Both the U.S. House and Senate recently passed the Gerardo Hernandez Airport Security Act, bipartisan legislation designed to improve airport security, which now awaits President Obama’s signature.
The legislation,
introduced by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY), is named after
Gerardo Hernandez, a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agent who died during a Los Angeles
International Airport shooting in November 2013. Hernandez was the first TSA
employee to die while on duty. The shooter also injured a passenger and two other security officers in the attack.
“The tragic shooting at LAX in 2013 is a reminder that there is still much work to be done to enhance security measures at our domestic airports, especially when it comes to coordinating our local, state and federal law enforcement efforts in responding to these incidents,” Katko said. “This legislation makes important strides in enhancing preparedness to mitigate threats in our nation’s airports.
“Developing preparedness in our airports will go a long way in helping to ensure that the traveling public is kept safe,” Katko said. “Improving the response to threats to public safety will allow our nation’s transportation systems to overcome the challenges that were experienced by law enforcement, emergency first-responders, TSA and the public during the LAX shooting.”
Katko was elected to represent New York’s 24th Congressional District in the U.S. House in November 2014. The district includes all of Onondaga, Cayuga and Wayne Counties, and a portion of Oswego County.
