49 U.S.C. § 44905 — Information about threats to civil aviation

(a) Providing Information. Under TSA's guidelines, an air carrier, airport operator, ticket agent, or their employee who learns about a threat to civil aviation — except a message directed by the U.S. government — must promptly give that information to TSA. (b) Flight Cancellation. If TSA decides a specific threat cannot be handled well enough to reasonably ensure the safety of a flight's passengers and crew, TSA must cancel that flight or series of flights. (c) Guidelines on Public Notice. (1) The President must set guidelines for when the public should be told about threats to civil aviation, naming officials responsible for (A) deciding, case by case, whether public notice serves the best interest of the country and travelers; (B) making sure notice is given in a timely, effective way, including through a toll-free phone number; and (C) canceling a flight or flights under subsection (b). (2) The guidelines must address (A) how specific the threat is; (B) how credible the related intelligence is; (C) whether the threat can be effectively countered; (D) protecting intelligence sources and methods; (E) canceling flights instead of giving public notice; (F) whether passengers and crew could reduce their own risk after getting notice; and (G) any other factor TSA finds appropriate. (d) Guidelines on Notice to Crews. TSA must set guidelines to make sure a flight's crew and cabin crew are told, where appropriate, about threats to that flight's security. (e) Limitation on Notice to Selective Travelers. A threat to civil aviation may be disclosed only to specific travelers if the threat applies only to them. (f) Restricting Access to Information. Working with the agencies that collect and analyze aviation-related intelligence, TSA must set procedures to limit how many people can access threat information. However, TSA may restrict access only if doing so does not weaken the government's ability to carry out its aviation security duties, including giving notice to the public and to flight and cabin crews under this section. (g) Distribution of Guidelines. The guidelines created under this section must be given to the right officials at the Department of Transportation, the Department of State, the Department of Justice, and to air carriers.