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H.R. 719, TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015 1 (March 18, 2015)

handle is hein.congrec/cbo2154 and id is 1 raw text is: 



                  CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE
                             COST ESTIMATE

                                                                    March 18, 2015


                                   H.R. 719
            TSA Office of Inspection Accountability Act of 2015

As ordered reported by the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
                               on February 26, 2015


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 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. 719 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 criminal
investigators and to reclassify any staff of the Office of Inspection that are currently
misclassified according to the results of that review. In addition, the legislation would
require DHS to provide a variety of security-related updates and reports to the Congress.

According to DHS, TSA is already undertaking a strategic analysis of the agency's
workforce that, under current law, will serve as the basis for potential reclassifications of
investigative staff of the Office of Inspection. As a result of that effort, TSA's future costs
for salaries and benefits of criminal investigators (which are subject to appropriation)
could increase or decrease, but CBO does not expect that enacting H.R. 719 would
significantly affect the timing or outcome of that process. We estimate that complying with
the legislation's reporting requirements would cost less than $500,000 and would be
subject to the availability of appropriated funds. H.R. 719 would not affect direct spending
or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.

H.R. 719 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the
Unfunded Mandates Reform Act and would not affect the budgets of state, local, or tribal
governments.

The CBO staff contact for this estimate is Megan Carroll. The estimate was approved by
Theresa Gullo, Deputy Assistant Director for Budget Analysis.

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