Flying with kids? U.S. House passes bill that could expand TSA family lanes

For many parents, one of the more stressful parts of a family vacation starts before they reach the gate. A bipartisan bill passed by the U.S. House on Monday could expand the number of airports that have dedicated family security lanes, aiming to make airport security easier for families traveling with young children. The bill is in the U.S. Senate. 

The proposed, ‘Improving Travel for American Families Act’, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Valerie Foushee, D-N.C., would allow the Transportation Security Administration to establish a two-year pilot program with dedicated screening lanes for adults traveling with children 12 and younger.

“I think it's in our best interest, and it makes common sense to be able to move them efficiently and safely while ensuring that everybody else gets a nice travel experience as well,” Foushee told WRAL in an interview Wednesday.

If enacted, the bill would let TSA test the family screening lanes at selected airports without changing existing security standards. Families wouldn’t receive access to TSA PreCheck or other expedited screening programs unless they already qualify.

The bill authorizes — but does not require — TSA to launch the pilot.

If the agency opted to conduct the pilot, it would select participating airports by giving priority to those with high volumes of family travelers and enough space and staffing to support dedicated lanes. 

Many airports already have dedicated family security lanes.

Those were a part of the Families on the Fly initiative, launched by TSA in 2025 for families traveling with children 12 and younger.

TSA told WRAL in a statement Wednesday, they cannot comment on pending legislation, but Families on the Fly created dedicated lanes…designed to recognize and address the unique challenges parents and young children may face when traveling, helping them move through security more efficiently. “

Just 13 airports offer these lanes and just two in the Carolinas: Charlotte Douglas International and Charleston International.

"As more and more families rely on air travel, the bipartisan Improving Travel for American Families Act is an important step to ensure that airport security systems are equipped to move travelers safely," Foushee said in a statement Monday. "I am proud that the House has passed this legislation to maintain security standards while providing a family-focused approach to TSA screenings to reduce delays and improve the passenger experience."

Rep. Ryan Mackenzie, R-Pa., who introduced the bill with Foushee, said parents often face added challenges moving children, bags and bulky items through security checkpoints.

"As the father of two young children, I know that family travel is a challenge," Mackenzie said. "Every day, families are forced to move their children, bags and bulky items through the same TSA lines used by solo travelers — adding an extra layer of stress, hassle and delays for everyone."

TSA’s screening standards would remain the same under the proposed pilot program, noted Scott Stewart, senior vice president of protective intelligence at TorchStone Global, a global risk mitigation and security advisory firm.

“The standards are the standards,” Stewart told WRAL in an interview. “Anyone who’s passing through still has to meet those standards.”

TSA’s existing Families on the Fly lanes have shown that dedicated screening areas can improve efficiency by allowing officers with specialized training to work with families traveling with young children, Stewart said.

Trained officers are better prepared to handle items like strollers and other child-related equipment during the screening process, helping families move through checkpoints while maintaining security, he said.

“By having these specially trained agents, they understand what a stroller looks like, what it goes through the X-ray machine,” Stewart said. “By having that specialized training, it just makes it much more efficient.”