Skip to content
Congress Index

119th Congress

Menu

119th Congress

Title 49 — Transportation

Part A · Chapter 449 — Security

§ 44927. Expedited screening for severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans

Statutory text

(a)

Passenger Screening.—

The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and organizations identified by the Secretaries of Defense and Veterans Affairs that advocate on behalf of severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans, shall develop and implement a process to support and facilitate the ease of travel and to the extent possible provide expedited passenger screening services for severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans through passenger screening. The process shall be designed to offer the individual private screening to the maximum extent practicable.

(b)

Operations Center.—

As part of the process under subsection (a), the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall maintain an operations center to provide support and facilitate the movement of severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans through passenger screening prior to boarding a passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation or intrastate air transportation.

(c)

Protocols.—

The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall—

(1)

establish and publish protocols, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the organizations identified under subsection (a), under which a severely injured or disabled member of the Armed Forces or severely injured or disabled veteran, or the family member or other representative of such member or veteran, may contact the operations center maintained under subsection (b) and request the expedited passenger screening services described in subsection (a) for that member or veteran; and

(2)

upon receipt of a request under paragraph (1), require the operations center to notify the appropriate Federal Security Director of the request for expedited passenger screening services, as described in subsection (a), for that member or veteran.

(d)

Training.—

The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall integrate training on the protocols established under subsection (c) into the training provided to all employees who will regularly provide the passenger screening services described in subsection (a).

(e)

Rule of Construction.—

Nothing in this section shall affect the authority of the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration to require additional screening of a severely injured or disabled member of the Armed Forces, a severely injured or disabled veteran, or their accompanying family members or nonmedical attendants, if intelligence, law enforcement, or other information indicates that additional screening is necessary.

(f)

Reports.—

Each year, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section. Each report shall include each of the following:

(1)

Information on the training provided under subsection (d).

(2)

Information on the consultations between the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and the organizations identified under subsection (a).

(3)

The number of people who accessed the operations center during the period covered by the report.

(4)

Such other information as the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration determines is appropriate.

(g)

Availability of PreCheck Program to Certain Severely Injured or Disabled Veterans.—

(1)

In general.—

A veteran described in paragraph (2) is eligible for security screening under the PreCheck Program under section 44919 at no cost to the veteran if the veteran is able to meet the background check and other security requirements for participation in the Program.

(2)

Veterans described.—

A veteran described in this paragraph is a veteran who—

(A)

is enrolled in the patient enrollment system of the Department of Veterans Affairs established and operated under section 1705 of title 38, United States Code;

(B)

has been determined by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to have a service-connected disability under section 1110 or 1131 of such title, as the case may be, and such disability has been determined by such Secretary to have resulted in—

(i)

loss, or loss use 1 of, an extremity;

(ii)

paralysis or partial paralysis; or

(iii)

permanent blindness; and

(C)

as a result of a loss, paralysis or partial paralysis, or blindness described in subparagraph (B), requires the use of a wheelchair, prosthetic limb, or other assistive device to aid with mobility.

(3)

Limitation.—

The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall carry out this subsection subject to the availability of appropriations and may not increase fees for enrollment in the PreCheck Program for such purpose.

Footnotes

  1. 1 So in original. Probably should be “loss of use”.

Legislative history

Reconstructed from this section’s Code source credit and amendment notes, resolved against the local Statutes at Large. Editorial notes are evidence, not the law that made the change.

  1. Helping Heroes Fly Act

    Pub. L. 113–27 § 2(a) · 127 Stat. 503

    Enacted · 49 U.S.C. § 44927

    Added Pub. L. 113–27, § 2(a), Aug. 9, 2013, 127 Stat. 503

    Source evidence

    Code source credit
    Added Pub. L. 113–27, § 2(a), Aug. 9, 2013, 127 Stat. 503

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (a) In General.— Subchapter I of chapter 449 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “§ 44927. Expedited screening for severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans “(a) Passenger Screening.— The Assistant Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and organizations identified by the Secretaries of Defense and Veteran Affairs that advocate on behalf of severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans, shall develop and implement a process to support and facilitate the ease of travel and to the extent possible provide expedited passenger screening services for severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans through passenger screening. The process shall be designed to offer the individual private screening to the maximum extent practicable. “(b) Operations Center.— As part of the process under subsection (a), the Assistant Secretary shall maintain an operations center to provide support and facilitate the movement of severely injured or disabled members of the Armed Forces and severely injured or disabled veterans through passenger screening prior to boarding a passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation or intrastate air transportation. “(c) Protocols.— The Assistant Secretary shall— “(1) establish and publish protocols, in consultation with the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, and the organizations identified under subsection (a), under which a severely injured or disabled member of the Armed Forces or severely injured or disabled veteran, or the family member or other representative of such member or veteran, may contact the operations center maintained under subsection (b) and request the expedited passenger screening services described in subsection (a) for that member or veteran; and “(2) upon receipt of a request under paragraph (1), require the operations center to notify the appropriate Federal Security Director of the request for expedited passenger screening services, as described in subsection (a), for that member or veteran. “(d) Training.— The Assistant Secretary shall integrate training on the protocols established under subsection (c) into the training provided to all employees who will regularly provide the passenger screening services described in subsection (a). “(e) Rule of Construction.— Nothing in this section shall affect the authority of the Assistant Secretary to require additional screening of a severely injured or disabled member of the Armed Forces, a severely injured or disabled veteran, or their accompanying family members or nonmedical attendants, if intelligence, law enforcement, or other information indicates that additional screening is necessary. “(f) Report.— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter, the Assistant Secretary shall submit to Congress a report on the implementation of this section. Each report shall include each of the following: “(1) Information on the training provided under subsection (d). “(2) Information on the consultations between the Assistant Secretary and the organizations identified under subsection (a). “(3) The number of people who accessed the operations center during the period covered by the report. “(4) Such other information as the Assistant Secretary determines is appropriate.” .

  2. TSA Modernization Act

    Pub. L. 115–254 § 1991(d)(23)(A) · 132 Stat. 3187

    Substituted · 49 U.S.C. § 44927

    Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(A), substituted “Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration” for “Assistant Secretary” wherever appearing

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(A), substituted “Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration” for “Assistant Secretary” wherever appearing.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (A) by striking “Assistant Secretary” each place it appears and inserting “Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration”;

  3. TSA Modernization Act

    Pub. L. 115–254 § 1991(d)(23)(B) · 132 Stat. 3187

    Substituted · 49 U.S.C. § 44927(a)

    Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(B), substituted “Veterans Affairs that” for “Veteran Affairs that”

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(B), substituted “Veterans Affairs that” for “Veteran Affairs that”.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (B) in subsection (a), by striking “Veteran Affairs” and inserting “Veterans Affairs”; and

  4. TSA Modernization Act

    Pub. L. 115–254 § 1991(d)(23)(C) · 132 Stat. 3187

    1. Substituted · 49 U.S.C. § 44927(f)

      Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(C), substituted “Reports” for “Report” in introductory provisions

    2. Substituted · 49 U.S.C. § 44927(f)

      Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(C), substituted “Each year,” for “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter,” in introductory provisions

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(C), substituted “Reports” for “Report” in heading and “Each year,” for “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter,” in introductory provisions.

    Enacted provision · exact public law section
    (C) in subsection (f)— (i) in the heading, by striking “Report” and inserting “Reports”; and (ii) by striking “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter,” and inserting “Each year,”;

  5. Pub. L. 118–238 § 2(a) · 138 Stat. 2923

    Added · 49 U.S.C. § 44927(g)

    Pub. L. 118–238 added subsec. (g)

    Unresolved: Pub. L. 118–238 was not found in the local Statutes at Large index.

    Source evidence

    Code amendment note
    Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 118–238 added subsec. (g).

5 of 6 references resolved to an enrolled provision · 1 unresolved

Editorial Notes

Amendments2018–2025 · 2 rounds

2025

Subsec. (g). Pub. L. 118–238 added subsec. (g).

2018

Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(A), substituted “Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration” for “Assistant Secretary” wherever appearing.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(B), substituted “Veterans Affairs that” for “Veteran Affairs that”.

Subsec. (f). Pub. L. 115–254, § 1991(d)(23)(C), substituted “Reports” for “Report” in heading and “Each year,” for “Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, and annually thereafter,” in introductory provisions.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Coordination on Implementation

Pub. L. 118–238, § 2(b), , 138 Stat. 2923, provided that:

“The Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration and the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall jointly—

“(1)

implement a process under which a veteran described in paragraph (2) of subsection (g) of section 44927 of title 49, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), can receive the benefits under such subsection by not later than one year after the date of enactment of this Act []; and

“(2)

provide to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a briefing on the status of implementing the process required by paragraph (1) by not later than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.”

Outreach for Disabled Veterans on Availability of Transportation Security Administration Programs

Pub. L. 118–238, § 2(c), , 138 Stat. 2924, provided that:

“(1)

Coordination.—

The Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall implement a process under which such Secretary provides to disabled veterans effective outreach regarding Transportation Security Administration programs designed to improve the screening process for passengers with disabilities.

“(2)

Further enhancements to ease air travel for wounded warriors and other disabled veterans.—

Notwithstanding subchapter I of chapter 35 of title 44, United States Code (commonly referred to as the ‘Paperwork Reduction Act’), or any other provision of law, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in coordination with the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, shall—

“(A)

engage appropriate veterans service organizations and other relevant organizations, as appropriate, to assess the awareness of veterans of relevant Transportation Security Administration programs; and

“(B)

examine the need and feasibility of other measures to improve travel security procedures for disabled veterans.

“(3)

Briefing requirement.—

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act [], the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration shall jointly provide to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate a briefing on the status of the implementation of paragraphs (1) and (2).”

Credits

2013–2025 · 3 acts
  1. 2013Added Pub. L. 113–27, § 2(a), , 127 Stat. 503
  2. 2018amended Pub. L. 115–254, div. K, title I, § 1991(d)(23), , 132 Stat. 3637
  3. 2025Pub. L. 118–238, § 2(a), , 138 Stat. 2923.
Show as published

(Added Pub. L. 113–27, § 2(a), , 127 Stat. 503; amended Pub. L. 115–254, div. K, title I, § 1991(d)(23), , 132 Stat. 3637; Pub. L. 118–238, § 2(a), , 138 Stat. 2923.)

Parsed from the official OLRC USLM XML in data/usc_all/usc49.xml · release point 119-108 · OLRC build 2026-05-04

USLM identifier /us/usc/t49/s44927