H.R. 1344 — Introduced in House

I 113th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1344 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES March 21, 2013 Ms. Gabbard (for herself, Mr. Joyce, and Mr. Richmond) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security A BILL To amend title 49, United States Code, to direct the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security Administration) to provide expedited air passenger screening to severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may cited as the Helping Heroes Fly Act. 2. Operations center program for severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans (a) In general Subchapter I of chapter 449 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section: 44927. Expedited screening for severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans (a) Passenger screening The Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and organizations that advocate on behalf of members of the Armed Forces and veterans, including organizations that advocate on behalf of severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans, shall develop and implement a process to provide expedited passenger screening services for severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans. Such process shall be designed to protect the privacy of the individual being screened to the maximum extent practicable. (b) Operations center As part of the process required under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary shall maintain an operations center to provide support and facilitate the movement of severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans through screening prior to boarding a passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation or intrastate air transportation. Such operations center shall be operational at all times. (c) Protocols The Assistant Secretary shall— (1) establish and publish protocols, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and organizations that advocate on behalf of members of the Armed Forces and veterans, including organizations that advocate on behalf of severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans, under which a severely injured or disabled member of the Armed Forces or severely injured or disabled veteran, or the family member or other representative of such a member or veteran, may contact the operations center maintained under subsection (b) and request expedited screening services described in subsection (a) for the member or veteran; and (2) upon receipt of such a request, require such operations center to notify the appropriate Federal security director of the request to facilitate the expedited passenger screening services described in subsection (a) for the member or veteran. (d) Training The Assistant Secretary shall integrate training on the protocols established under subsection (c) into the training provided to new employees and recurrent training for all employees who provide passenger screening services. (e) Report Not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section. Each such report shall include each of the following: (1) Information on the training provided under subsection (d). (2) Information on the consultations between the Assistant Secretary and organizations that advocate on behalf of members of the Armed Forces and veterans as described in subsection (a). (3) The number of people who accessed the operations center during the period covered by the report. (4) Such other information as the Assistant Secretary determines is appropriate. . (b) Clerical amendment The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 44926 following new item: 44927. Expedited screening for severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans. .