Pay TSA Act of 2026
Introduced March 16, 2026 · Last action March 17, 2026
Plain English Summary
This bill creates a dedicated Transportation Security Trust Fund to collect airline passenger security fees (the $5.60 "9/11 Security Fee" per flight) and requires those funds be spent exclusively on TSA operations and aviation security, preventing the government from diverting the money to the general Treasury. It also ensures the TSA can continue paying security officers and operating checkpoints even if Congress fails to pass a budget and allows a government shutdown.
Who benefits
Airline passengers (by ensuring their fees fund security rather than general government operations); TSA employees and Transportation Security Officers (guaranteed pay and benefits during government shutdowns); airports and aviation infrastructure operators (access to dedicated funding for security technology without competing for annual appropriations).
Who pays / loses
The federal government general fund (loses access to passenger security fee revenue currently used to offset general budget shortfalls); Congress (loses discretionary control over annual TSA spending through appropriations process, as trust fund operates 'without further appropriation'); agencies competing for discretionary budget dollars (trust fund revenue no longer available for deficit reduction or other priorities).
Funding & Lobbying Interests
The airline industry and airports have long sought stable, dedicated funding mechanisms for aviation security to avoid annual budget uncertainty and avoid shutdown disruptions. TSA employee unions and law enforcement organizations (representing Transportation Security Officers) advocate for guaranteed compensation and staffing protection during appropriations lapses. Aviation security technology vendors and manufacturers benefit from a dedicated, growing infrastructure investment account. The sponsors (Reps. Langworthy, Lawler, and Malliotakis, all representing New York districts including areas near major airports) represent constituencies with significant airline and aviation infrastructure interests.
Political Impact
Affected Groups
Approximately 2.9 million airline passengers daily in the U.S. (affected by TSA checkpoint operations and service continuity); approximately 60,000 Transportation Security Officers employed by TSA (directly affected by pay continuity during shutdowns); 500+ airports nationwide (affected by dedicated infrastructure funding availability); major U.S. airlines including American, Delta, United, and Southwest (collect the fee as pass-through from passengers); aviation security technology companies including Smiths Detection, L3Harris, and OSI Systems (benefit from dedicated procurement funding).
Political Subtext
Proponents argue this bill ensures airline security fees actually fund security operations rather than general government spending, prevents TSA disruption during shutdowns when security officers would go unpaid, and provides stable long-term funding for aviation security modernization. They contend passengers expect their security fees to fund security directly. Critics argue the bill removes fiscal discipline by creating an off-budget fund not subject to annual appropriations oversight, reduces Congress's budgeting flexibility during unified government periods, may create entitlements without sunset provisions, and could encourage similar trust fund carve-outs for other agencies. The bill reflects recurring tensions over government shutdown preparedness (TSA was affected during 2018-2019 and 2023 shutdowns with unpaid officers) and whether dedicated revenue streams reduce overall fiscal accountability. Non-partisan evidence on trust fund effectiveness shows mixed results: dedicated funds improve operational stability but reduce budget transparency and often grow beyond original scope. The CBO has not yet scored this bill.
Real-World Stakes
If enacted, TSA would not experience operational disruption during government shutdowns—a material change from the 2018-2019 partial government shutdown when TSA officers worked without pay for 35 days, leading to increased sick leave (absences rose 7% in some locations) and security checkpoint delays. The bill would guarantee continuous screening operations during future shutdowns. However, the bill shifts approximately $2.5 billion annually (estimated from current 9/11 fee collections) from discretionary appropriations to a trust fund, reducing Congress's flexibility in overall budget allocations and making it unavailable for non-aviation priorities. Similar dedicated trust funds (Highway Trust Fund, Airport and Airway Trust Fund) show that revenue typically grows with travel demand but also creates pressure to expand authorized uses beyond original intent over time. The bill's outcome depends critically on whether trust fund growth exceeds security needs (surplus unavailable for other uses) or falls short (requiring supplemental appropriations anyway). Analogous policy: the 2001 Aviation and Transportation Security Act created TSA but left funding subject to annual appropriations, which caused 2013 sequester cuts and 2018-2019 shutdown impacts that motivated this bill.
Sponsor
Sponsor information not available.
Vote Record
No recorded votes.
Campaign Finance — Primary Sponsor
No campaign finance data available yet.
501(c)(4) disclosure: Contributions from 501(c)(4) "dark money" organizations are not required to be publicly disclosed and are not reflected in the figures above. Data sourced from FEC public disclosure filings.
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