# The SPEED through Screening Act: Making Airport Security Faster and Less Invasive

This bill is about making airport security screening faster and less uncomfortable for passengers while keeping flights safe. Right now, when you go through TSA checkpoints, you often have to take off your shoes, remove your belt, pull out your laptop, and sometimes get patted down by security officers. This bill pushes the Transportation Security Administration to figure out how to reduce these hassles using better technology.

The bill requires the TSA to develop a five-year plan to cut down on two main frustrations: physical patdowns and having to remove items from your carry-on bags and clothing. Specifically, it asks the agency to explore ways passengers might keep on their shoes, belts, hats, religious head coverings, and medical devices without compromising security. It also wants to know if new technology could eventually allow you to keep liquids and gels in your bag instead of packing them in a separate quart-sized bag. The bill mentions looking into "detection at range technology"—basically thermal imaging or similar tools that can scan you from a distance without touching you—as a potential solution.

The bill also addresses a real concern: some groups of passengers get patted down or screened more often than others. The TSA has to study whether this happens and, if it does, figure out how to make screening fairer without sacrificing safety. Additionally, the bill requires the TSA to start collecting detailed statistics about screening practices at each airport so Congress and the public can see what's actually happening at checkpoints. The TSA gets $20 million to research and test new screening technologies that could make the whole process smoother.

Importantly, this bill doesn't force the TSA to eliminate security measures—it just pushes them to explore smarter ways to do their job. The agency can still conduct patdowns and require item removal if they think it's necessary for safety.