Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act

(This measure has not been amended since it was passed by the Senate on December 9, 2014. The summary of that version is repeated here.)

Transportation Security Acquisition Reform Act - (Sec. 3) Amends the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to direct the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to:

• develop and update biennially a strategic five-year technology investment plan, which may include a classified addendum to report sensitive transportation security risks, technology vulnerabilities, or other sensitive security information; and
• publish the plan in an unclassified form in the public domain.

Directs the Administrator, before acquiring any security-related technology, to analyze whether acquisition is justified. Requires the Administrator, 30 days before any TSA award of a contract for acquisitions exceeding $30 million, to report to Congress the results of the analysis and certify that the transportation security benefits justify the contract cost.

Requires the appropriate TSA acquisition official to establish certain performance baseline requirements before any TSA security-related technology acquisition. Requires that official to review and assess each acquisition for meeting the baseline requirements and to report the results to Congress.

Requires the Administrator, before procuring additional quantities of equipment to fulfill a TSA mission need, to utilize, to the extent practicable, any existing units in the TSA's inventory to meet that need.

Directs the Administrator to report annually to Congress on TSA's performance record in meeting its goals for contracting with small businesses.

Directs the Administrator to execute all responsibilities set forth in this Act in a manner consistent with the Federal Acquisition Regulation and TSA policies and directives.

(Sec. 4) Directs the Comptroller General (GAO) to: (1) assess TSA's implementation of GAO recommendations regarding the acquisition of security-related technology made before enactment of this Act, and (2) evaluate TSA's progress in implementing this Act.

(Sec. 5) Directs the Administrator to report to Congress on the feasibility of tracking TSA security-related technology, including software solutions, through automated information and data capture technologies.

(Sec. 6) Directs the GAO to evaluate TSA's testing and evaluation process relating to security-related technology.

(Sec. 7) Declares that no additional appropriations are authorized to carry out this Act.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov