Keep Air Travel Safe Act
H.R. 5732, titled the Keep Air Travel Safe Act, would create a backstop to fund all Transportation Security Administration (TSA) activities during any government funding lapse (i.e., a shutdown). If appropriations for TSA lapse, the TSA Administrator would continue all TSA programs, projects, and activities using unobligated balances described in the bill, at funding levels not exceeding the prior year’s rate. The funding would be available from the first day of the lapse until the earlier of the regular appropriations act becoming law, a continuing-resolution act becoming law, or 180 days after the lapse. The act also ties funding to the terms and conditions that applied at the start of the lapse and would carry forward funding levels into the next fiscal year if the lapse extends. In short, the bill is designed to prevent TSA operations from stopping during a shutdown by drawing on pre-existing, unobligated balances and limiting expenditures to prior-year levels for up to 180 days or until regular funding is restored.
Key Points
- 1Short title: The act may be cited as the Keep Air Travel Safe Act.
- 2Trigger and purpose: If there is a lapse in appropriations for TSA, the TSA Administrator must continue all TSA programs and activities using unobligated balances described in the bill (the source funds are specified in subsection (g)).
- 3Funding rate: The continuation of operations must not exceed the rate of operations provided for the preceding fiscal year (or the rate under the corresponding continuing-appropriations act, if applicable).
- 4Availability period: Funds become available starting on the first day of the lapse and remain available until the earlier of (a) the regular appropriation bill becoming law, (b) a continuing-resolution becoming law, or (c) 180 days after the lapse.
- 5Terms and conditions: Funds used under this authority would be subject to the same terms and conditions that applied to the prior year’s appropriation or authority on the first day of the lapse.
- 6End-of-fiscal-year provision: If the section is still in effect at the end of the fiscal year, funding levels would continue under this provision for the next fiscal year.
- 7Source of funds: The amounts described come from unobligated balances as of enactment of this Act of amounts made available under section 90003 of Public Law 119-21 (referred to in the text as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”).
- 8Legislative status and process: Introduced in the House on October 10, 2025, sponsored by Mrs. Dingell (for herself and Ms. Brownley), referred to the Homeland Security and Judiciary committees. No further action indicated in the provided text.