The Abolish TSA Act of 2025 would abolish the Transportation Security Administration three years after enactment and transfer all aviation security activities to private screening firms described in section 44920 of title 49, United States Code. It creates a path to privatize airport security while establishing a centralized Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) oversight function to supervise the aviation-security activities that remain in the federal framework.
The bill also requires a concrete reorganization plan within 90 days of enactment, outlines the transfer of surface-transport security responsibilities to the Department of Transportation, and mandates ongoing reporting to Congress and GAO to track progress through the transition.
At a Glance
What It Does
The bill dismantles TSA through a three-year sunset, transfers aviation-security activities to private screening firms described in 49 USC 44920, and creates the FAA’s Office of Aviation Security Oversight to regulate remaining activities. Airport screening would not be conducted by federal employees under this plan.
Who It Affects
Federal employees in TSA would be displaced; private screening firms would gain operating contracts; airports, airlines, and travelers would experience a new security delivery model overseen by FAA and, later, DOT for surface-transit components.
Why It Matters
This framework would shift national aviation-security governance from a federal agency to a privatized delivery model under FAA oversight, with broader implications for cost, accountability, and consistency across the system.
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What This Bill Actually Does
The bill lays out a staged approach to ending the TSA as it exists today. Three years after enactment, the TSA would be abolished, and all aviation security functions would move to private screening companies described in 49 USC 44920.
In the interim, a new Office of Aviation Security Oversight would be created within the FAA to supervise aviation security activities referenced in 44920, while airport screening would not be performed by federal employees.
To manage the transition, the bill requires a comprehensive reorganization plan to be submitted within 90 days, detailing the establishment of the FAA office, the rapid transfer of aviation-security activities and equipment to private screening firms, potential changes to the 44920 program, and proportional reductions in operations and personnel until the transfer is complete. It also calls for the transfer of certain surface-transport security functions to the Department of Transportation.
The plan includes exclusions from the reorganization, such as prohibiting warrantless searches by private contractors and ensuring the 3-year sunset remains in place. The act also requires periodic reporting to Congress and GAO on progress, ensuring ongoing accountability as the government moves from a federal security model to a privatized framework overseen by the FAA and, eventually, DOT.
The Five Things You Need to Know
The TSA is abolished three years after enactment.
An Office of Aviation Security Oversight will regulate aviation security activities described in 49 USC 44920, excluding airport screening.
A rapid transfer of aviation security activities and equipment to private screening companies described in 49 USC 44920 is required.
The reorganization plan must include changes to the 44920 program and phased reductions of operations and personnel until transfer is complete.
Surface transportation functions will be transferred to the Department of Transportation as part of the reorganization.
Section-by-Section Breakdown
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Definitions
This section defines the key terms used in the act, including the Administration (the Transportation Security Administration), the Administrator (the TSA Administrator), the “appropriate congressional committees” that oversee the bill, and the Secretary (the Secretary of Homeland Security). The definitions set the legal architecture for how the transition and oversight will be interpreted across agencies.
Policy
The core policy direction is to expeditiously eliminate or transfer all authorities, enforcement functions, and programs of the Administration and to privatize all commercial airport security—preserving security while pursuing cost-efficiency through private delivery. This establishes the high-level rationale and legal path for the sunset and privatization plan.
Termination of the Transportation Security Administration
This section triggers the abolition of the Administration on a date three years after enactment. It repeals programs under the Administrator’s control as provided by law or delegation, effectively ending the TSA’s current operating mandate and paving the way for the private security framework that follows. The goal is a clean sunset with minimum residual obligations remaining in TSA’s current form.
Reorganization Plan
Requires the Secretary to submit a comprehensive reorganization plan within 90 days of enactment, in consultation with the Secretary of Transportation. The plan must establish an Office of Aviation Security Oversight within the FAA, ensure the office is headed by a Director, and oversee all aviation-security activities described in 44920, while explicitly barring airport screening employees from performing screening duties. It also mandates rapid transfer of aviation-security activities and equipment to qualified private screening firms, potential changes to the 44920 program, and phased staff reductions until completion. Additionally, the plan contemplates transferring surface-transport security functions to the Department of Transportation.
Congressional Review of Reorganization Plan
This section defines the process for Congress to approve the reorganization plan via a joint resolution of approval. It details introduction, committee referrals, discharge procedures, and the expedited floor considerations in both houses, including rules for consideration, debate time limits, and veto-message procedures. It preserves Congressional oversight while enabling a structured, accelerated review of the DHS-led reform.
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Explore Government in Codify Search →Who Benefits and Who Bears the Cost
Every bill creates winners and losers. Here's who stands to gain and who bears the cost.
Who Benefits
- Private airport security screening companies will gain a formal, scalable role in providing airport screening services under the 44920 framework.
- Airports and terminal operators with large private-screening contracts will benefit from a clear transition pathway and regulatory oversight to security provisioning.
- The FAA will gain a dedicated Office of Aviation Security Oversight to regulate the remaining aviation-security activities and provide centralized governance.
- The Department of Transportation will assume responsibility for surface-transport security functions, aligning multi-modal security oversight under a single department.
- Congress and the GAO will have a clearer reporting framework to track reform progress and ensure accountability.
Who Bears the Cost
- TSA personnel and related workforce will face displacement and potential job losses as the Administration is abolished.
- Airports and airlines will incur transition costs to contract with private screening firms and to retool infrastructure and processes.
- Private screening firms may incur upfront capital and credentialing costs to scale operations and meet federal standards.
- The FAA and DOT will incur administrative costs associated with the new oversight structures and the transfer of functions.
- There is potential transitional security risk or disruption as operations shift from federal to private delivery.
Key Issues
The Core Tension
The central dilemma is whether privatizing airport-security delivery while layering FAA oversight can preserve uniform national security standards and accountability without sacrificing efficiency or introducing new risk through market-driven arrangements.
The bill envisions a radical reordering of who delivers and oversees aviation security, moving from a centralized federal agency to a private, market-based delivery model under FAA oversight. While the plan could yield cost efficiencies and market competition, it also raises questions about consistency of security standards, accountability, and the ability of a private sector model to maintain uniform nationwide safeguards.
The reorganization hinges on a successful transition — including the rapid transfer of assets and responsibilities — and on robust oversight by the FAA and Congress to prevent gaps in security during the handoff. The exclusions in Section 5 are notable but do not fully resolve concerns about private-sector incentives, data sharing, or long-term regulatory alignment across modes of transportation.
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