Title 49TransportationRelease 119-73

§44945 Disposition of unclaimed money and clothing

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART A— - AIR COMMERCE AND SAFETY › Subpart subpart iii— - safety › Chapter CHAPTER 449— - SECURITY › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER II— - ADMINISTRATION AND PERSONNEL › § 44945

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

Unclaimed money found at airport security checkpoints must be kept by the Transportation Security Administration and used for civil aviation security. Unclaimed clothing should, with help from the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, be sent to the local airport or local authorities so they can donate it to charities, including groups that help homeless or needy veterans. TSA can make agreements with airports and can donate to any charity. These actions must not cost the government money.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §44945

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Notwithstanding section 3302 of title 31, unclaimed money recovered at any airport security checkpoint shall be retained by the Transportation Security Administration and shall remain available until expended for the purpose of providing civil aviation security as required in this chapter.
(b)(1)In disposing of unclaimed clothing recovered at any airport security checkpoint, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall make every reasonable effort, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, to transfer the clothing to the local airport authority or other local authorities for donation to charity, including local veterans organizations or other local charitable organizations for distribution to homeless or needy veterans and veteran families.
(2)In implementing paragraph (1), the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration may enter into agreements with airport authorities.
(3)Nothing in this subsection shall prevent an airport or the Transportation Security Administration from donating unclaimed clothing to a charitable organization of their choosing.
(4)Nothing in this subsection shall create a cost to the Government.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (b)(1), (2). Pub. L. 115–254 substituted “Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration” for “Assistant Secretary”. 2013—Pub. L. 112–271 inserted “and clothing” after “money” in section catchline, designated existing provisions as subsec. (a), inserted heading, and added subsec. (b).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Annual Report Pub. L. 108–334, title V, § 515(b), Oct. 18, 2004, 118 Stat. 1318, provided that: “Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 18, 2004] and annually thereafter, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall transmit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives; the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives; the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation of the Senate; and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate, a report that contains a detailed description of the amount of unclaimed money recovered in total and at each individual airport, and specifically how the unclaimed money is being used to provide civil aviation security.”

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 44945

Title 49Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73