Airport fees must pay for airport safety gear.

What it does

This bill makes sure the 9/11 fee goes to airport safety. Airline travelers pay this fee now. Starting in 2028, the TSA must collect at least $500 million each year for safety gear. It must also collect $250 million for checkpoint tech. The money cannot go to other government work.

Who it affects

Travelers who pay the 9/11 fee gain because their money must go to safety upgrades. The TSA must spend the money on safety instead of other work.

One thing to notice

This bill does not make new money. It sends fees travelers pay now to safety work. If the TSA cannot collect the required amounts, travelers might pay higher fees.

From the analysis of the bill text, linked under Primary records below.

Where it stands

6 cosponsors: 5 Republicans, 1 Democrats.

• May 12, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
• May 12, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Homeland Security and Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security”
• Jun 24, 2026 — Markup held in committee · Congress.gov: “Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held”
• Jun 24, 2026 — Reported out of committee · Congress.gov: “Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 26 - 3”
• Jul 13, 2026 — Passed the House · Congress.gov: “On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H4389-4390)”
• Jul 13, 2026 — Floor vote scheduled · Congress.gov: “Mr. Garbarino moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended”

Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.

Money around this bill

14 groups reported lobbying about this bill. They filed 14 reports from Jun 2026 to Jun 2026.

Those reports show $3,555,301 in lobbying spending. Each report lists about 11 bills. So that money was not all for this bill.

More groups named this bill than 94% of bills with any report.

Dale Strong, who sponsored the bill, received $651,420 from PACs for the 2026 election.

• American Association of Airport Executives — $1,172,100 in 1 report
• Airports Council International -- North America — $775,201 in 1 report
• American Fed of Government Employees AFL-CIO — $390,000 in 1 report
• Southwest Airlines — $360,000 in 1 report
• Air Line Pilots Association — $266,000 in 1 report

Lobbying is legal. These reports show who lobbied about this bill, not what changed.

Words to know

• TSA — The agency that runs airport safety checks.
• checkpoint tech — New machines and tools used at airport safety lines.
• lobbying — Trying to influence lawmakers about a bill. Companies and groups pay people to do this.
• PACs — Groups that collect money and give it to candidates for office.
• sponsored — To sponsor a bill is to introduce it in Congress and put your name on it.