the most prominent changes has been the screening of passenger names against the so-called no-fly list that contains the information on tens of thousands of people who are deemed by our intelligence and law enforcement community as threats to aviation.

H.R. 2132 seeks to ensure a traveler, who has repeatedly received enhanced security screening at Transportation Security Administration checkpoints and believes they have wrongly been identified as posing a threat to aviation security, can receive timely redress from the Department of Homeland Security's Traveler Redress Inquiry Program, or DHS TRIP program.

Specifically, this bill directs TSA to ensure that an individual who has received enhanced screening from TSA more than three times in a 60- day period can access the Department's redress process.

This bipartisan bill, which was unanimously approved by the Homeland Security Committee on May 3, is informed by the committee's oversight finding. As such, I support the bill and urge my colleagues to join me in passing this measure to increase transparency and accountability on behalf of travelers.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, H.R. 2132, the Traveler Redress Improvement Act of 2017, would improve DHS redress processes for passengers who have repeatedly been selected for enhanced security screening and feel they have been wrongly identified as posing a threat to aviation security.

While TSA has a duty to protect classified and sensitive information from those who wish to do us harm, we must ensure TSA's operations are transparent as they can be for the vast majority of passengers who are simply trying to travel from point A to point B with as little stress as possible.

Before I yield back, I thank Subcommittee Chairman Katko and Ranking Member Watson Coleman for their long and enduring work on this bill.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.