HOUSE/SENATE
CONFEREES ADOPT THOMPSON AMENDMENT REQUIRING
STRICT PERFORMANCE STANDARDS FOR AVIATION
SECURITY
Measure Provides
Accountability to Aviation Security Bill
Friday, November 16, 2001
WASHINGTON - The House/Senate Conference on
the Aviation Security Bill today adopted an
amendment by Senate Governmental Affairs
Committee Ranking Member Fred Thompson (R-TN) to
the Aviation Security Act requiring the federal
government to enforce strict standards for
airport security personnel. The Thompson measure
requires that those responsible for airport
security be held accountable for meeting
measurable performance goals, particularly
involving the detection of dangerous objects.
"We're changing the basic mindset with
regard to measuring airport security performance,"
Thompson said, noting that in the past government
performance standards have focused on measuring
things such as time spent training and hours
worked between breaks.
"The primary concern of the American people
is the bottom line - whether or not dangerous
objects are getting past screeners and whether or
not unauthorized individuals are gaining access
to secure areas in our airports. That's what
people care about, that's what we're going to
measure from now on, and that's how employee
performance will be judged," Thompson said.
"This is the kind of thing that will restore
confidence in air travel."
At a Wednesday, November 14 Governmental Affairs
Committee hearing on aviation security,
Department of Transportation Inspector General
Kenneth Mead testified that in order to improve
aviation security, we must "require
passenger and baggage screeners to have uniform,
more rigorous . . . performance standards
nationwide." He applauded the Thompson
amendment to the Aviation Security Act, calling
the requirement to set measurable goals and
objectives for aviation security "particularly
noteworthy. It is important that performance
standards be established for screeners, whether
they are federal or contract employees,"
Mead stated.
Thompson's amendment requires the new head of
aviation security to implement results-based
management in airport security operations by
establishing an annual staff performance
management system that includes requiring
managers and employees to meet individual, group,
and organizational performance goals consistent
with an annual performance plan.
The Thompson amendment also requires the new head
of aviation security to establish specific
performance standards and establish a long-term
process for reporting performance results to
Congress annually.
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