Safer Sippy Cups at Security: New Bill Orders TSA to Update Baby Milk & Formula Screening Hygiene in 90 Days

This bill, an update to the existing "Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Act," is officially titled the "Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act." Its main job? To make airport security checks cleaner and less stressful for parents traveling with breast milk, baby formula, purified water for infants, or juice. Section 2 gets specific, ordering the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to roll out new or updated guidance within 90 days of the bill's enactment. This guidance, focused on minimizing contamination risks for these essential liquids during screening, must then be refreshed every five years.

Raising the Bar on Cleanliness for Baby's Bottle

The core of this change, detailed in Section 2, is that the TSA will need to sharpen its procedures for handling your baby's nutrition. They're required to develop these updated hygiene rules by working directly with nationally recognized maternal health organizations—essentially bringing in experts who best understand the importance of keeping these items sterile. So, when that bottle of breast milk or formula goes for additional screening, the procedures followed must meet these new, expert-informed hygienic standards. This isn't just for TSA's own officers; the rules will also apply to personnel from private security companies that some airports use under the Screening Partnership Program (49 U.S.C. 44920), ensuring a consistent standard. The goal is straightforward: reduce the chance of contamination and give parents a bit more peace of mind.

Making Sure the New Rules Stick: The Accountability Angle

It's one thing to make rules, but another to ensure they're actually being followed. That's where the Department of Homeland Security's Inspector General (IG) steps in. As per Section 2, within one year of the bill becoming law, the IG must submit a report to Congress. This report will audit how well the TSA and private screeners are complying with these new hygienic handling requirements. The audit won't just be a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down; it will also investigate how different screening technologies, like those bottled liquid scanners, affect the screening of breast milk, baby formula, purified deionized water for infants, and juice. This includes looking at how often these items are denied entry into the secure airport areas, which could highlight whether current tech is helping or hindering parents trying to travel safely with necessary liquids for their infants.