Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015
Public Law 114-50 · H.R. 720 · 114th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Sep 24, 2015 · Transportation and Public Works
Sponsor: Rep. John Katko (R-NY-24)
Cosponsors (7): Rep. Kathleen Rice, Rep. Michael McCaul,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- 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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act of 2015
(Sec. 3) Directs the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) of the Department of Homeland Security to: (1) conduct outreach to all U.S. airports at which the TSA performs, or oversees the implementation and performance of, security measures; and (2) give necessary technical assistance to verify that such airports have in place individualized working plans for responding to security incidents inside the airport perimeter, including active shooters, acts of terrorism, and incidents that target passenger-screening checkpoints.
Requires the TSA to report to Congress on the outreach findings, including an analysis of the level of preparedness such airports have to respond to such incidents.
(Sec. 4) Requires the TSA to: (1) identify best practices that exist across airports for security incident planning, management, and training; and (2) establish a mechanism through which to share those best practices with other airport operators nationwide.
(Sec. 5) Requires the TSA also to: (1) certify annually to specified congressional committees that all screening personnel have participated in practical training exercises for active shooter scenarios, and (2) analyze for those same committees how TSA can use cost savings achieved through efficiencies to increase over the next five fiscal years the funding available for checkpoint screening law enforcement support reimbursable agreements.
(Sec. 7) Directs the TSA to: (1) conduct outreach to all passenger transportation agencies and providers with high-risk facilities to verify that they have in place plans for responding to active shooters, acts of terrorism, or other security-related incidents that target passengers; and (2) identify best practices for security incident planning, management, and training and establish a mechanism through which to share such practices with passenger transportation agencies nationwide.
(Sec. 8) Declares that no additional appropriations are authorized to carry out this Act. Requires this Act to be carried out using amounts otherwise available.
(Sec. 9) Requires the TSA to review the interoperable communications capabilities of law enforcement, fire, and medical personnel responsible for responding to security incidents at all U.S. airports at which the TSA performs, or oversees the implementation and performance of, security measures.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Homeland Security Committee · House · referred toSubcommittee: Transportation and Maritime Security Subcommittee
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.
Related bills
The record lists no related bills.
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 25 actions.
- Sep 24, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-50.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 17, 2015FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 16, 2015Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Katko moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the Senate amendment to H.R. 720.
- OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendment Agreed to by voice vote.
- Aug 6, 2015FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- Aug 5, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- Jul 23, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 163.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Thune with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 114-92.
- Feb 26, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably.
- Feb 12, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Feb 11, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate.
- Feb 10, 2015FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 411 - 1 (Roll no. 70).House roll call 70
- FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
- 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.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 720.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Katko moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Feb 9, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation Security.
- Feb 4, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
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.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
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.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.