§44948 National Deployment Office

Summary

Sets up a National Deployment Office inside the Transportation Security Administration and requires the TSA Administrator to name a leader who has supervisory experience. That leader must keep a National Deployment Force made up of transportation security officers, supervisory transportation security officers, and lead transportation security officers. The force provides quick backup for security and homeland security work. It can go to airports needing extra staff for emergencies, busy seasons, hiring shortfalls, bad weather, passenger crowding, equipment issues, special events (including National Special Security Events as decided by the Secretary of Homeland Security), the aftermath of manmade disasters like terrorist attacks, or other situations the Administrator decides. The leader must also teach officers how to join and take part in the National Deployment Force, recruit officers using a staffing model the Administrator develops, approve 1-year appointments for officers to serve on the force (with an option to extend if the officer asks and the appropriate Federal Security Director approves), and train officers for deployment.