Originally Posted by seigex

Unless that rule is specific to IAH, it's definitely not the case. ONT (my home airport) has the dedicated precheck line closed often, even pre-covid, due to lack of volume in morning and evening, so I go through the combined line with the laminated page, and I have always got normal precheck behavior, laptop stays in the bag, non-puffy light jackets stay on, toiletries stay in the bag, and shoes stay on.