Expanding Private Airport Security Screening Act
Sponsored By: Representative Perry
Introduced
Summary
Private-sector airport screening. This bill would let airport operators contract with qualified U.S.-owned private companies to perform passenger and property screening while keeping federal supervisors, covert testing, and remedial training.
Show full summary
- Airport operators could hire listed private screening companies and would gain certain liability protections for contractor acts. They must notify TSA within 7 days and use a transition plan to move screening within 30 days.
- Private screening companies would have to employ personnel who meet federal screening requirements, demonstrate screening capability equal to federal staff, and be U.S. owned as determined by the Administrator. Their employees would face covert testing and remedial training while federal supervisors oversee operations.
- Passengers would be screened by private staff under federal oversight and covert testing intended to measure and compare performance to federal screening.
- The Transportation Security Administration must provide Congress an annual report comparing mean screening performance and mean costs by airport category, compare contract costs to estimated federal costs, and publish the report on the TSA website within 7 days of submission.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.
Federal supervisors and covert testing
If enacted, the TSA Administrator would provide federal supervisors to oversee screening at airports that use private screeners. The Administrator would also provide federal law enforcement presence at those airports, run covert tests of screening performance, and offer remedial training support for private screening employees.
Airports could hire private screeners
If enacted, an airport operator would be able to enter a contract with a private screening company on a TSA public list to perform passenger and property screening. The private company would have to hire only people who meet the same chapter requirements as federal screeners, show it can match federal screening performance, and be owned and controlled by a U.S. citizen to the extent the Administrator requires. The airport would have to notify the TSA Administrator within 7 days of signing the contract and put a plan in place to transfer screening to the company within 30 days after that notice. For any airport that hires a private company, the cost comparison must show the contract cost and an estimated Federal cost to provide the same screening.
Annual report on airport screening costs
If enacted, the TSA Administrator would send one annual report to the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee comparing average screening performance and costs between private contractors and federal screeners by airport category. The report would also show, for each airport, the cost of contracting versus the Federal Government’s estimated total cost to provide screening there. The Administrator would publish the report on the TSA website within 7 days after sending it to Congress.
Limits on airport operator lawsuits
If enacted, an airport operator would not be liable in state or federal court for money claims tied to negligence, gross negligence, or intentional wrongdoing by a contracted private screening company or by federal supervisors overseeing screening. The airport would still be liable for its own acts or omissions related to security. Private screening companies and their employees would remain liable for their own wrongdoing except as allowed by the SAFETY Act.
Free Policy Watch
You just read the policy. Now see what it costs you.
Pick a topic. PRIA runs your household against live legislation and sends you a free personalized readout.
Pick a topic to get started
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Perry
PA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Burlison, Eric [R-MO-7]
MO • R
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Rep. Roy, Chip [R-TX-21]
TX • R
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Rep. Clyde, Andrew S. [R-GA-9]
GA • R
Sponsored 3/27/2026
Rep. Harris, Andy [R-MD-1]
MD • R
Sponsored 4/9/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.govTake It Personal
Get Your Personalized Policy View
Take the PRIA Score to see how policy affects your household, then upgrade to PRIA Full Coverage for year-round monitoring.
Already have an account? Sign in