SAFEGUARDS Act of 2026
Summary
What This Bill Does
The SAFEGUARDS Act would reserve specified amounts of the passenger-paid 9/11 Security Fee for aviation security beginning in fiscal year 2027. The first $500 million collected each year would go to the Aviation Security Capital Fund. The next $250 million would go to a newly created Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund within the Department of Homeland Security. The Transportation Security Administration would be required to impose the existing fee so those annual collection floors are met.
Who Benefits and How
TSA aviation-security programs and airport operators eligible for TSA grants or agreements would receive a dedicated funding stream for security capital projects. Manufacturers and integrators of checkpoint screening technology could gain procurement opportunities because the new fund may pay for testing, purchasing, deploying, installing, and sustaining that equipment. Airline passengers could benefit from upgraded passenger and baggage screening and more reliable checkpoint technology.
Who Bears the Burden and How
Airline passengers remain the source of the 9/11 Security Fee receipts and the TSA Administrator must administer the collection floors, grants, agreements, and technology spending. Federal budget uses outside aviation security would lose access to the first $750 million of annual receipts that the bill directs to the two aviation-security funds.
Key Provisions
- States that 9/11 Security Fee receipts should be used exclusively for commercial aviation security and that diversion should end by 2027.
- Makes the first $500 million of annual fee receipts available to the Aviation Security Capital Fund beginning in fiscal year 2027.
- Creates the Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund and assigns it the next $250 million of annual fee receipts, available until expended.
- Authorizes TSA to use the funds for grants and related agreements and to test, procure, deploy, install, and sustain checkpoint technology.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Beginning in fiscal year 2027, dedicate the first $500 million of annual 9/11 Security Fee receipts to the Aviation Security Capital Fund and the next $250 million to a new Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund for TSA grants, agreements, and checkpoint technology.
Key Policy Areas
Transportation, Homeland Security, Federal Budget
Primary Purpose
Beginning in fiscal year 2027, dedicate the first $500 million of annual 9/11 Security Fee receipts to the Aviation Security Capital Fund and the next $250 million to a new Aviation Security Checkpoint Technology Fund for TSA grants, agreements, and checkpoint technology.
Policy Domains
Sections 2-3 - Aviation security fee policy and funds
Identified Gains
- Transportation Security Administration aviation-security programs
- Airport operators eligible for TSA security grants
- Aviation checkpoint technology suppliers
- Commercial airline passengers using security checkpoints
Identified Costs
- Airline passengers paying the 9/11 Security Fee
- Transportation Security Administration fee and grant administrators
- Federal budget uses outside aviation security
Sponsors
Legislative Progress
ReportedReceived in the Senate and Read twice and referred to …
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without …
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, …
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules …
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate …
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H4389-4390)
Mr. Garbarino moved to suspend the rules and pass the …
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 641.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. …
Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 26 …
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
Transportation Security Administration aviation-security programs
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
- "department"
- → Department of Homeland Security
- "administrator"
- → Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
Key Definitions
Terms defined in this bill
A new Department of Homeland Security fund that would receive the next $250 million of annual fee receipts for checkpoint technology.
The airline passenger-paid fee collected under 49 U.S.C. 44940(a)(1) to support aviation security.
The existing fund under 49 U.S.C. 44923 that would receive the first $500 million of annual 9/11 Security Fee receipts.
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology