North Houston News

Washington – Congressman Morgan Luttrell (R-TX) and Congressman Glenn Ivey (D-MD) successfully introduced the Improving Travel for Families Act, a legislative initiative aimed to ease the burden of international travel for families. The bill, which proposes allowing children under ten to use Global Entry lanes with their enrolled parent or legal guardian, has gained bipartisan support and was recently passed in the House of Representatives.

"I’m proud to see my colleagues on both sides of the aisle come together to support my legislation to ease the burden of international travel for families. The Improving Travel for Families Act will provide more flexibility in Global Entry lanes and consolidate appointments for those with children seeking Global Entry. I look forward to it being passed in the Senate," expressed Congressman Luttrell.

The legislation, as highlighted by Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, aims to address the current challenges faced by families with young children traveling internationally. Green stated, “I applaud the House’s passage of Rep. Luttrell’s legislation, IMPROVING TRAVEL FOR FAMILIES ACT. This bill will improve international travel for families by allowing young children who are not currently enrolled in the Customs and Border Protection Global Entry program to accompany their parents, who are enrolled in the program, in the designated pre-cleared lanes upon arrival at an international airport in the United States."

The current Global Entry process poses difficulties for families with young children as children without their own Global Entry membership cannot use the Global Entry lanes if traveling with a parent who is enrolled. Moreover, parents are required to schedule individual Global Entry interview appointments for each child, adding to the complexity for families with multiple children.

The passing of the Improving Travel for Families Act in the House of Representatives is seen as a positive step towards providing more convenience and efficiency for families traveling internationally. The bill's provisions for children to utilize Global Entry lines with their parents and for appointment consolidation for children seeking Global Entry are expected to streamline the travel process for families in the future.