S 1473 IS

107th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1473

To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for the enhancement of security at airports in the United States.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 26, 2001

Mr. JOHNSON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

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A BILL

To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for the enhancement of security at airports in the United States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. AIRPORT SECURITY PERSONNEL.

(a) SCREENING PERSONNEL- Section 44901(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking `employee or agent of an air carrier, intrastate air carrier, or foreign air carrier' in the second sentence of subsection (a) and inserting `employee of the Federal Aviation Administration or an employee of any other department or agency of the United States'.

(b) TRANSITION- The Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration shall achieve full compliance with the requirement to use employees of the Federal Aviation Administration or other Federal Government employees to perform screening of passengers and property under section 44901(a) of title 49, United States Code (as amended by subsection (a)), as soon as is practicable. The Administrator may make or continue arrangements for using employees or agents of air carriers, intrastate air carriers, and foreign air carriers to perform such function under that section (as in effect before the date of the enactment of this Act) to the extent that the Administrator determines necessary for enforcing security in air transportation pending the achievement of full compliance with such requirement.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM FOR SECURITY ENHANCEMENTS AT SMALL AIRPORTS.

(a) GRANT PROGRAM- Subchapter I of chapter 449 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

`Sec. 44917. Grants for security enhancements: small airports

`(a) AUTHORITY- The Secretary of Transportation may make grants to operators of small airports (including hub airports and other airports) in the United States for the purpose of defraying part or all of the costs of enhancing the security of airports under the airport security programs, including the costs of procuring metal detectors, anti-explosive equipment, x-ray scanning equipment, other security devices, and any other items needed to provide security for the airport.

`(b) SELECTION PROCEDURES- The Secretary shall use a competitive process prescribed by the Secretary for awarding grants under this section.

`(c) SELECTION CRITERIA- (1) The Secretary shall prescribe in regulations the eligibility and selection criteria to apply in the administration of the grant authority under this section.

`(2) The eligibility criteria shall include standards for an airport to qualify as a small airport.

`(d) DEFINITIONS- In this section, the term `airport security program' means a program carried out under the regulations prescribed pursuant to section 44903 of this title.'.

(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

`44917. Grants for security enhancements: small airports.'.

SEC. 3. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

Funds are hereby authorized to be appropriated to the Department of Transportation for fiscal year 2002 for purposes, and in such amounts as may be necessary to carry out those purposes, as follows:

(1) For the Federal Aviation Administration, or for transfer to any other department or agency of the United States, for employing and training--

(A) additional personnel for carrying out section 44901 of title 49, United States Code; and

(B) additional law enforcement personnel to perform law enforcement and other security functions at airports under section 44903 of title 49, United States Code.

(2) For the grant program under section 44917 of title 49, United States Code (as added by section 2).