Description:
As ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on June 11, 2014
The Office of Inspection in the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness and efficiency of TSA’s operations and identifying vulnerabilities in the agency’s security systems. In carrying out its mission, the office conducts internal inspections, investigations, and covert tests to assess the integrity of the agency’s activities and its staff. Under current law, roughly half of the office’s employees are classified as criminal investigators and are eligible for certain statutory employment benefits because they are considered law enforcement officers. In particular, such individuals qualify for additional compensation (known as Law Enforcement Availability Pay) and enhanced retirement benefits.
H.R. 4803 would direct the Inspector General of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to review the data and methods that TSA uses to classify personnel as law enforcement officers and to reclassify, as necessary, any staff of the Office of Inspection that are currently misclassified according to the results of that review. The bill would require DHS to provide various security-related updates and reports to the Congress.
Based on information from DHS, CBO estimates that implementing H.R. 4803 would have no significant effect on federal spending. According to DHS, TSA is already undertaking an analysis of the agency’s workforce that will serve as the basis for potential reclassifications of personnel who do not meet criteria to be considered law enforcement officers, and CBO does not expect that enacting H.R. 4803 would significantly affect the timing or outcome of that process. We estimate that complying with the bill’s reporting requirements would cost less than $500,000, assuming the availability of appropriated funds. H.R. 4803 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
H.R. 4803 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would impose no costs on state, local, or tribal governments.
