Humiliating: A man endures a pat-down at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport in front of a crowd
The bill, passed late last night, aims to make touching travellers in an 'inappropriate' way during searches a criminal offence.
The measure makes it illegal for anyone conducting pat-downs to touch 'the anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast of another person' including through clothing.
It also prohibits searches 'that would be offensive to a reasonable person.'
'This (bill) has to do with dignity and travel, and prohibiting indecent, groping searches,' Republican Representative David Simpson, the bill's chief sponsor said.
He believes it will keep TSA officials from treating travellers like criminals.
Controversial: The TSA has been dogged by controversy since it began a more aggressive pat-down procedure and introduced full-body scanners
'It's a way of getting attention and objecting to the intrusiveness of the search procedures,' Alan Rosenthal, professor of public policy at Rutgers University in New Jersey told USA Today.
'But I don't think any of that could pre-empt federal requirements.'
New Jersey is one of three other states to introduce similar legislation but is yet to pass its own bill.
Similarly in New Hampshire a proposed bill, that would make the 'touching or viewing of a person's breasts or genitals' by airport security staff a sexual assault, is still languishing at the committee stage.
Chief sponsor: Republican Rep David Simpson said the bill was about dignity and travel, and prohibiting indecent, groping searches
'Let's put their name on the sex offender registry, and maybe that will tell them New Hampshire means business,' Mr Manuse said in governor meeting earlier this year.
Hawaii has also introduced legislation for a possible ban, while other states are calling on the TSA to re-think its screening strategies.
THE TEXAS RESTRICTIONSAlaska passed such a resolution in March and similar resolutions have been introduced in six other states.
Under the passed Texas bill it will be a criminal offence for any airport security staff to:
Search another person without probable cause to believe the person committed an offence.
Touches the anus, sexual organ, or breasts of the other person, including touching through clothing.
Touching the other person in a manner that would be offensive to a reasonable person.
The TSA has been dogged by controversy and outcry since it began a more aggressive pat-down procedure in October and introduced full-body scanners that leave little to the imagination.
Just this week a disturbing photograph which shows a baby being subjected to a full-body search by airport security caused outrage when it was posted online.
Disturbing: A photograph, showing a baby being subjected to a full-body search by airport security caused outrage when it was posted online
The agency says it has been 'actively reviewing its screening policies and procedures to streamline and improve the screening experience for low-risk populations, such as younger passengers.'
A TSA spokesman told MailOnline: 'It is not TSA's policy to not discuss or comment on pending legislation.'
Never thought that I would think to myself, "way to go Texas". (wonder if this will make the naked scanners mandatory)