The ARMS Act requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a rigorous covert testing program to identify weaknesses in airport security screening operations. Within 180 days of enactment, the TSA must create both a risk-informed testing system that conducts at least three covert testing scenarios annually—ensuring the nation's busiest airports (Category X airports) are tested at least once per year—and a long-term annual testing program based on emerging threat assessments. When vulnerabilities are discovered, the TSA must conduct a root cause analysis within 90 days and determine within 150 days whether to fix the problem, establishing specific milestones and completion dates if mitigation is warranted. The TSA must then retest within 180 days to verify that fixes work. Starting with the first full fiscal year after enactment and annually thereafter, the TSA must submit detailed reports to Congress by November 30, and publicly release summary data on overall pass and failure rates at major airports while protecting specific security details. The Government Accountability Office will also review the program's effectiveness within three years.
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