H.R. 8770House119th Congress (2025-2027)Passed House

SAFEGUARDS Act of 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 10, 2026 at 10:21 AM UTC

The SAFEGUARDS Act of 2026 amends Title 49 to earmark revenue from the existing 9/11 Security Fee for dedicated aviation security funding. Starting in fiscal year 2028, $500 million each year will go into a capital fund for broad security improvements, and a further $250 million will go into a new technology fund for checkpoint equipment. The Transportation Security Administration can use these funds for grants, purchases, and other security initiatives, and the bill emphasizes that the fee must not be used for non‑security purposes.

Key Provisions

Directs that at least $500 million of the 9/11 Security Fee collected each fiscal year (starting FY 2028) be deposited into the Aviation Security Capital Fund, which the TSA can use for grants and agreements to improve aviation security.
Creates a new Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund (ASCT Fund) within DHS; after the $500 million goes to the Capital Fund, an additional $250 million of the fee each year must be deposited into the ASCT Fund for testing, buying, installing, and maintaining checkpoint security technology.
Gives the TSA Administrator authority to disburse money from both funds for security‑related programs, equipment upgrades, and personnel support.
Adds a sense‑of‑Congress statement that the 9/11 Security Fee should be used only for aviation security and that any diversion of those funds must end by 2027.

Legislative Activity

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14 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

July 14, 2026

View full timeline

HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 12, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.

Homeland Security Committee

May 12, 2026

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security.

Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee

May 13, 2026

HouseCommittee

Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Discharged

Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee

June 24, 2026

HouseCommittee

Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

Homeland Security Committee

June 24, 2026

HouseCommittee

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 26 - 3.

Homeland Security Committee

June 24, 2026

HouseCommittee

Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 119-737.

Homeland Security Committee

July 9, 2026

HouseCalendars

Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 641.

July 9, 2026

HouseFloor

Mr. Garbarino moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

July 13, 2026 • 3:53 PM

HouseFloor

Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4389-4390)

July 13, 2026 • 3:53 PM

HouseFloor

DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 8770.

July 13, 2026 • 3:53 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 H4389-4390)

July 13, 2026 • 4:04 PM

HouseFloor

On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4389-4390)

July 13, 2026 • 4:04 PM

HouseFloor

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

July 13, 2026 • 4:04 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

July 14, 2026

Floor Debate

4 members

What members said about H.R. 8770 on the floor

3 Republicans1 Democrat

Rep. James R. WalkinshawD-VA-11 · Jul 13, 2026

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, since the Transportation Security Administration was created after the 9/11 attacks, the agency has been working to deploy the…

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

Mr. Speaker, since the Transportation Security Administration was created after the 9/11 attacks, the agency has been working to deploy the latest innovative security screening technology to ensure prohibited items carried inside bags and on individuals do not make it past a security checkpoint and onto an aircraft.

However, with thousands of TSA screening lanes across the country in need of technology, Congress has at times struggled to provide funding to recapitalize technology expeditiously across all airports.

H.R. 8770, the SAFEGUARDS Act, would ensure there are increased dedicated funds available to TSA to procure the latest screening technology so that the agency can replace aging technology deployed at airports at a more rapid pace.

Although speeding up the deployment of new screening technology is an important goal, I do have some reservations about the bill. The increased investments in technology are not paid for, and I am concerned that these increases could result in cuts to funding for TSA workforce salaries and benefits if TSA's overall budget does not increase.

Although the bill does contain language reinforcing the sense of Congress that diversions of passenger security fees away from TSA's coffers should end, the bill does not actually do anything to end those diversions sooner than already scheduled under current law or otherwise to bring in more money to TSA.

House Democrats have long been supportive of investments in new and innovative security technologies, but we must also make sure that we are supporting the workforce that operates those technologies.

To start, the House should take up Ranking Member Thompson's bill, H.R. 2086, the Rights for the TSA Workforce Act, which would codify fair pay and collective bargaining rights for this critical workforce. This bill has more than 185 bipartisan cosponsors, and the Republican majority should bring it to this floor.

In the meantime, I look forward to working with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, as well as our colleagues in the Senate, to ensure that the SAFEGUARDS Act, if enacted, drives investments in technology without causing cuts to pay, benefits, or staffing at TSA.

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

Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers. I am prepared to close when the chairman is prepared to close, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 8770 will help ensure TSA's frontline staff get more of the tools they need to keep travelers safe, and at a faster pace.

I look forward to working with our colleagues on both sides of the aisle to ensure there are no unintended consequences for TSA's workforce if this bill becomes law.

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

Rep. Dale W. StrongR-AL-5 · Jul 13, 2026

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the SAFEGUARDS Act. When Americans purchase an airline ticket, they pay a passenger security fee with an expectation that those dollars will be used…

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bill, the SAFEGUARDS Act.

When Americans purchase an airline ticket, they pay a passenger security fee with an expectation that those dollars will be used to strengthen aviation security.

That is what Congress intended when the fee was created, and that is exactly what this bill restores. For years, revenue from the passenger security fee has been directed away from its intended purpose. Meanwhile, our airports continue to face evolving threats and increasing demand on the systems and technologies that help keep travelers safe.

The SAFEGUARDS Act restores accountability by directing this revenue back toward critical aviation security priorities following the expiration of the current fee diversion.

This legislation invests $500 million annually in checked baggage screening technology and $250 million annually

in checkpoint technology upgrades. This will help modernize screening capability, strengthen security operations, and ensure our aviation system remains prepared to meet current and future threats.

Let me be clear. This is not a new fee that will be placed on flyers, and it does not raise taxes. The SAFEGUARDS Act simply ensures that the fees travelers currently pay are used for their original purpose and in line with the expectation of the traveling public.

Anytime a fee is collected from the American people, it should be carefully scrutinized. I take that responsibility seriously, which is why, when I examined the intent of this fee, I first asked whether the original purpose behind it remains important today. I believe it does.

The fee was established in the aftermath of September 11, one of the darkest days in our Nation's history. In the years that followed, Congress recognized that maintaining a safe and secure aviation system would require a long-term commitment to aviation security and continued investments in the technologies that help protect the traveling public.

The passenger security fee was created to support that mission, and travelers have paid it with the expectation that those dollars would be used to strengthen aviation security.

I am proud to reaffirm our commitment to the traveling public today with this bill. The SAFEGUARDS Act is about restoring trust, improving transparency and accountability, and ensuring the aviation security dollars are spent on aviation security.

I am proud that this legislation has earned bipartisan support and the backing of airports, airlines, and the travel organizations across the country.

I want to thank Chairman Garbarino for his leadership and support in advancing this legislation. I also want to thank Mr. Kennedy of New York for partnering with me on this effort, as well as my colleagues who have joined as cosponsors.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support the SAFEGUARDS Act.

Rep. Andrew R. GarbarinoR-NY-2 · Jul 13, 2026

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8770) to amend title 49, United States Code, to establish funds for investments in aviation security, and for other purposes, as…

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 8770) to amend title 49, United States Code, to establish funds for investments in aviation security, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on H.R. 8770.

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

Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 8770, the SAFEGUARDS Act. This legislation establishes a sense of Congress that 9/11 passenger security fee revenue should be put toward TSA security screening purposes following the end of the current fee diversion at the end of fiscal year 2027.

Additionally, this bill directs funds collected from this fee to modernize and sustain explosive detection systems and technology at TSA security checkpoints beginning in fiscal year 2028.

The SAFEGUARDS Act will strengthen aviation security by ensuring passenger security fee revenue is used for its intended purpose: providing additional resources to protect the traveling public.

I thank Representative Strong for his leadership, and I look forward to continuing our engagement on both sides of the aisle and with our colleagues on the Appropriations Committee to ensure that this bill improves deployment timelines for critical aviation security technology without any unintended consequences for the TSA workforce or any other TSA operations.

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

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Strong).

Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Evans).

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

As you heard from my colleague from Colorado, $4.5 billion was brought in last year under the 9/11 Passenger Security Fee. What passengers don't know is that the first $1.6 billion last year was diverted to something else other than passenger security.

This bill would say the first $750 million of that passenger security fee would go directly to equipment, and then the balance of that money would go to the TSA discretionary fund, which actually would allow the TSA to get access to this money.

Last year, the TSA discretionary fund didn't have access to this money until the first $1.85 billion was spent. Now, they are going to get access, if this bill becomes law, after the first $750 million is spent on security equipment to make our traveling public safe.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 8770, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Rep. Gabe EvansR-CO-8 · Jul 13, 2026

Mr. Speaker, today I rise in support of the SAFEGUARDS Act of which I am a proud original cosponsor. As my colleagues mentioned, this bill ensures that all revenue collected through the 9/11…

Bill Text

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Referred in SenateIssued July 14, 2026

IIB

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 8770

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

July 14, 2026

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

AN ACT

To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish funds for investments in aviation security, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Spending Aviation Fees for Equipment, Guaranteeing Upgraded and Advanced Risk Detection and Safety Act of 2026 or the SAFEGUARDS Act of 2026.

Sense of Congress

It is the sense of Congress that—

(1)

the fee collected in accordance with section 44940 of title 49, United States Code (commonly known as the 9/11 Security Fee), is an airline passenger-paid fee established with the express purpose of sustaining the safety and security of the aviation system of the United States;

(2)

revenue generated from the 9/11 Security Fee should be used exclusively to fund activities, programs, equipment, and initiatives that directly improve the security of commercial aviation, including passenger and baggage screening, security technology upgrades, and the support of personnel responsible for aviation security;

(3)

the use of the 9/11 Security Fee for purposes unrelated to aviation security undermines public trust and the original intent of the fee, and all proceeds from the fee should be reserved and expended solely for measures that strengthen the safety and security of the traveling public within the aviation sector; and

(4)

the diversion of 9/11 Security Fee revenue to other purposes should be ended no later than 2027, in accordance with section 44940(i)(4) of title 49, United States Code, as it read on the date of the enactment of this Act.

Aviation security funds

(a)

Improving the Aviation Security Capital Fund

Subsection (h) of section 44923 of title 49, United States Code (relating to the Aviation Security Capital Fund), is amended—

(1)

in paragraph (1), by striking the second, third, and fourth sentences and inserting the following new sentences: Beginning in fiscal year 2028 and for each fiscal year thereafter, the first $500,000,000 derived from fees received under section 44940(a)(1) shall be available to be deposited in the Fund. The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall impose the fee authorized by such section so as to collect at least $500,000,000 in each of such fiscal years for deposit into the Fund, subject to the prior termination of any of the fees authorized under such section being credited as offsetting receipts and deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.; and

(2)

by striking paragraphs (2) and (3) and inserting the following new paragraph:

(2)

Disbursement authority

Amounts in the Fund shall be available to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration to make grants under this section or enter into related agreements to carry out this section.

(b)

Establishment of the Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund

Section 44923 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by—

(1)

by redesignating subsection (i) as subsection (j); and

(2)

by inserting after subsection (h) the following new subsection:

(i)

Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund

(1)

In general

There is established within the Department of Homeland Security a fund to be known as the Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund (in this subsection referred to as the ASCT Fund).

(2)

Funding

Beginning in fiscal year 2028 and for each fiscal year thereafter, after the first $500,000,000 is deposited into the Aviation Security Capital Fund pursuant to subsection (h)(2), the next $250,000,000 from fees received under section 44940(a)(1) shall be available to be deposited in the ASCT Fund. The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall impose the fee authorized by such section so as to collect not less than $250,000,000 in each of such fiscal years for deposit into the ASCT Fund. Amounts in the ASCT Fund shall be available until expended to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration to fund the testing, procurement, deployment, installation, and sustainment of aviation security checkpoint technology, subject to the prior termination of any of the fees authorized under such section being credited as offsetting receipts and deposited in the general fund of the Treasury.

(3)

Disbursement authority

Amounts in the ASCT Fund shall be available to the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration to make grants under this section or enter into related agreements to carry out this section.

(c)

Conforming amendment

Paragraph (1) of section 44940(i) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking section 44923(h) and inserting subsections (h) and (i) of section 44923.

Passed the House of Representatives July 13, 2026.

Kevin F. McCumber,

Clerk.