HELPING HEROES FLY ACT As Introduced on March 21, 2013 by Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) FACT SHEET

In the wake of 9/11, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) was established to strengthen the security of our transportation systems. In furtherance of that mission, TSA screens every person before they enter the boarding areas at our nations airports. All too often, for severely injured or disabled members of our Armed Forces and veterans, TSA checkpoint screening is a lengthy, invasive, and even humiliating, experience. Removing a belt or shoes, for example, is more than just an inconvenience for someone who has a lost a limb or requires the use of prosthetics. In addition, an individual suffering from posttraumatic stress disorder could face significant hardship navigating the confining circumstances of TSAs checkpoint lines. In response to these well-known grievances, TSA created the Wounded Warrior/Military Severely Injured Joint Services Operations Center Program (MSIJSOC). Through MSIJSOC, TSA offers sensitive screening of severely injured or disabled service members and veterans at our nations airports. To access this screening, a severely injured or disabled service member, veteran, or family member contacts the programs Operation Center at TSA before a flight. The appropriate personnel at the involved airports are, in turn, notified to ensure that screening is conducted in such a way as to make the screening experience as respectful and simple as possible. According to TSA, The number of wounded warriors using the MSIJSOC program is steadily increasing, with approximately 4,252 in 2011, 5,914 in 2012, and 3,315 as of February 2013. While TSAs efforts to ease the screening process for wounded warriors are welcome, disabled service member and veteran representatives have informed the Committee on Homeland Security that the program could be improved by ensuring consistency of the programs policies and procedures and through consultation with advocates for the rights of members of the Armed Forces and veterans. Suggestions like these, as well as the steady increase in the programs use, underscore the need for its authorization and improvement. The Helping Heroes Fly Act aims to do just that by, among other things: Authorizing the program and establishing the Operations Center to make the practice permanent and ensure that our nations heroes are shown their due respect and appreciation; Requiring that TSA provide training to all screeners on the protocols of the program to prevent discrepancies in how wounded warriors utilizing the program are treated; Enhancing the programs efficacy in meeting the needs of wounded warriors by mandating ongoing consultations between TSA officials and advocacy organizations; and Ensuring Congressional oversight of the program by implementing annual reporting requirements.