49 U.S.C. § 44919 : US Code - Section 44919: Security screening pilot program

Search 49 U.S.C. § 44919 : US Code - Section 44919: Security screening pilot program

(a) Establishment of Program. - The Under Secretary shall
establish a pilot program under which, upon approval of an
application submitted by an operator of an airport, the screening
of passengers and property at the airport under section 44901 will
be carried out by the screening personnel of a qualified private
screening company under a contract entered into with the Under
Secretary.
(b) Period of Pilot Program. - The pilot program under this
section shall begin on the last day of the 1-year period beginning
on the date of enactment of this section and end on the last day of
the 3-year period beginning on such date of enactment.
(c) Applications. - An operator of an airport may submit to the
Under Secretary an application to participate in the pilot program
under this section.
(d) Selection of Airports. - From among applications submitted
under subsection (c), the Under Secretary may select for
participation in the pilot program not more than 1 airport from
each of the 5 airport security risk categories, as defined by the
Under Secretary.
(e) Supervision of Screened Personnel. - The Under Secretary
shall provide Federal Government supervisors to oversee all
screening at each airport participating in the pilot program under
this section and provide Federal Government law enforcement
officers at the airport pursuant to this chapter.
(f) Qualified Private Screening Company. - A private screening
company is qualified to provide screening services at an airport
participating in the pilot program under this section if the
company will only employ individuals to provide such services who
meet all the requirements of this chapter applicable to Federal
Government personnel who perform screening services at airports
under this chapter and will provide compensation and other benefits
to such individuals that are not less than the level of
compensation and other benefits provided to such Federal Government
personnel in accordance with this chapter.
(g) Standards for Private Screening Companies. - The Under
Secretary may enter into a contract with a private screening
company to provide screening at an airport participating in the
pilot program under this section only if the Under Secretary
determines and certifies to Congress that the private screening
company is owned and controlled by a citizen of the United States,
to the extent that the Under Secretary determines that there are
private screening companies owned and controlled by such citizens.
(h) Termination of Contracts. - The Under Secretary may terminate
any contract entered into with a private screening company to
provide screening services at an airport under the pilot program if
the Under Secretary finds that the company has failed repeatedly to
comply with any standard, regulation, directive, order, law, or
contract applicable to the hiring or training of personnel to
provide such services or to the provision of screening at the
airport.
(i) Election. - If a contract is in effect with respect to
screening at an airport under the pilot program on the last day of
the 3-year period beginning on the date of enactment of this
section, the operator of the airport may elect to continue to have
such screening carried out by the screening personnel of a
qualified private screening company under a contract entered into
with the Under Secretary under section 44920 or by Federal
Government personnel in accordance with this chapter.