U.S. Senators Todd Young (R-IN) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) announced legislation that would provide disabled veterans with Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Precheck at no cost. The service is already offered to active duty, reserves, and National Guard service members at no cost. The Veterans Expedited TSA Screening (VETS) Safe Travel Act would expand this program to include veterans who have amputations, paralysis, or blindness.
Under the VETS Safe Travel Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs would be required to certify that a veteran is eligible. The TSA would then process the veteran’s application, granting access to precheck provided the veteran passes the background check and interview process. “Millions of veterans have sacrificed a great deal in service to our nation and returned home with service-connected disabilities. For those of us who rely on prosthetics and wheelchairs for mobility, air travel and passing through airport security can be a challenge,” said Senator Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran and Blackhawk pilot who lost both legs when her helicopter was shot down in 2004. “I’m proud to join Senator Young in introducing this bipartisan legislation to make TSA Precheck available at no cost to these veterans and make flying and passing through airports a little easier and less intrusive.”
