S. 3296 would require the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to make information about airport security more accessible to non-English-speaking travelers and to people with impaired vision or hearing. The bill would require TSA to implement the bill within 180 days of enactment and the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to review progress and report to the Congress one year after implementation. For this estimate, CBO assumes that S. 3296 will be enacted late in fiscal year 2022.
Using information from TSA, CBO anticipates that the agency would need to revise multiple methods of communication including signs, audio messages, websites, and its social media presence. CBO estimates that implementing the bill would cost roughly $1 million a year starting in 2023, totaling $5 million over the 2022-2027 period. Spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds. CBO also estimates that the cost of the GAO report would be insignificant.
