Mohave Today

Congressman Paul Gosar has expressed his satisfaction following the signing of the Veterans Expedited TSA Screening (VETS) Safe Travel Act into law by President Joe Biden. The legislation, known as H.R. 7365, was introduced by Congressman Gosar and aims to provide expedited security screening through the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) PreCheck program to severely injured or disabled veterans at no cost.

“I am very pleased that my bill, HR 7365 - the VETS Safe Travel Act, has been signed by Mr. Biden and is now the law of the land and will provide TSA’s PreCheck program to severely injured or disabled veterans free of charge," stated Congressman Gosar. He emphasized that "No American veteran, particularly disabled veterans, should be hassled at our airports."

The VETS Safe Travel Act was introduced on February 15, 2024. It passed through the House of Representatives on December 10, 2024, and subsequently received Senate approval via an expedited procedure requiring unanimous consent on December 19, 2024. President Biden signed it into law on January 4, 2025.

Under this new act, the Department of Veterans Affairs will certify whether a veteran is severely injured and thus eligible for free access to the TSA PreCheck program. The TSA will then process applications from these veterans who must pass a background check and interview process to gain access.

According to information from the Department of Veterans Affairs, approximately 325,000 veterans could benefit from this initiative.

The legislation has garnered support from various organizations including Wounded Warrior Project, Paralyzed Veterans of America, Disabled American Veterans, American Legion, Blinded Veterans Association, Veterans of Foreign Wars, Operation Second Chance Inc., Unified Arizona Veterans, Texas Coalition of Veteran Organizations, and Veterans Airlift Command.