Today, bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by Congressman Don Bacon (NE-02) that will help the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) improve the screening experience for pregnant women and young families, passed the House without opposition. The two pieces of legislation are the H.R. 3246 Traveling Parents Screening Consistency Act of 2019 and H.R. 3694 Helping Families Fly Act of 2019.

H.R. 3246 would require the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review TSA screening protocols for families traveling with young children. Specifically, regulations pertaining to the screening of breast milk, baby formula, and nursing products.

“Families deserve peace of mind knowing that the nutrition they are bringing on a plane for their young children will be fairly, correctly and accurately screened,” said Rep. Bacon. “There have been many reports of families having breastmilk, purified deionized water and juice being confiscated so we must look at the effectiveness of the screening process and ask the GAO to make any recommendations on needed changes.”

In addition, under H.R. 3694, TSA frontline personnel would be trained on how to appropriately address concerns of pregnant women regarding the screening process, including Advanced Imaging Technology on pregnant women, and appropriate opt-out and alternative screening procedures.

“Our TSA officers deserve thorough training so they can conduct these screening processes in a manner that is respectful and helps improve the overall functioning of the passenger screening checkpoint,” said Rep. Bacon.

This legislation will also require the TSA to conduct a study on the feasibility of installing dedicated screening lanes for pregnant women and families.

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