H.R. 3669House115th Congress (2017-2019)Passed House

Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act of 2017

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 15, 2026 at 5:54 PM UTC

The Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act of 2017 aims to tighten and simplify security for general aviation and charter flights by using risk‑based standards. It directs the TSA to explore online Secure Flight access for charter carriers, allows TSA screening services outside airport terminals for charter operators (with cost reimbursement), and requires reports and staffing to improve vetting of flight‑training students and other general‑aviation security measures.

Key Provisions

The TSA must study, within 120 days, how much it would cost and whether it’s feasible to let commercial charter carriers access Secure Flight data online.
Charter airlines can ask for TSA screening services outside the main passenger terminal; the airport’s Federal Security Director can approve it, and the carrier must pay reasonable and overtime costs, which go into a TSA account.
Within 120 days, the TSA must submit an implementation plan to Congress on how it will act on three Aviation Security Advisory Committee recommendations: general‑aviation access to Reagan National Airport, vetting people who want flight training, and any other relevant prior recommendations.
The TSA must assign at least one full‑time staff member to work directly with general‑aviation stakeholders.
Within one year, the TSA must report on whether it’s practical to require security threat assessments for anyone seeking flight‑school training on aircraft over 12,500 lb, to improve vetting of flight‑training candidates.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

12 earlier actions

SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

December 12, 2017

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

September 1, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Homeland Security Committee

September 1, 2017

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.

Homeland Security Committee

September 7, 2017

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.

Homeland Security Committee

September 7, 2017

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-346.

Homeland Security Committee

October 12, 2017

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 250.

October 12, 2017

HouseFloor

Mr. Estes (KS) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

December 11, 2017 • 4:53 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H9769-9770)

December 11, 2017 • 4:53 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 3669.

December 11, 2017 • 4:53 PM

HouseFloor

Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H9769)

December 11, 2017 • 5:05 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H9769)

December 11, 2017 • 5:05 PM

HouseFloor

Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

December 11, 2017 • 5:05 PM

SenateIntro Referral

Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee

December 12, 2017

Floor Debate

3 members

What members said about H.R. 3669 on the floor

2 Republicans1 Democrat

Rep. Nanette Diaz BarragánD-CA-44 · Dec 11, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3669, the Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act of 2017, and I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, general…

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3669, the Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act of 2017, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, general aviation flights, such as those that fly out of Compton/Woodley Airport in my district, are integral to our Nation's aviation system.

The Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act of 2017 seeks to improve and streamline security measures for general aviation and commercial charter air carriers. Importantly, H.R. 3669 incorporates two key Democratic amendments that were adopted with bipartisan support.

First, an amendment from the gentlewoman from New Jersey (Mrs. Watson Coleman) ensures that the Aviation Security Advisory Committee can continue to operate independently and clarifies that the TSA Administrator retains the authority to make security decisions.

As amended, the bill would drive TSA to move swiftly to act upon recommendations, with which it concurs, that the TSA's advisory committee issued regarding general aviation security.

Secondly, the bill incorporates an amendment by Representative Bennie Thompson, our ranking member, to require TSA to conduct a feasibility study of requiring security threat assessments for all candidates seeking flight school training to operate large aircraft. Such a study would help inform our efforts in Congress to push TSA towards more effective and comprehensive vetting of flight students.

Under current TSA procedures, a student seeking flight training on aircraft weighing more than 12,500 pounds is not always vetted against the terrorist watch list prior to the commencement of such training. Sixteen years after 9/11 attacks, more must be done to block security loopholes that were exploited by the 9/11 hijackers. Making sure that anyone who wishes to pilot a large plane is subject to the same level of vetting that a passenger who boards the plane would receive is common sense.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I am prepared to close, and I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 3669, is a sensible piece of legislation that seeks to ensure general aviation transportation in our country is secure. H.R. 3669 includes language which passed the House in a bipartisan fashion as part of the Department of Homeland Security Authorization Act to ensure available TSA resources can be used to assist in securing commercial charter flights.

The bill also incorporates Democratic amendments to ensure the independence of the ASAC and to push TSA to study flight school student vetting. While large commercial aircraft operations receive the majority of TSA's attention and resources, we must not ignore the damage that could be inflicted by a terrorist attack on a general aviation flight.

Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to support H.R. 3669, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. John KatkoR-NY-24 · Dec 11, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3669, the Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act of 2017, which has been championed by my good friend and colleague,…

Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3669, the Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act of 2017, which has been championed by my good friend and colleague, Mr. Estes.

As chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security, I appreciate the significant security challenges facing all modes of America's transportation systems, including the often overlooked general aviation and commercial charter sectors.

As we saw this morning with the terrorist attack in New York City against a surface transportation hub, large commercial airliners are not the only target on terrorists' minds, and we must not allow ourselves to be negligent towards the security of all sectors of transportation security.

During his short time in Congress, Congressman Estes has quickly become one of the most forward-leaning members of the Homeland Security Committee on issues relating to aviation security. Mr. Estes' legislation will make significant strides in closing security vulnerabilities in general aviation's ability to screen and vet passengers and crew, while better protecting individuals' personally identifiable information from potential exploitation.

Additionally, this bill will hold the Transportation Security Administration accountable to important security recommendations from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, including those relating to the security vetting for flight school applicants in the United States.

This bill will ensure that the general aviation community, which is often overlooked by TSA, will have a voice within the agency by requiring TSA to designate personnel to be responsible for stakeholder engagement within the general aviation community.

Mr. Speaker, I was honored to have Representative Estes join me and other bipartisan colleagues on a recent congressional delegation to the Middle East and Europe where we examined a number of aviation security threats and mitigation efforts. Our delegation, combined with our continuous oversight efforts at home, have provided with us a stark, firsthand understanding of the security vulnerabilities facing our Nation's aviation systems.

Because of this, I am extremely pleased that Mr. Estes' bill is being considered here before the House today. I urge my colleagues to support the bill and our efforts to improve the security of American aviation.

Rep. Ron EstesR-KS-4 · Dec 11, 2017

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3669) to improve and streamline security procedures related to general aviation and commercial charter air carrier utilizing…

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 3669) to improve and streamline security procedures related to general aviation and commercial charter air carrier utilizing risk-based security standards, 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 extraneous material.

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

Mr. Speaker, I am honored to represent the Fourth District of Kansas. My hometown, Wichita, Kansas, is proud to be known as The Air Capital of the World.

Over 100 years ago, Clyde Cessna began manufacturing planes outside of Wichita. Since then, Wichita has grown to be the leading center for aviation manufacturing around the world. In fact, 67 percent of the world's embedded general aviation fleet is manufactured in Kansas. We are proud of the work we do in Wichita, and general aviation has a good home in Kansas.

I worked for many years in the general aviation industry as a process improvement engineer. That is why I am putting forward this important piece of legislation that will help ensure general aviation remains safe and secure.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to vote for H.R. 3669, the Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act.

General aviation, which includes all noncommercial flights and commercial charters, accounts for nearly two-thirds of all towered operations in the United States. This does not account for the thousands of untowered operations in the United States that are only served by the general aviation community.

However, general aviation and commercial charter air service represent a small fraction of TSA's stakeholder community, causing their issues and concerns to fall to the bottom of the agency's priorities. This bill seeks to elevate some of these important but often overlooked security issues. The general aviation community has important safety concerns that deserve to be heard and acted upon by

Mr. Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. Katko).

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

Bill Text

4 versions available

Reading Mode

Raw Text PDF XML

Referred in SenateIssued December 12, 2017

IIB

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 3669

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

December 12, 2017

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

AN ACT

To improve and streamline security procedures related to general aviation and commercial charter air carrier utilizing risk-based security standards, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Securing General Aviation and Commercial Charter Air Carrier Service Act of 2017.

Web-based secure flight cost and feasibility study

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall conduct a study to determine the cost and feasibility of establishing web-based access to Secure Flight for commercial charter air carriers.

Screening in areas other than passenger terminals

(a)

In general

The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration is authorized to provide screening services to a commercial charter air carrier in areas other than primary passenger terminals of airports upon the request of such carrier.

(b)

Request

A commercial charter air carrier that wants screening services to be provided to such carrier in an area other than a primary passenger terminal shall request the Federal Security Director for the airport at which such services are requested.

(c)

Availability

A Federal Security Director may elect to provide screening services under this section if such services are available.

(d)

Agreements

(1)

In general

The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall enter into an agreement with a commercial charter air carrier for compensation from such carrier requesting the use of screening services under this section for all reasonable costs in addition to overtime costs that are incurred in the provision of such services.

(2)

Availability

Any compensation received by the Transportation Security Administration pursuant to an agreement under this subsection shall be credited to the account used in connection with the provision of the screening services that are the subject of such agreement, notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, United States Code.

Report on general aviation security and select aviation security topics

Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, shall, consistent with the requirements of paragraphs (6) and (7) of section 44946(b) of title 49, United States Code, submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate an implementation plan, including an implementation schedule, for any of the following recommendations that were adopted by the Aviation Security Advisory Committee and with which the Administrator has concurred before the date of the enactment of this Act:

(1)

The recommendation regarding general aviation access to Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, as adopted on February 17, 2015.

(2)

The recommendation regarding the vetting of persons seeking flight training in the United States, as adopted on July 28, 2016.

(3)

Any other such recommendations relevant to the security of general aviation adopted before the date of the enactment of this Act.

Designated staffing for general aviation

The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration is authorized to designate not fewer than one full time employee of the Administration to be responsible for engagement with general aviation stakeholders and manage issues related to general aviation.

Security enhancements

Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, shall provide to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report on the feasibility of requiring security threat assessments for all candidates seeking flight school training in the operation of any aircraft having a maximum certificated takeoff weight of more than 12,500 pounds to further enhance the vetting of persons seeking such training in the United States.

Passed the House of Representatives December 11, 2017.

Karen L. Haas,

Clerk