Sponsors (7)
The bill increases and dedicates passenger-paid fees to strengthen aviation screening, technology, and planning—improving security and predictability—while raising travel costs, reducing budget flexibility, and shifting funding pressure away from other programs.
Airline passengers, taxpayers, and transportation workers will see improved aviation security screening and faster deployment of checkpoint technology because fee revenue is reserved for security and $250M/year is dedicated to testing, procurement, installation, and sustainment of screening tech.
TSA and airports (and the communities they serve) gain more predictable, dedicated funding for capital projects and grants, enabling multi-year planning and more reliable security upgrades.
Travelers (especially middle-class families) may have greater confidence that passenger fees are being used for aviation security rather than unrelated programs, increasing public trust in aviation fees.
Airline passengers and taxpayers will likely face higher or sustained passenger-paid aviation security fees because TSA must set fees to collect minimum amounts, raising travel costs for many families.
Redirecting fee revenue exclusively to aviation security removes funds that previously supported other government programs, shifting budget pressure onto taxpayers or other discretionary spending areas.
Dedicating fee streams reduces DHS/TSA and federal budget flexibility, which could crowd out other priorities and leave agencies exposed if air travel falls and revenue declines.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Requires the first $500M of annual 9/11 Security Fee receipts go to the Aviation Security Capital Fund and the next $250M to a new ASCT Fund, and directs TSA to set fees to meet those targets starting FY2027.
Directs that passenger-paid 9/11 aviation security fees be used specifically for aviation security by reserving fixed annual amounts starting in fiscal year 2027. It requires the first $500 million of annual fee receipts to go to the Aviation Security Capital Fund and the next $250 million to a new Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology (ASCT) Fund, and instructs TSA to set the fee level to collect at least those amounts. Also expresses the nonbinding sense of Congress that fee revenue should be spent only on activities and equipment that directly improve commercial aviation security, and that diversion of fee revenue to unrelated uses should end no later than 2027.
Official title: To amend title 49, United States Code, to establish funds for investments in aviation security, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 12, 2026 by Dale Strong · Last progress May 12, 2026