By Calvin Biesecker
The House Committee on Homeland Security yesterday approved a bill authorizing appropriations for the Transportation Security Administration during the next two fiscal years along with a slew of policy recommendations and reporting requirements such as incorporating the Registered Traveler (RT) program into the agency risk-based aviation security operations.
The bill, entitled Transportation Security Administration Authorization Act (H.R. 2200), is the first authorization bill for TSA since the agency was stood up following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. The bill was approved unanimously by the committee.
The provision of the bill dealing with RT requests that TSA evaluate whether the program can become part of the security screening regime at airports. Currently, members in RT, which is a privately managed effort, go through background checks that include a screening of their fingerprints but doesn’t afford them any special consideration at airport checkpoints in terms of not having to remove coats and shoes or divest laptop computers.
The bill also calls for TSA to establish a way to verify that all cargo on inbound foreign passenger aircraft has been screened. Under a congressional mandate, all cargo carried on passenger aircraft on flights originating in the United States and inbound to the country must be screened for explosives by August 2010. However, the Government Accountability Office has said that TSA has no way to verify if all the cargo has been screened.
Another provision in the bill requires TSA to create a secure verification plan that includes a biometric component for any law enforcement officers that are traveling while armed. The bill calls for a demonstration of the program and authorizes $10 million for this purpose.
Responding to stakeholders in the aviation community, the bill contains provisions to ensure that the Aviation Security Advisory Committee, which consists of private sector organizations affected by aviation security requirements, “assist TSA with issues pertaining to aviation security and requires” the committee to perform specific actions. The provision also establishes an Air Cargo Working Group within the committee to provide recommendations on air cargo screening initiatives. Another working group on General Aviation is also called for that would provide feedback to TSA on security policies related to general aviation.
TSA has been criticized for not always reaching out in a consistent and timely manner to the private sector stakeholders affected by aviation security policies and programs.
On the rail security front, the bill calls for TSA to conduct a demonstration project to test and assess technologies for securing passenger rail systems during an attack involving improvised explosives devices. The bill also would increase the number of canine bomb detection teams devoted to surface transportation security to 150 by the end of FY ’11.