The House of Representatives has passed H.R. 2200 – the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Authorization Act. It includes an expansion of the TSA into surface transportation such as highways, buses, trains and subways. It also increases TSA funding and personnel. But is it an exercise in futility?
I certainly hope not. However, H.R. 2200 does not have a Senate counterpart. No one seems to know exactly how the House bill will be reconciled with the will of the Senate.
Might a Senator introduce a similar bill? Will the bill be rolled into a larger bill? Should the House version be divided up between several Senate bills? Can it survive in a Congress that is wrestling with reforming the FAA Reauthorization Act, the country’s medical system, cap-and-trade energy legislation and ultimately balancing the budget?
The historic reality of H.R. 2200 is that this is the first time since 2001 that Congress (hence, the American people) has had an opportunity to question TSA. Until these deliberations, TSA had an open field and could do as it pleased; all in the name of keeping Americans safe.
The deliberations of this bill in the House were the first time that Congress said, “Whoa, TSA.” Now, legions of Americans interested in expanding TSA or reigning in the agency will have a chance to let their Senators know where they stand.
Here are some features of this historic legislation:
• For the first time Congress slowed down a TSA project of making whole-body scanners the primary scanning system at airports.
• TSA jurisdiction will be expanded to rail and subways and other surface transportation.
• Cargo screening will be stepped up.
• Off-shore airline maintenance facilities will have to meet similar security standards as those where planes are repaired here at home.
• Funding will be allocated based on “risk” rather than on population or regions.
• Stakeholders in the transportation (and hopefully consumers) will have a say in TSA’s planned operations.
• Airport perimeter security will be strengthened.
• Flight attendants will get self-defense training of not less than 5 hours during each 2-year period for all cabin crewmembers.
• Registered Traveler program will get a new push with biometric technology.
• 200 new canine teams will work inspecting cargo and luggage.
• Workers accompanying barges towed by oxen or horses along national park canals will not have to hold a transportation security card.
• Military personnel in uniform and traveling on orders with their family will get expedited security screenings.
There’s more, but all depends on the Senate following through on the House’s initiative. All I can say is, “It’s about time.” Let’s hope that through the coming process in the Senate and ensuing conference committee hearings, the bill finds a way to become the law of the land.
There is a lot of work still to be done, but this is an encouraging start.
Charlie Leocha is the President of Travelers United. He has been working in Washington, DC, for the past 14 years with Congress, the Department of Transportation, and industry stakeholders on travel issues. He was the first consumer representative to the Advisory Committee for Aviation Consumer Protections appointed by the Secretary of Transportation from 2012 through 2018.
