Title 49TransportationRelease 119-73

§47137 Airport security program

Title 49 › Subtitle SUBTITLE VII— - AVIATION PROGRAMS › Part PART B— - AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT AND NOISE › Chapter CHAPTER 471— - AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT › Subchapter SUBCHAPTER I— - AIRPORT IMPROVEMENT › § 47137

Last updated Apr 6, 2026|Official source

Summary

The Secretary of Transportation must run at least one project to test and evaluate new airport security systems and related technology. The highest priority goes to grant requests from eligible sponsors that check the benefits of new systems (including explosives detectors) to improve airport and aircraft physical security, access control, and passenger and baggage screening, and that test the systems in an operational testbed. The federal government will pay 100% of allowable project costs. The Secretary can set rules for proposals, project assurances, and payment schedules. The program is run with the Secretary of Homeland Security. An eligible sponsor is a nonprofit made up of public and private partners, including a primary airport sponsor, with the engineering and technical skills to do the testing. Each fiscal year the Secretary must set aside at least $5,000,000 of the amounts made available under section 47115 for these projects.

Full Legal Text

Title 49, §47137

Transportation — Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)To improve security at public airports in the United States, the Secretary of Transportation shall carry out not less than one project to test and evaluate innovative aviation security systems and related technology.
(b)In carrying out this section, the Secretary shall give the highest priority to a request from an eligible sponsor for a grant to undertake a project that—
(1)evaluates and tests the benefits of innovative aviation security systems or related technology, including explosives detection systems, for the purpose of improving aviation and aircraft physical security, access control, and passenger and baggage screening; and
(2)provides testing and evaluation of airport security systems and technology in an operational, testbed environment.
(c)Notwithstanding section 47109, the United States Government’s share of allowable project costs for a project under this section shall be 100 percent.
(d)The Secretary may establish such terms and conditions as the Secretary determines appropriate for carrying out a project under this section, including terms and conditions relating to the form and content of a proposal for a project, project assurances, and schedule of payments.
(e)The Secretary, in cooperation with the Secretary of Homeland Security, shall administer the program authorized by this section.
(f)In this section, the term “eligible sponsor” means a nonprofit corporation composed of a consortium of public and private persons, including a sponsor of a primary airport, with the necessary engineering and technical expertise to successfully conduct the testing and evaluation of airport and aircraft related security systems.
(g)Of the amounts made available to the Secretary under section 47115 in a fiscal year, the Secretary shall make available not less than $5,000,000 for the purpose of carrying out this section.

Legislative History

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

2003—Subsecs. (e) to (g). Pub. L. 108–176 added subsec. (e) and redesignated former subsecs. (e) and (f) as (f) and (g), respectively.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date

of 2003 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 108–176 applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 2003, except as otherwise specifically provided, see section 3 of Pub. L. 108–176, set out as a note under section 106 of this title.

Effective Date

Section applicable only to fiscal years beginning after Sept. 30, 1999, see section 3 of Pub. L. 106–181, set out as an

Effective Date

of 2000

Amendments

note under section 106 of this title.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

49 U.S.C. § 47137

Title 49Transportation

Last Updated

Apr 6, 2026

Release point: 119-73