,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #hd  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of    
,,representatives  ,january #c1 #bjac   
,ms4 ,jackson ,lee introduced the       
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,homeland ,security   
,a ,,bill  ,to amend title #di1 ,united 
,states ,code1 to establish an          
,ombudsman ,office within the           
,transportation ,security               
,administration for the purpose of      
enhancing transportation security by    
providing confidential1 informal1 and   
neutral assistance to address work-place
 related problems of ,transportation    
,security ,administration employees1 and
 for other purposes4  #a4 ,short title  
,this ,act may be cited as the          
,transportation ,security               
,administration ,ombudsman ,act of      
#bjac4  #b4 ,transportation security    
administration ombudsman office  7a7 ,in
 general ,subchapter ,,ii of chapter    
#ddi of title #di1 ,united ,states ,code
 is amended by adding at the end the    

following new section3  #ddidf4         
,ombudsman  7a7 ,in general  7#a7       
,establishment ,there is established an 
,office of the ,ombudsman in the        
,transportation ,security               
,administration4  7#b7 ,ombudsman  7,a7 
,in general ,the ,office shall be under 
the direction of the ,ombudsman of the  
,transportation ,security               
,administration1 who shall be appointed 
by the ,chief ,human ,capital ,officer  
of the ,department of ,homeland         
,security on behalf of the ,secretary of
 ,homeland ,security4  7,b7             
,qualifications ,an individual appointed
 as the ,ombudsman must have expertise  
in--  7i7 labor and employment relations
 with ,federal agencies2 and  7ii7      
dispute resolution4  7,c7 ,notification 
of ,appointment and removal ,the ,chief 
,human ,capital ,officer of the         
,department of ,homeland ,security shall
 notify the appropriate congressional   
committees within #cj days after the    
effective date of any of the following  

actions3  7i7 ,the appointment of an    
individual as ,ombudsman4  7ii7 ,the    
reappointment as ,ombudsman of an       
individual who is serving as ,ombudsman4
  7iii7 ,the removal of an individual   
from the position of ,ombudsman4  7#c7  
,ensuring independence of ,ombudsman    
7,a7 ,in general ,the ,ombudsman shall  
report--  7i7 to the ,administrator of  
the ,transportation ,security           
,administration2 and  7ii7 to the ,chief
 ,human ,capital ,officer of the        
,department of ,homeland ,security with 
respect to any dispute between the      
,ombudsman and the ,administrator of    
,transportation ,security               
,administration over matters involving  
the execution of the ,ombudsman's duties
 as set forth in subsection 7b74  7,b7  
,inspector general's authority to       
conduct investigations not affected     
,nothing in this section shall prohibit 
the ,inspector ,general of the          
,department of ,homeland ,security from 
initiating1 carrying out1 or completing 

any investigation4  7b7 ,duties ,the    
,ombudsman shall--  7#a7 conduct        
outreach to ,transportation ,security   
,administration employees1 including    
publicizing a toll-free telephone number
 to report complaints2  7#b7 evaluate   
each complainant's claim objectively2   
7#c7 provide information1 advice1 and   
assistance to complainants and1 as      
appropriate1 initiate informal1         
impartial fact-finding and inquiries1 on
 complaints or on the ,ombudsman's own  
initiative2  7#d7 inform each           
complainant--  7,a7 when the ,ombudsman 
decides against conducting a            
fact-finding inquiry into the complaint2
  7,b7 on the status of the ,ombudsman's
 fact-finding inquiry to the            
complainant1 on a regular basis if      
requested by the complainant2 and  7,c7 
of the ,ombudsman's recommendations and 
information1 as appropriate1 for the    
complainant to formally complain to the 
appropriate authority2  7#e7 work with  
the ,administrator of the               

,transportation ,security               
,administration to address issues       
identified through fact-finding and     
inquiries2  7#f7 maintain confidential  
any matter related to complaints and    
inquiries1 including the identities of  
the complainants and witnesses2 and     
7#g7 submit an annual report to the     
appropriate congressional committees in 
accordance with subsection 7c74  7c7    
,annual report  7#a7 ,in general ,the   
,ombudsman shall report no later than   
,september #cj each year to the         
appropriate congressional committees on 
the actions taken by the ,office of the 
,ombudsman over the preceding year and  
the objectives of those actions4  7#b7  
,contents ,each such report shall1 for  
the period covered by the report1       
include--  7,a7 statistical information1
 by region1 on the volume of complaints 
received1 general nature of complaints1 
general information on complainants1 and
 the percentage of complaints that      
resulted in a fact-finding inquiry2     

7,b7 a summary of problems encountered  
by complainants1 including information  
on the most pervasive or serious types  
of problems encountered by complainants2
  7,c7 policy recommendations that the  
,office of the ,ombudsman made to the   
,administrator of the ,transportation   
,security ,administration2  7,d7 an     
inventory of the items described in     
subparagraphs 7,b7 and 7,c7 for which   
action has been taken1 and the result of
 such action2  7,e7 an inventory of the 
items described in subparagraphs 7,b7   
and 7,c7 for which action remains to be 
completed2 and  7,f7 such other         
information as the ,ombudsman considers 
relevant4  7#c7 ,report to be submitted 
directly ,each report under this        
subsection shall be provided directly to
 the committees described in paragraph  
7#a7 without any prior comment or       
amendment by the ,administrator of the  
,transportation ,security               
,administration4 ,however1 the          
,ombudsman shall seek comment from the  

,administrator to be submitted by the   
,ombudsman together with the annual     
report4  7#d7 ,other reports ,nothing in
 this subsection shall be construed to  
preclude the ,ombudsman from issuing    
other reports on the activities of the  
,office of the ,ombudsman4  7d7 ,contact
 information ,the ,administrator of the 
,transportation ,security               
,administration shall make publically   
available on the ,internet site of the  
,administration information about the   
,office of the ,ombudsman1 including    
regarding how to contact the ,office4   
7e7 ,appropriate congressional committee
 defined ,in this section the term      
appropriate congressional committee     
means the ,committee on ,homeland       
,security of the ,house of              
,representatives and any committee of   
the ,house of ,representatives or the   
,senate having legislative jurisdiction 
under the rules of the ,house of        
,representatives or ,senate1            
respectively1 over the matter concerned4

  4  7b7 ,clerical amendment ,the       
analysis at the beginning of such       
chapter is amended by adding at the end 
the items relating to subchapter ,,ii   
the following new item3  #ddidf4        
,ombudsman4  4  7c7 ,authorization of   
,appropriations ,there is authorized to 
be appropriated for each of fiscal years
 #bjad1 #bjae1 and #bjaf #ege1jjj for   
implementing section #ddidf of title    
#di1 ,united ,states ,code1 as amended  
by this section4