Sponsors (2)
The bill extends and modestly expands federally reimbursed airport screening through FY2031 to preserve and broaden screening availability (especially for smaller airports) and gives the FAA more operational flexibility, at the cost of increased federal spending and continued limits that will leave some airports unserved.
Airports (especially smaller/underserved ones), travelers, and screening personnel: Federal reimbursement for screening locations is extended through FY2031 and the cap on reimbursable locations is raised from 8 to 14, making screening funding available to more airports and supporting continued screening availability in more communities.
FAA administration and air travel operations: The FAA gains more flexibility to maintain or resume reimbursable screening services at additional sites, improving continuity and operational resilience of screening across the aviation system.
Federal taxpayers: Extending and expanding the reimbursable screening program through FY2031 will increase federal spending to reimburse additional screening sites.
Some local airport operators and their communities: Because the cap is raised only to 14, many airports may still be excluded from reimbursable screening funding, producing uneven access and potential competition among airports for limited slots.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Extends reimbursable airport screening authority to FY2031 and raises the cap on reimbursable screening locations from 8 to 14.
Extends and expands the federal reimbursable screening services program that allows airports to host alternative screening locations paid for by airports or other nonfederal entities. The bill pushes the program’s expiration from fiscal year 2026 to fiscal year 2031 and raises the cap on participating screening locations from 8 to 14. The change lets more airports and private entities use reimbursable screening for checkpoint operations under the existing statutory framework, lengthening the program’s life and increasing the maximum number of approved sites.
Official title: Reimbursable Screening Services Program Extension Act of 2026
Introduced June 23, 2026 by Andrew R. Garbarino · Last progress July 14, 2026