The House yesterday overwhelmingly approved several bills aimed at the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), including legislation that calls for the agency to develop a multi-year strategy for acquiring security related technology.
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| House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-Texas) |
The Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act (H.R. 2719), which was unanimously approved, would require the strategy to include security risks and technology gaps, technology acquisition roadmaps, acquisition workforce needs, and necessary supporting testing, evaluation and simulation capabilities.
“H.R. 2719 holds TSA accountable for its spending decisions and increases transparency by requiring the agency to create a long-term plan for technology purchases,” Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, said in a statement. “This planning will give industry more certainty, improve TSA’s investments and better safeguard taxpayer dollars and U.S. travelers.”
The bill also calls for baseline program requirements to be established and tracked, such as cost estimates, schedule, milestones and risks.
The House also passed by a 411-3 voice vote the Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2013 (H.R. 1204), which authorizes the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, giving TSA a sounding board in the private sector for its initiatives.
Finally, the House approved by voice vote the TSA Loose Change Act (H.R. 1095), which directs the agency to transfer unclaimed money recovered at airport security checkpoints to nonprofit organizations that provide places of rest and recuperation at airports for members of the Armed Forces and their families.