After thoroughly listening to and screening his constituents’ concerns at his regular “Coffee with Your Representative” event, U.S. Rep. Van Taylor (R-TX) has set out to provide more certainty and convenience to parents traveling with baby supplies such as breast milk and formula by introducing H.R. 3246, the Traveling Parents Screening Consistency Act.
“As parents to three daughters, my wife and I know the stress of traveling with young children. Despite established, clear procedures, families across the United States, including many from Collin County, have faced confusion and difficulty when flying,” said Taylor in a press release. “My legislation will provide certainty to parents when traveling with breast milk, baby formula, and nursing products.”
In the same announcement, Taylor also touted his bill as already receiving bipartisan support, with New York Democrat Kathleen Rice signing on as a cosponsor.
“I am proud to cosponsor this bill to make sure that TSA is appropriately accommodating traveling families. I thank Congressman Taylor for introducing it and look forward to its passage,” said U.S. Rep. Kathleen M. Rice (D-NY).
According to Taylor, the impetus for its passage came from an interaction with constituent Jordan Rhodes.
“Since becoming a mother, I have traveled many times; and every time I go through TSA screening, I have a different experience,” she said. “We must balance the need to protect Americans with commonsense policies to ensure parents can properly care for their children without discrimination. Safely traveling with food for a baby should not be a partisan issue, and I’m glad my congressman, Van Taylor, is working across the aisle to find a solution.”
Despite legislation being passed to solve the issue in 2016, parents traveling with breast milk, baby formula, and nursing products are still experiencing inconsistent treatment from TSA when going through airport security.
Whether traveling through airports not following clearly defined protocol or encountering individual TSA agents who disregard the official procedures, parents across the nation are left confused and inconvenienced.
Taylor’s resolution hopes to solve the issue once and for all by requiring the Comptroller General to review TSA’s implementation of current legislation as well as the effectiveness of the agency in ensuring screening protocol clarity and consistency relating to the screening of formula and breast milk.
Furthermore, the bill requires federal authorities to issue recommendations for improving TSA’s overall screening practices for such products. Perhaps Taylor’s formula to enforce effectiveness of policies already on the books will minimize the inconvenience that TSA imposes on travelers.
