The Senate Appropriations Committee has provided nearly $200 million to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for aviation security technology needs in FY ’17, fully funding the agency’s request for the checkpoint and checked baggage accounts.
Under the Checkpoint Support line, the committee is recommending $115.3 million in funding, although it is redirecting funds within the account based on updated priorities of TSA. These include $7.2 million to procure and deploy new Explosives Trace Detectors (ETD) to expand the fleet of ETDs, $12.8 million for research and initial procurements of the Next Carry-On Baggage Screening Capability, $15 million for the agency’s new Innovation Task Force (ITF), and $15 million toward improving the connectivity of transportation security equipment at the checkpoint. The committee says it is providing $27.8 million overall for the Next Generation Carry-on Baggage X-Ray solution.
Implant Sciences Corp. [IMSC] is the current contractor supplying ETDs to TSA.
Congress provided $111.2 million for Checkpoint Support in FY ’16.
TSA plans to work with its various stakeholders—airports, airlines and industry—with the new ITF, which wasn’t discussed in the FY ’17 budget request. The committee says it supports “programs that that will bring agencies closer to their stakeholders and customers, but it will be operational pilot programs at participating airports that truly demonstrate if this will be an effective tool.”
The committee also calls for TSA to “expeditiously” deploy Advanced Imaging Technology to the nation’s busier rural airports that are still waiting for the body scanners.
“Many of these rural airports enplane tens of thousands of passengers a year, providing a direct link to our Nation’s larger aviation network,” the committee says in a report accompanying its recommendation for the FY ’17 Department of Homeland Security spending bill.
The panel also supports development of the Tier III algorithm deployment and wideband development for the AIT systems, which are supplied by L-3 Communications [LLL].
For checked baggage explosives detection systems (EDS), the committee is funding the requested $82.9 million, which is $771,000 higher than in FY ’16. The request excludes $250 million and mandatory spending on EDS from security fee collections.
The committee says the funding will allow for EDS procurement, investment in the latest threat detection capabilities, and test and evaluation of new technologies. The report also permits TSA to use the collected fees to procure and install EDS in FY ’17.
Safran Group’s Morpho Detection, L-3, and Leidos [LDOS] supply EDS systems to TSA.
House Appropriators haven’t marked up the DHS FY ’17 spending bill yet.