TSA OPEN for Business Act

Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6459) to amend the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to require a strategy to diversify the technology stakeholder marketplace regarding the acquisition by the Transportation Security Administration of security screening technologies, and for other purposes.

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

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

Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6459, the TSA Opportunities to Pursue Expanded Networks for Business Act, also known as the TSA OPEN for Business Act, sponsored by the ranking member of the Committee on Homeland Security, Mr. Thompson.

This bipartisan legislation seeks to improve how TSA partners with the private sector to offer innovative technologies for passenger screening. In particular, this bill aims to bolster access for small businesses to TSA's acquisition process and better serve the public.

Specifically, this bill directs the TSA administrator to develop a strategy to diversify the stakeholder marketplace used to acquire advanced security technologies. This strategy must include plans to assist small businesses with navigating the agency's acquisitions and procurement processes, which are often overly bureaucratic.

Additionally, the bill will help establish public-private partnerships that will direct venture capital toward emerging, promising technologies.

Madam Speaker, our airline industry still remains the crown jewel of targets for international terrorists. The public deserves to have the best security in place throughout America's transportation and aviation sector, and it is incumbent upon the TSA to create a streamlined way of identifying and deploying advanced security technologies.

Since its creation, TSA has struggled to expand participation by small businesses and direct resources towards promising technologies. Ranking Member Thompson's legislation reduces bureaucratic hurdles, while promoting private sector innovation.

Madam Speaker, I want to thank the ranking member for introducing this excellent legislation, as well as the chairman of the Subcommittee on Transportation and Protective Security, Mr. Katko, for his leadership on this issue.

This legislation offers a bipartisan approach to improving opportunities for small businesses seeking to partner with TSA, and improves the security of our Nation's transportation systems.

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

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

Madam Speaker, in closing, I thank Ranking Member Thompson for bringing this legislation.

When a lot of people look at TSA, they look at the lines and the screening that takes place. Sometimes I often think they don't get the respect that they deserve.

TSA does a lot more than screening at airports. It screens overseas; it has intelligence leads to stop terrorists from coming into the country; and, most importantly, it stops terrorists with the latest threat that we have that I can say publicly now: turning laptops into bombs and toxic gas. That is a threat that keeps me up at night with U.S.-bound passengers from airports like Istanbul, Cairo, and Riyadh into JFK Airport and other airports, but also domestic flights. It is important that we pass this bill that the ranking member introduced to make sure that TSA has the best technology available to stop that threat.

I am proud to say that we have worked in a bipartisan fashion to ensure that the moneys have been appropriated to buy these new technologies and new machines that outdated technology cannot see or screen but the updated technology can. We owe it to the American people to deploy this new technology as soon and quickly as possible, given the immediate threat to the United States and the airline sector.

Madam Speaker, I think this is an excellent bill. I fully support it, and I urge my colleagues to support it as well.

Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.

Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 6459, the ``TSA OPEN for Business Act,'' which amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002, to diversify the technology stakeholder marketplace for TSA acquisitions.

I would like to thank Ranking Member Thompson for his leadership on the Committee on Homeland Security and for introducing this important bill to improve transportation security.

H.R. 6459 directs the Administrator of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration to develop and submit to Congress a strategy to diversify the technology stakeholder marketplace regarding the acquisition by the TSA of security screening technologies.

That strategy must include:

1. Information on how Administration solicitation, testing, evaluation, piloting, acquisition, and procurement processes impact the Administrator's ability to acquire from a technology stakeholder, including a small business innovator, that has not previously provided technology to the Administration, an innovative technology or capability with the potential to enhance transportation security;

2. Specific actions that the administrator will take to foster diversification within the technology stakeholder market along with a timeline for such actions;

3. Plans for how the administrator may assist a small business innovator at certain points in such process; and

4. A feasibility assessment of partnering with an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of such Code.

I represent the 18th Congressional District of Texas which is situated in Houston and home to 2 major airports, the George Bush International Airport and William P. Hobby Airport, which are essential hubs for domestic and international air travel for Houston and the region.

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

More than 650 daily departures occur at George Bush International Airport, which is also the 11th busiest airport in the U.S. for total passenger traffic and annually handles more than 419,205 metric tons of cargo.

As better transportation security technology becomes available, it is imperative that it be adequately evaluated for use in our nation's airports.

The size of a company should not limit it from contributing to the important work of aviation security.

We should support advances in transportation security technology that are positive and help fulfill the TSA's mission to protect our nation's transportation systems from terrorist threats.

I ask that all members join me in voting to pass H.R. 6459, the ``TSA OPEN for Business Act.''

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

Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 6459, the TSA Opportunities to Pursue Expanded Networks for Business Act, or TSA OPEN for Business Act.

Madam Speaker, the Transportation Security Administration must acquire and deploy effective security technology to keep up with current threats. To do so, TSA must ensure its acquisition processes incentivize security manufacturers to develop innovative solutions and compete for contract awards.

Unfortunately, in practice, TSA's processes are unwieldy and full of delays and roadblocks that limit interest and competition. Today, companies looking to do business with TSA for the first time must invest significant resources and expend years of effort on testing and piloting before ever receiving a single purchase order.

For small businesses, which generally lack other revenue streams to underwrite their operations while working through the maze of TSA's processes, these impediments often prove insurmountable. There is no way of knowing how many small businesses have had innovative security solutions, but pursued other opportunities rather than risk getting tangled up in TSA's acquisition web.

My bill, the TSA OPEN for Business Act, requires TSA to develop a strategy to diversify the technology stakeholder marketplace that it relies upon to acquire security technologies. Importantly, the strategy must address barriers to participation for businesses that have not previously provided technology to TSA, including small business innovators.

It also requires TSA to conduct a feasibility assessment of partnering with a nonprofit organization to provide venture capital to help businesses commercialize innovative technologies, similar to the In-Q-Tel program that has been so successful within the intelligence community.

By pushing TSA to take proactive action to diversify the security technology marketplace, H.R. 6459 has the potential to increase competition within the transportation security technology marketplace to ultimately deliver better security.

Madam Speaker, in fiscal year 2017, TSA awarded over $1.6 billion in contracts. Within such a large marketplace, there should be plenty of space for businesses of all sizes with innovative ideas to compete. H.R. 6459 will push TSA to take steps to diversify the security technology marketplace to ensure that it is positioned to acquire the most innovative technology available.

Madam Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the other side for their support, and I yield back the balance of my time.