IMPROVING TRAVEL FOR MILITARY MEMBERS ACT

On 2026-07-13, Representative Sheri Biggs (R-SC-3) delivered a floor speech titled "IMPROVING TRAVEL FOR MILITARY MEMBERS ACT" in the House.

IMPROVING TRAVEL FOR MILITARY MEMBERS ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 113 (Monday, July 13, 2026)] [House] [Pages H4390-H4391] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] IMPROVING TRAVEL FOR MILITARY MEMBERS ACT Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 9328) to improve travel for active-duty personnel and accompanying family, and for other purposes, as amended. The Clerk read the title of the bill. The text of the bill is as follows: H.R. 9328 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Improving Travel for Military Members Act''. SEC. 2. IMPROVING TRAVEL FOR ACTIVE-DUTY MILITARY PERSONNEL AND ACCOMPANYING FAMILY. (a) In General.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (in this section referred to as the ``Administrator'') may establish a pilot program at airports to expedite access to security screening for traveling active-duty military personnel and accompanying family members to support and facilitate the ease of travel for such personnel and family members. The Administrator may carry out this subsection only to the extent such access does not compromise security protocols. (b) Security Requirements.--If the Administrator establishes the pilot program under subsection (a), the Administrator shall carry out the following: (1) Ensure each passenger described in such subsection is screened in accordance with the vetting status of such passenger under the Secure Flight program of the Transportation Security Administration, in accordance with paragraph (2) of section 44903(j) of title 49, United States Code. (2) Prevent individuals carrying out screening functions under section 44901 of such title from allowing any passenger into a TSA PreCheck or other expedited security screening lane unless such passenger has received a boarding pass indicating eligibility for TSA PreCheck or such other expedited security screening. (3) Permit local Administration management to open or close checkpoint lanes and reallocate available resources as needed to maximize security effectiveness and efficiency based on passenger volume. (c) Selection of Airports.--If the Administrator establishes the pilot program under subsection (a), in selecting airports for such pilot program, the Administrator shall-- (1) give priority to an airport that is not more than a certain distance, as determined by the Administrator, from a military installation (as such term is defined in section 2801 of title 10, United States Code) to which not fewer than a certain number, as determined by the Administrator, of active-duty military personnel are stationed; (2) consider airports with adequate space to accommodate dedicated screening lanes for traveling active-duty military personnel and accompanying family members; and (3) use any other consideration the Administrator determines necessary. (d) Briefing.--If the Administrator establishes the pilot program under subsection (a), not later than nine months after such establishment, the Administrator shall provide to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a briefing on such pilot program. (e) Sunset.--If the Administrator establishes the pilot program under subsection (a), the Administrator shall carry out such pilot program for a period of three years. [[Page H4391]] The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino) and the gentleman from Virginia (Mr. Walkinshaw) each will control 20 minutes. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York. General Leave Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on H.R. 9328. The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from New York? There was no objection. Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. I rise in support of H.R. 9328, the Improving Travel for Military Members Act. The Improving Travel for Military Members Act will allow the TSA Administrator to establish a 3-year pilot program to expedite access to security screening for traveling Active-Duty military personnel and their accompanying family members. If established, this pilot program will focus on airports closest to military installations with large Active-Duty populations, which will help to ease travel for the men and women bravely serving our Nation. I want to thank Representative Biggs for her leadership and encourage my colleagues to support the bill. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 9328, the Improving Travel for Military Members Act. Our military servicemembers and their families are required to travel regularly, uprooting their lives to move to new locations. Last year, TSA initiated a pilot program at select airports to provide Active-Duty military and their families front-of-line access to security screening. H.R. 9328 would cement TSA's ongoing pilot program and codify requirements for appropriate security protocols. Expediting wait times for servicemembers and their families makes travel a little bit easier and a little bit less stressful for them, and I support advancing this effort. Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time. Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as she may consume to the gentlewoman from South Carolina (Mrs. Biggs). Mrs. BIGGS of South Carolina. Mr. Speaker, I don't speak on this legislation as an outside observer. As a Member currently serving in the Air National Guard, I have worn the uniform. I have seen firsthand what it asks of servicemembers and their families. This legislation is written from experience, not just policy. Mr. Speaker, more than 1.3 million Americans serve our Nation on Active Duty, and they answer the call with very little notice--shipping out on deployment orders, relocating their families across the country on PCS moves, or rushing to emergency assignments at a moment's notice. They don't get to plan ahead. They don't get to choose their travel dates. They simply go because that is what the service requires. Last summer, the Transportation Security Administration launched the Serve with Honor, Travel with Ease initiative to better support our servicemembers while advancing much-needed modernization across our aviation system as passenger volumes continued to grow. Depending on the airport, military members and their families may receive expedited screening through dedicated lines, preferred lanes, or front-of-line access. My legislation, the Improving Travel for Military Members Act, builds on this important effort by establishing a 3-year pilot program to expedite security screening for Active-Duty military personnel and their accompanying family members with priority given to airports located near military installations. That means in my home State of South Carolina, which is home to a number of military installations, servicemembers will benefit from faster, more efficient travel while maintaining the same high security standards. Let me be very clear: Every passenger remains subject to appropriate security screening. What this bill does is gives airports the flexibility to implement the program based on their own operational needs, their proximity to military bases, and passenger volume. This bill is targeted. It is practical, and it is fiscally responsible. A few minutes saved at a security line may seem insignificant to some, but to a military spouse managing three children and a cross- country move on 48 hours' notice, it is anything but. It sends a message to every servicemember and their family: America sees you, values you, and respects the sacrifices you make in service to our country. I urge my colleagues to support this important piece of legislation for our servicemembers and their families. {time} 1610 Mr. WALKINSHAW. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. Mr. Speaker, military servicemembers and their families make sacrifices for our Nation every day. We owe it to them to make their lives easier in ways big and small wherever and whenever we can. This bill represents a step toward easier travel for Active Duty military and their families. I thank the gentlewoman for her work on that, and I yield back the balance of my time. Mr. GARBARINO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 9328, and I yield back the balance of my time. The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from New York (Mr. Garbarino) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 9328, as amended. The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the rules were suspended and the bill, as amended, was passed. A motion to reconsider was laid on the table. ____________________

Referenced legislation: HR9328, HR9328