Sponsors (5)
The bill increases transparency and gives airports a path to lower screening costs by using private contractors while preserving federal oversight, but it raises meaningful risks to federal screening jobs, consistent screening quality, legal accountability for victims, and could increase costs or administrative burden in some cases.
Airport operators and local governments can hire private screening contractors and receive side-by-side federal vs. contractor cost comparisons so they can choose the lower-cost option, reducing operating costs and management burden for airports.
TSA/the Secretary must publish and share comparative performance and cost estimates, increasing transparency and accountability for taxpayers, Congress, and local stakeholders about airport screening decisions.
TSA must continue to provide federal supervisors, law enforcement, covert testing, and remedial training to preserve screening quality and federal security oversight at airports.
Federal screening employees face reduced job opportunities, transfers, and greater job insecurity if airports shift work to contractors or favor lower-cost, less-experienced screening arrangements.
Shifting screening to contractors or prioritizing short-term cost comparisons risks inconsistent screening quality across airports and could harm passenger safety and reliable service.
Airport operators are shielded from many liability claims for misconduct by private screeners or Federal supervisors, which could limit victims' ability to recover damages after abuse or negligence.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Allows airports to hire TSA-listed private screening companies for passenger/property screening, sets qualification and oversight rules, requires federal cost comparisons and annual performance/cost reports.
Introduced March 27, 2026 by Scott Perry · Last progress March 27, 2026
Allows airport operators to hire TSA-listed private screening companies to perform passenger and property screening, with new rules for eligibility, oversight, timelines, and reporting. TSA must keep a public list of qualified private screeners, provide federal supervisors and law enforcement at airports using private screeners, conduct testing and training support, and publish annual comparisons of screening performance and costs versus federal screening. Requires airports to notify TSA quickly after entering a private screening contract and to prepare a transition plan, and requires the federal government to provide a cost estimate showing what screening would cost if performed by federal personnel; the law also shifts certain liability rules for airports related to contractor or federal supervision acts while preserving contractor liability subject to the SAFETY Act.