(This measure has not been amended since it was reported to the House on July 3, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)
TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2014 - (Sec. 4) Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to: (1) analyze the data and methods that the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security (Transportation Security) uses to identify Transportation Security Administration (TSA) law enforcement officer and criminal investigators; and (2) provide relevant findings to the Assistant Secretary, including regarding whether the data and methods are adequate and valid.
Prohibits TSA from hiring any new employee to work in its Office of Inspection if the Inspector General finds that such data and methods are inadequate or invalid, until: (1) the Assistant Secretary makes a certification to the House Committee on Homeland Security and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation that only TSA employees who meet such requirements are classified as criminal investigators and are receiving premium pay and other benefits associated with such classification; and (2) the Inspector General submits a finding that the Assistant Secretary utilized adequate and valid data and methods to make such certification.
(Sec. 5) Directs the Assistant Secretary to: (1) reclassify criminal investigator positions in the Office of Inspection as noncriminal investigator positions or non-law enforcement positions if the individuals in those positions do not, or are not expected to, spend an average of at least 50% of their time performing criminal investigative duties; and (2) estimate the total long-term cost savings to the federal government resulting from such reclassification and provide such estimate to such committees. Requires such estimate to identify savings associated with the positions reclassified, including savings from: law enforcement training, early retirement benefits, law enforcement availability pay, weapons, vehicles, and communications devices.
(Sec. 6) Directs the Assistant Secretary to submit to such committees: (1) any materials in the possession or control of DHS associated with the Office of Inspection's review of the use of a federal firearms license by Federal Air Marshal Service officials to obtain discounted or free firearms for personal use; and (2) information on specific actions that will be taken to prevent Service officials from using a federal firearms license, or exploiting the Service's relationships with private vendors, to obtain discounted or free firearms for personal use.
[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4803 Introduced in House (IH)]
113th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 4803
To require the Transportation Security Administration to conform to
existing Federal law and regulations regarding criminal investigator
positions, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 5, 2014
Mr. Sanford (for himself and Mr. Hudson) (all by request): introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland
Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Transportation Security Administration to conform to
existing Federal law and regulations regarding criminal investigator
positions, and for other purposes.
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 ``TSA Office of Inspection
Accountability Act of 2014''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Consistent with Federal law and regulations, for law
enforcement officers to qualify for premium pay as criminal
investigators, the officers must, in general, spend on average
at least 50 percent of their time investigating, apprehending,
or detaining individuals suspected or convicted of offenses
against the criminal laws of the United States.
(2) According to the Inspector General of the Department of
Homeland Security (DHS IG), the Transportation Security
Administration (TSA) does not ensure that its cadre of criminal
investigators in the Office of Inspection are meeting this
requirement, even though they are considered law enforcement
officers under TSA policy and receive premium pay.
(3) Instead, TSA criminal investigators in the Office of
Inspection primarily monitor the results of criminal
investigations conducted by other agencies, investigate
administrative cases of TSA employee misconduct, and carry out
inspections, covert tests, and internal reviews, which the DHS
IG asserts could be performed by employees other than criminal
investigators at a lower cost.
(4) The premium pay and other benefits afforded to TSA
criminal investigators in the Office of Inspection who are
incorrectly classified as such will cost the taxpayer as much
as $17,000,000 over 5 years if TSA fails to make any changes to
the number of criminal investigators in the Office of
Inspection, according to the DHS IG.
(5) This may be a conservative estimate, as it accounts for
the cost of Law Enforcement Availability Pay, but not the costs
of law enforcement training, statutory early retirement
benefits, police vehicles, and weapons.
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administration.--The term ``Administration'' means the
Transportation Security Administration.
(2) Assistant secretary.--The term ``Assistant Secretary''
means the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security
(Transportation Security) of the Department of Homeland
Security.
(3) Inspector general.--The term ``Inspector General''
means the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland
Security
SEC. 4. INSPECTOR GENERAL REVIEW.
(a) Review.--Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, the Inspector General shall analyze the data and methods
that the Assistant Secretary uses to identify employees of the
Administration who meet the requirements of sections 8331(20), 8401(17)
and 5545a of title 5, United States Code, and provide the relevant
findings to the Assistant Secretary, including a finding on whether the
data and methods are adequate and valid.
(b) Prohibition on Hiring.--If the Inspector General finds that
such data and methods are inadequate or invalid, the Administration may
not hire any new employee to work in the Office of Inspection of the
Administration until--
(1) the Assistant Secretary makes a certification described
in section 5 to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House
of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate; and
(2) the Inspector General submits to such Committees a
finding, not later than 30 days after the Assistant Secretary
makes such certification, that the Assistant Secretary utilized
adequate and valid data and methods to make such certification.
SEC. 5. TSA OFFICE OF INSPECTION WORKFORCE CERTIFICATION.
(a) Certification to Congress.--The Assistant Secretary shall, by
not later than 90 days after the date the Inspector General provides
its findings to the Assistant Secretary under section 4(a), document
and certify in writing to the Committee on Homeland Security of the
House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate that only those employees of the
Administration who meet the requirements of sections 8331(20),
8401(17), and 5545a of title 5, United States Code, are classified as
criminal investigators and are receiving premium pay and other benefits
associated with such classification.
(b) Employee Reclassification.--The Assistant Secretary shall
reclassify criminal investigator positions in the Office of Inspection
as noncriminal investigator positions or non-law enforcement positions
if the individuals in those positions do not, or are not expected to,
spend an average of at least 50 percent of their time performing
criminal investigative duties.
(c) Projected Cost Savings.--
(1) In general.--The Assistant Secretary shall estimate the
total long-term cost savings to the Federal Government
resulting from the implementation of subsection (b), and
provide such estimate to the Committee on Homeland Security of
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate by not later than 180
days after the date of enactment of this Act.
(2) Contents.--Such estimate shall identify savings
associated with the positions reclassified under subsection (b)
and include, among other factors the Assistant Secretary
considers appropriate, savings from--
(A) law enforcement training;
(B) early retirement benefits;
(C) law enforcement availability pay; and
(D) weapons, vehicles, and communications devices.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Transportation Security.
Subcommittee on Transportation Security Discharged.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 113-513.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 113-513.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 385.
Mr. Sanford moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H6604-6606)
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4803.
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Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR H6604-6605)
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H6604-6605)
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.