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Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act

Public Law 113-245 · H.R. 2719 · 113th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Dec 18, 2014 · Transportation and Public Works

Sponsor: Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC-8)

Cosponsors (3): Rep. Michael McCaul,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 425 yea, 0 nay425–0
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act - (Sec. 3) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to:

• develop and update biennially a strategic five-year technology investment plan, which may include a classified addendum to report sensitive transportation security risks, technology vulnerabilities, or other sensitive security information; and

• publish the plan in an unclassified form in the public domain.

Directs the Administrator, before acquiring any security-related technology, to analyze whether acquisition is justified. Requires the Administrator, 30 days before any TSA award of a contract for acquisitions exceeding $30 million, to report to Congress the results of the analysis and certify that the transportation security benefits justify the contract cost.

Requires the appropriate TSA acquisition official to establish certain performance baseline requirements before any TSA security-related technology acquisition. Requires that official to review and assess each acquisition for meeting the baseline requirements and to report the results to Congress.

Requires the Administrator, before procuring additional quantities of equipment to fulfill a TSA mission need, to utilize, to the extent practicable, any existing units in the TSA's inventory to meet that need.

Directs the Administrator to report annually to Congress on TSA's performance record in meeting its goals for contracting with small businesses.

Directs the Administrator to execute all responsibilities set forth in this Act in a manner consistent with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and TSA policies and directives.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) assess TSA's implementation of GAO recommendations regarding the acquisition of security-related technology made before enactment of this Act, and (2) evaluate TSA's progress in implementing this Act.

(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to report to Congress on the feasibility of tracking TSA security-related technology, including software solutions, through automated information and data capture technologies.

(Sec. 6) Directs the GAO to evaluate TSA's testing and evaluation process relating to security-related technology.

(Sec. 7) Declares that no additional appropriations are authorized to carry out this Act.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 113th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 425 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

425 yea0 nay9 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(196)

Republicans who voted yea(229)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1197 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

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Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 1893Related bill

    Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 31 actions.

  1. Dec 18, 2014Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 113-245.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 12, 2014FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 10, 2014Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 425 - 0 (Roll no. 559).House roll call 559
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Hudson moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
  8. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  9. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House resumed debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2719.
  10. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with 40 minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment to H.R. 2719.
  11. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 425 - 0 (Roll no. 559).House roll call 559
  12. Dec 9, 2014FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  13. FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
  14. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  15. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  16. Dec 9, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
  17. Dec 3, 2013FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 416 - 0 (Roll no. 616).House roll call 616
  18. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  19. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  20. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 2719.
  21. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  22. FloorFloor · Mr. McCaul moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  23. Nov 21, 2013CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 196.
  24. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 113-275.
  25. Oct 29, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
  26. CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  27. Jul 24, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee (Amended) by Voice Vote .
  28. CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  29. Jul 22, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation Security.
  30. Jul 18, 2013CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

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Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 3978SenateSen. Kelly AyotteR-NH· offered Dec 9, 2014Agreed to

    In the nature of a substitute.

    Dec 9, 2014: Amendment SA 3978 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

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Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.