releases: http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/key-senate-committee-approves-bill-to-tighten-airport-security
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
This data as json
| url | title | date | year | month | party | chamber | state | member_name | bioguide_id | domain | scraper | source | date_source | text | has_text | collected_at | updated_at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| http://www.billnelson.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/key-senate-committee-approves-bill-to-tighten-airport-security | Key Senate committee approves bill to tighten airport security | 2015-12-09 | 2015 | 2015-12 | Democrat | House | FL | Bill Nelson | N000032 | www.billnelson.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelsons legislation to tighten airport security is one step closer to becoming law today as a major Senate committee gave it bipartisan, unanimous approval. The Senate Commerce Committee today voted on and approved the legislation filed late Monday by Nelson, the committees top Democrat, and Sen. John Thune (R-SD), the committees chairman. It would, among other things, require the Transportation Security Administration to tighten internal security at airports across the nation. The need for this legislation is clear, Nelson said. We must continue to do everything we can to protect the traveling public. Employee security procedures at airports in the U.S. have come under increased scrutiny since reports that an Egyptian airport worker may have planted a bomb that recently caused the crash of a Russian aircraft. Nelson says the measure would, among other things, limit the potential threat posed by airport employees by enhancing background checks and requiring the TSA to increase screening of aviation workers at the 450 U.S. airports at which they are responsible for security. In addition to increased screening, the bill would also require TSA to: Improve its vetting of airport employees with access to secured areas by: Allowing TSA to access additional terrorism-related databases maintained by the intelligence community; and Allowing TSA to conduct real-time, continuous criminal records checks through the FBI; Increase its oversight of employees secure access badges; Conduct a review of the insider threat posed by airport employees and report back to Congress with recommendations for improving security; and Increase the use of its undercover red-teams to test the security of secured areas at airports across the country. The committee approved the bill on a voice vote. It now heads to the full Senate for consideration. The text of Nelsons legislation is available here. | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |