Secure Existing Aviation Loopholes Act
Latest action · Feb 12, 2004 Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 11, 2004
- Passed HouseNot reached
- Passed SenateNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Secure Existing Aviation Loopholes Act - Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) establish a system and plan to screen or inspect all cargo to be transported in passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation or intrastate air transportation; (2) monitor and evaluate research and development (R&D) of effective cargo screening; and (3) impose a cargo security fee to be collected by the air carrier or foreign air carrier that provides the air transportation.
Amends Federal transportation law to authorize the Under Secretary of Transportation for Security to provide for the deployment of Federal air marshals on: (1) any passenger flight of an air carrier in charter air transportation for which the Under Secretary determines such deployment is in the interest of aviation security; (2) every passenger flight of foreign air carriers in air transportation; and (3) flights of all-cargo air transportation. (Currently, the deployment of Federal air marshals may be provided on every passenger flight of air carriers in air transportation or intrastate air transportation). Prohibits the flight of a foreign air carrier from landing in or taking off from a U.S. airport unless it has on board a Federal marshal or an equivalent officer of the government of the foreign country if the Secretary of Homeland Security requests the presence of a Federal marshal or officer on such flight.
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to: (1) require all flight crews of air carriers to have improved communication systems for providing flight attendants with a wireless method of communicating with pilots that meet certain standards; (2) develop a plan to improve coordination between the Department of Homeland Security and counterpart agencies and departments of foreign governments in the area of aviation security; (3) issue regulations to improve preflight screening of passenger aircraft for dangerous objects and training of screeners of passenger aircraft and to reduce the time between preflight screening and the departure time for a flight; (4) issue a rule setting forth certain training requirements for flight attendants; (5) issue regulations to improve control over access to the secured area of U.S. airports; (6) issue regulations requiring air carriers to provide pilots with certain training, including aircraft maneuvers to respond to attacks on the aircraft; (7) issue an order requiring cargo aircraft engaged in cargo transportation or intrastate air transportation to have a door between the cargo and pilot compartments that can be locked and cannot be forced open from the cargo compartment, prohibiting access to the flight deck of the cargo aircraft, except by authorized persons, and requiring flight deck doors to remain locked while in flight, except to permit access by authorized persons; (8) issue an order to modify certain aviation security requirements to ensure that the wall surrounding the flight deck door on any passenger aircraft engaged in air transportation or intrastate air transportation is sufficient to secure the cockpit; (9) establish during a high threat level no fly zones around sensitive nuclear facilities, certain chemical facilities, and any other facilities designated by the Secretary of Homeland Security; and (10) require airport operators that serve general aviation aircraft and landing facilities for such aircraft to complete vulnerability assessments for evaluation of the security at such airports and facilities, including a plan for addressing any vulnerabilities.
Subjects airport workers: (1) employed in, or applying for, positions as aircraft maintenance and catering personnel, aircraft cargo handlers, and aircraft support facilities personnel whether having escorted or unescorted access to aircraft or secured areas of airports to a social security check and a check against all terrorist watch lists in addition to other required background checks; and (2) to physical screening for metallic objects and having their personal bags inspected for prohibited items such as chemical, biological, radiological, or nuclear materials.
Cosponsors 19
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 26, 2004 to Jun 1, 2004.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NY | Carolyn McCarthy | Feb 26, 2004 | |
| D-HI | Ed Case | Feb 26, 2004 | |
| D-NY | Jerrold Nadler | Feb 26, 2004 | |
| D-MI | John Conyers, Jr. | Feb 26, 2004 | |
| D-NY | Louise McIntosh Slaughter | Feb 26, 2004 | |
| D-NY | Major R. Owens | Feb 26, 2004 | |
| D-WA | Norman D. Dicks | Feb 26, 2004 | |
| D-MA | Barney Frank | Mar 24, 2004 | |
| D-NY | Anthony D. Weiner | Apr 1, 2004 | |
| D-CA | Bob Filner | Apr 1, 2004 | |
| D-WA | Jim McDermott | Apr 1, 2004 | |
| D-NC | Bob Etheridge | Apr 21, 2004 | |
| D-CA | George Miller | Apr 21, 2004 | |
| D-WA | Jay Inslee | Apr 21, 2004 | |
| D-ME | Michael H. Michaud | Apr 21, 2004 |
Actions 4
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 12, 2004Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
- Feb 12, 2004Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E178-179)
- Feb 11, 2004Introduced in House
- Feb 11, 2004Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Transportation and Public Works.
- Administrative fees
- Administrative procedure
- Air cargo
- Air piracy
- Air routes
- Aircraft
- Aircraft construction
- Aircraft pilots
- Airline employees
- Airline passenger traffic
- Airlines
- Airports
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Aviation agreements
- Aviation safety
- Biological warfare
- Charter airlines
- Chemical industries
- Chemical warfare
- Collection of accounts
- Congress
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Criminal justice information
- Department of Homeland Security
- EBB Terrorism
- Economics and Public Finance
- Emergency communication systems
- Emergency Management
- Employee training
- Energy
- Environmental Protection
- Federal aid to transportation
- Federal law enforcement officers
- Flight crews
- Flight training
- Foreign Trade and International Finance
- Government Operations and Politics
- Governmental investigations
- Identification of criminals
- International Affairs
- International cooperation
- Labor and Employment
- Law
- Nuclear facilities
- Nuclear power plants
- Nuclear security measures
- Nuclear terrorism
- Nuclear weapons
- Police communication systems
- Research and development
- Risk
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Security measures
- Social security numbers
- Social Welfare
- Standards
- Surface-to-air missiles
- Technical assistance
- Technological innovations
- Terrorism
- Transportation and Public Works
- Transportation workers
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 11, 2004Introduced in House
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.