S 2795119th CongressIn Committee

FASTER Act

Introduced: Sep 11, 2025

Civil Rights & JusticeHealthcare

Standard Summary

Comprehensive overview in 1-2 paragraphs

The FASTER Act (Funding for Aviation Screeners and Threat Elimination Restoration Act) would change how aviation security fees paid by air travelers are used to fund security screening. It repeals a rule that required a portion of these fees to be credited as offsetting receipts in the general fund of the Treasury. Instead, the bill would place aviation security fee revenues into a separate Treasury account that is available to the Administrator for expenditure to pay the costs of aviation security activities and services funded by the fee. The funding would be available notwithstanding certain budgetary laws (including the Anti-Deficiency Act and specific Title 31 procedures), meaning it could be spent more directly on screening costs without the usual appropriations process. In short, the bill seeks to dedicate aviation security fee revenues directly to TSA/airport security screening operations, reducing reliance on general fund receipts and streamlining access to funds for security costs.

Key Points

1Repeal of offsetting receipts requirement: The provision requiring a portion of aviation security fees to be credited as offsetting receipts and deposited in the general fund is removed.
2Creation of a dedicated Treasury account: Aviation security fees would be deposited into a separate Treasury account that is available to the Administrator to pay the costs of activities and services for which the fee is imposed.
3Expenditure not limited by typical budget rules: The funds in the new account would be available for expenditure notwithstanding certain budgetary laws (including sections 1341, 1512–1519, and 3302 of title 31 and the Anti-Deficiency Act), but only to cover the costs funded by the fee.
4Structural and wording changes: The section governing deposits and availability of the fee is rewritten to reflect deposit into the new account and its dedicated use, and subsection (i) is removed.
5Short title: The bill is titled the “Funding for Aviation Screeners and Threat Elimination Restoration Act” or the “FASTER Act.”

Impact Areas

Primary group/area affected: Passengers and the Transportation Security Administration (and other security screening operations). TSA would gain a dedicated funding stream for security screening costs, potentially improving staffing, equipment, and operations at airports.Secondary group/area affected: Federal budgeting and accounting practices. By removing the general-fund offset and altering how funds are deposited and available, the bill changes how security fees interact with the broader federal budget and spending controls.Additional impacts:- Budgetary oversight and accountability: Allowing spending notwithstanding certain budget and appropriation rules could raise concerns about oversight and the usual checks on federal spending. Congress may need to consider accompanying oversight mechanisms.- General fund receipts: Returns or offsets currently affecting the general fund would be reduced or eliminated for aviation security fees, altering how these receipts factor into overall fiscal planning.- Operational flexibility: TSA would have potentially faster access to funds dedicated to screening, which could affect procurement, personnel decisions, and deployment of screening resources.

Generated by gpt-5-nano on Oct 8, 2025