PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

Unclaimed money found at airport security checkpoints must be kept by the Transportation Security Administration and used only for civil aviation security under this law until it is spent. For unclaimed clothing, the TSA must try, after consulting the Department of Veterans Affairs, to give the items to the local airport or other local authorities so they can donate them to charities, including veterans groups that help homeless or needy veterans and their families. The TSA may sign agreements with airports and may donate to any charity. These actions must not cost the government money.

Title 49, §44945

Transportation, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Disposition of Unclaimed Money.—

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)Disposition of Unclaimed Clothing.—

(1)In general.—

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)Agreements.—

In implementing paragraph (1), the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration may enter into agreements with airport authorities.

(3)Other charitable arrangements.—

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)Limitation.—

Nothing in this subsection shall create a cost to the Government.

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 Briefing Pub. L. 108–334, title V, § 515(b), Oct. 18, 2004, 118 Stat. 1318, as amended by Pub. L. 119–86, div. A, title II, § 212, Apr. 30, 2026, 140 Stat. 784, 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 provide 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 briefing 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.”

§44945 Disposition of Unclaimed Money and Clothing