Title 6, Domestic SecurityRelease 119-110

§563f Diversified Security Technology Industry Marketplace

Title 6 › CHAPTER 1 — HOMELAND SECURITY ORGANIZATION › SUBCHAPTER XII–A — TRANSPORTATION SECURITY › Part B — Transportation Security Administration Acquisition Improvements › § 563f

Last updated Sep 22, 2026|Official source

Summary

Require the Administrator to write and send a plan within 120 days after October 5, 2018 to the Senate Commerce Committee and the House Homeland Security Committee. The plan must show how to build a more varied market of security technology suppliers so the Administrator can buy advanced transportation security tools, and how to increase participation by small business innovators. The plan must say how current testing, buying, and hiring rules help or hurt getting new tech; list specific changes and timelines; describe ways to help small firms that lack resources so their technology can be developed and bought; and study whether a tax-exempt nonprofit could give venture capital to firms with tech likely ready to commercialize within 36 months. The study should consider a nonprofit partnership with the private sector and the intelligence community and more work through the Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate. Nothing in the plan forces changes to TSA security technology standards. Definitions: - Intelligence community: as defined in law. - Small business concern: as defined in law. - Small business innovator: a small business with an advanced transportation security technology.

Full Legal Text

Title 6, §563f

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

Not later than 120 days after October 5, 2018, the Administrator shall develop and submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a strategy to promote a diverse security technology industry marketplace upon which the Administrator can rely to acquire advanced transportation security technologies or capabilities, including by increased participation of small business innovators.

(b)Contents

The strategy required under subsection (a) shall include the following:

(1)Information on how existing Administration solicitation, testing, evaluation, piloting, acquisition, and procurement processes impact the Administrator’s ability to acquire from the security technology industry marketplace, including small business innovators that have not previously provided technology to the Administration, innovative technologies or capabilities with the potential to enhance transportation security.

(2)Specific actions that the Administrator will take, including modifications to the processes described in paragraph (1), to foster diversification within the security technology industry marketplace.

(3)Projected timelines for implementing the actions described in paragraph (2).

(4)Plans for how the Administrator could, to the extent practicable, assist a small business innovator periodically during such processes, including when such an innovator lacks adequate resources to participate in such processes, to facilitate an advanced transportation security technology or capability being developed and acquired by the Administrator.

(5)An assessment of the feasibility of partnering with an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of title 26 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of title 26 to provide venture capital to businesses, particularly small business innovators, for commercialization of innovative transportation security technologies that are expected to be ready for commercialization in the near term and within 36 months.

(c)Feasibility assessment

In conducting the feasibility assessment under subsection (b)(5), the Administrator shall consider the following:

(1)Establishing an organization described in section 501(c)(3) of title 26 and exempt from tax under section 501(a) of title 26 as a venture capital partnership between the private sector and the intelligence community to help businesses, particularly small business innovators, commercialize innovative security-related technologies.

(2)Enhanced engagement through the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security.

(d)Rule of construction

Nothing in this section may be construed as requiring changes to the Transportation Security Administration standards for security technology.

(e)Definitions

In this section: (1) Intelligence community

(2)Small business concern

The term “small business concern” has the meaning described under section 632 of title 15.

(3)Small business innovator

The term “small business innovator” means a small business concern that has an advanced transportation security technology or capability.

Reference

Citations & Metadata

Citation

6 U.S.C. § 563f

Title 6, Domestic Security

Last Updated

Sep 22, 2026

Release point: 119-110