U.S. Sen. Martha McSally (R-AZ) recently sponsored a bipartisan bill that would require review by the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) of certain Transportation Security Administration (TSA) airport screening protocols, particularly those for baby products.
“Our commonsense legislation will ensure that TSA is fully transparent about how it screens breast milk, baby formula and nursing products so parents know what to expect before they get to the airport,” Sen. McSally said on Aug. 15.
Sen. McSally on July 31 introduced the Traveling Parents Screening Consistency Act of 2019, S. 2381, with three cosponsors, including U.S. Sen. Doug Jones (D-AL), to require GAO’s review of TSA’s implementation of the 2016 federal law, the Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Act.
If enacted, the bill would require the GAO to review the effectiveness of TSA to ensure screening protocols are clear and consistent, specifically as they relate to formula, breast milk, purified deionized water for infants, and juice, according to the bill’s text.
Additionally, S. 2381 would require the GAO to evaluate whether TSA should update and revise its screening procedures and if TSA is effectively tracking passenger complaints related to such screening, according to the text.
“Parents who travel with small children face their own unique challenges,” said Sen. McSally. “No parent should have to worry about being singled out during a TSA screening because of their parental duties.”
Sen. McSally’s bill is the U.S. Senate version of the same-named H.R. 3246 introduced in June. U.S. Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE) is a cosponsor of that bill.