TRANSLATE Act

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are closing out the Congress with overwhelming bipartisan support for 23 important measures to make our communities more secure and improve Department of Homeland Security operations in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023.

I am particularly pleased that we were able to reach agreement on the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act to expand and strengthen this vital program so that more nonprofits and houses of worship can access security assistance at this time of heightened threats of violent extremism and terrorism. With antisemitic and other violent threats on the rise, it is clear this legislation is needed now more than ever.

I also want to thank Ranking Member John Katko, as he retires from Congress, for his contributions to the Homeland Security Committee and his critical support throughout this process for the Committee's bipartisan package found in Division G of the NDAA.

While the package reflects the contributions of so many of my colleagues, l would like to give special acknowledgment to Congresswoman Val Demings who championed the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act. This legislation directs DHS to explore ways to provide needed bridge funding to cities to preserve homeland security capability gains accomplished through the Urban Area Security Initiative grant program when they no longer receive such funding.

With respect to cybersecurity, I am pleased that we were able to reach agreement on bipartisan provisions that originated in the Committee on Homeland Security. They include Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin's legislation to reauthorize the Secret Service's National Computer Forensics Institute, Congresswoman Elaine Luria's bill to authorize DHS's President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition, and legislation authored by Congressman Eric Swalwell aimed at improving DHS's cybersecurity training to protect industrial control systems.

While I am enormously proud of the bipartisan homeland security provisions that were included, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge my disappointment that we were not able to reach agreement with the Senate on amending the law to treat TSA's workforce like most other Federal employees or authorize the vital work of DHS's Office of Civil Rights and Civil Liberties. We will continue to seek an agreement on these critical measures.

Lastly, I am particularly proud that the NDAA honors my late friend, Congressman A. Donald McEachin, by including his bill, the DHS Mentor- Protege Program Act, to help small businesses better compete for DHS contracts. It is a fitting tribute to my friend that we came together to pass a bill to open doors of opportunity to small businesses-- something that he was passionate about doing.

Mr. Speaker, the full list of Homeland Security Committee measures that will be enacted by this year's NOAA is as follows:

H.R. 6825, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program Improvement Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS).

H.R. 5615, the Homeland Security Capabilities Preservation Act, sponsored by Rep. Val Butler Demings (D-FL).

H.R. 6387, the School and Daycare Protection Act, sponsored by Rep. Donald M. Payne Jr. (D-NJ).

H.R. 8801, the DHS Joint Task Force Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-CA) and S. 4656, the DHS Joint Task Forces Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Sen. Gary C. Peters (D-MI).

H.R. 2915, the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, sponsored by Rep. J. Luis Correa (D-CA) and S. 1009, the Homeland Procurement Reform Act, sponsored by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH).

H.R. 6824, the President's Cup Cybersecurity Competition Act, sponsored by Rep. Elaine G. Luria (D-VA).

H.R. 7777, the Industrial Control Systems Cybersecurity Training Act, sponsored by Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA).

H.R. 7174, the National Computer Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) and S. 4673, the National Computer Forensics Institute Reauthorization Act of 2022, sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA).

H.R. 5574, the TSA Reaching Across Nationalities, Societies, and Languages to Advance Traveler Education Act (``TRANSLATE Act''), sponsored by Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) and S. 3296, the TSA Reaching Across Nationalities, Societies, and Languages to Advance Traveler Education Act (``TRANSLATE Act''), sponsored by Sen. Jacky Rosen (D-

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 5574) to require the TSA to develop a plan to ensure that TSA material disseminated in major airports can be better understood by more people accessing such airports, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, H.R. 5574, known as the TRANSLATE Act.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague, Congressman Van Taylor of Texas, for once again joining me in introducing this legislation, which will ease TSA's security processing at our Nation's major airports.

The TRANSLATE Act is bipartisan legislation building upon the Transportation Security Administration's ongoing efforts to increase access for non-English speakers, and for those with vision and hearing impairments, as they navigate the security screening process.

It does this by directing TSA to analyze common languages other than English that are spoken by both our international travelers as well as those who reside in the nearby community and then develop and execute a plan to disseminate security information in those languages to ease the screening process.

I represent the heart of Las Vegas Valley, including McCarran International Airport, which is one of the Nation's busiest airports, welcoming passengers from around the country and around the world who come to enjoy all that southern Nevada has to offer.

Navigating our air system can be stressful enough--if you travel back and forth, you know what I mean--for even the most well-seasoned traveler. Removing potential language barriers to ease TSA processing is not only beneficial for those travelers but also for the general public rushing to catch their flights.

Southern Nevada's community is rich in diversity. One of every three Clark County residents speaks a language other than English at home. Nationwide, that number is just over one out of every five residents. Yet, much of what TSA communicates to travelers and transportation workers through signs, announcements, videos, and online content is in English.

Let's be clear. You shouldn't have to worry about missing a plane at an airport in the U.S. just because you don't speak English. Making travel and security information easier to understand for non-English speakers and for those with vision and hearing impairments will help create a more comfortable and efficient airport experience for residents and visitors alike.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on the Committee on Homeland Security for their unanimous support of this legislation last month and the chairman for his assistance in getting this passed.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the passage of the TRANSLATE Act, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, our Nation's airports connect Americans to one another and to the rest of the world. But for travelers who do not primarily speak English or who experience hearing or vision difficulties, the TSA screening process can be challenging and result in delays for all the other travelers who are standing in line.

By requiring TSA to make its signage and announcement more accessible to passengers at major airports, my bill will bring much-needed inclusivity and efficiency to the whole travel experience. I know we all appreciate seeing signs in English when we are traveling abroad. U.S. airports should be just as welcoming and reflect the diversity of our constituents and the travelers who visit our cities.

So, once again, Mr. Speaker, I encourage my colleagues to vote for H.R. 5574, as amended, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, for processions held on November 18th, I would like to register for the record that I would have voted YEA on H.R. 5574, the TRANSLATE Act; and YEA on H.R. 3730, to amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the Department of Veterans Affairs an Advisory Committee on United States Outlying Areas and Freely Associated States, and for other purposes.

Members Recorded Pursuant to House Resolution 8, 117th Congress

Amodei (Balderson)

Bacon (Fitzpatrick)

Barraga AE1n (Allred)

Blumenauer (Beyer)

Boyle, Brendan F. (Jeffries)

Brooks (Moore (AL))

Burgess (Lucas)

Calvert (Garcia (CA))

Cleaver (Butterfield)

Davids (KS) (Kim (NJ))

DeFazio (Brown (MD))

Dingell (Clark (MA))

Duncan (Timmons)

Fallon (Nehls)

Gonzalez (OH) (Armstrong)

Harshbarger (Fleischmann)

Johnson (TX) (Jeffries)

Kelly (IL) (Clarke (NY))

Kirkpatrick (Stanton)

Krishnamoorthi (Levin (CA))

Lawson (FL) (Evans)

Lieu (Raskin)

Lesko (Miller (WV))

Long (Fleischmann)

Lowenthal (Beyer)

Matsui (Thompson (CA))

McEachin (Wexton)

Nunes (Garcia (CA))

Payne (Pallone)

Porter (Wexton)

Reed (Walorski)

Rice (NY) (Murphy (FL))

Roybal-Allard (McCollum)

Rush (Quigley)

Sires (Pallone)

Stauber (Bergman)

Steube (Timmons)

Swalwell (Gomez)

Thompson (MS) (Butterfield)

Thompson (PA) (Meuser)

Tlaib (Bowman)

Trone (Beyer)

Underwood (Casten)

Van Drew (Tenney)

Waltz (Salazar)

Welch (McGovern)

Wilson (FL) (Hayes)

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise today for H.R. 5574, the TRANSLATE Act.

According to the United States Census Bureau, approximately 67 million U.S. residents speak a language other than English at home. This legislation requires TSA to ensure that its communications materials in airports are in the primary languages of individuals who travel through and work in our country's airports.

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

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

Mr. Speaker, I was unavoidably detained. Had I been present, I would have voted ``yea'' on rollcall No. 381.