Risk based security initiatives have saved the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) $350 million the past two years and further savings can be expected although at a reduced level, the agency’s acting chief told a House panel on Thursday.
Efficiencies gained through the risk based security actions led TSA to request $119 million less in FY ’16 for its workforce needs than programmed in the current FY ’15 budget, Melvin Carraway, acting administrator for the agency, told the House Appropriations Homeland Security Subcommittee. Most of that savings comes from the screener workforce, which would fall by more than 1,600 personnel if the budget request is adopted as is.
Rep. John Carter (R-Texas), chairman of the subcommittee, noted that TSA’s $4.8 billion FY ’16 funding request is $68 million less overall than the current year, primarily due to the personnel reductions and other efficiencies obtained from the risk-based security initiatives.
“In a time of shrinking budgets, I commend TSA for finding ways to maximize the impact of limited resources, and for continuing to seek ways to build upon these efforts,” Carter said.
Asked by Carter if TSA expects further efficiencies and cost savings going forward as risk-based initiatives continue to be implemented, Carraway said it will be “difficult” to match the savings from the past two years, adding that he believes that by increasing enrollment in the PreCheck trusted traveler program–better networking its technology and improving its acquisition processes–it can still get further savings.
PreCheck is TSA’s premiere risk-based security initiative, providing vetted travelers with expedited screening benefits at aviation security lanes, increasing passenger throughput while decreasing inconveniences. Last September more than 44 percent of air travelers in the United States received expedited screening benefits and the goal is to get to 50 percent, Carraway said.
TSA is looking to expand the marketing efforts around PreCheck through a contracting arrangement with the private sector. Last fall, the agency issued a Request for Proposals for this effort, but Carraway said he pulled the request “due to technical changes but hopefully in the near future we’ll have that back out.” He said reaching out to the private sector is a “simply recognizing that industry may be better at the marketing effort than we are.”
TSA said in a statement that “By leveraging private sector best practices in business operations, marketing, and algorithm optimization, TSA hopes to provide a better travel experience for an increased number of ‘trusted travelers’ while focusing our attention on unknown and potentially higher-risk passengers.”
TSA already uses a contractor to manage most of its PreCheck enrollment centers. MorphoTrust USA, part of France’s Safran Group, maintains it’s IdentGo Centers throughout the U.S.