Lieberman
Aviation Security Proposals
Title
I: Expanded deployment and utilization of current security
technologies and procedures
1. FAA should require airport operators and air carriers to
perform intensive background checks, including FBI criminal
checks, for current airport personnel with access to secure
areas at all commercial airports, unless such checks have been
completed for those individuals within the last 5 years. Checks
on all existing personnel should be completed within 9 months.
Requires the FAA to work with international aviation
groups and appropriate authorities of foreign governments to
find an alternative method for background checks for persons
applying for any airport security position who have lived in the
United States less than 5 years. Alternative background check
mechanism shall be in place as soon as possible.
2. require FAA to deploy and oversee usage of existing bulk
explosives detection technology already at airports for checked
baggage. FAA
Administrator, within 30 days, will establish confidential goals
for (a) date of deployment of all existing bulk
explosives detection scanners purchased but not yet deployed by
FAA, (b) percentage of checked baggage that will be scanned by
bulk explosives detection machines within 6 months, and annual
goals thereafter leading to scanning 100% of checked baggage and
(c) number of new bulk explosives detection machines that will
be purchased by FAA for deployment at FAA-identified mid-sized
airports within 6 months. Airport operators may use funds
available under the Airport Improvement Program to reconfigure
airport baggage handling areas to accommodate this equipment, if
necessary. The Administrator will confidentially report the
goals within 30 days and progress towards achieving those goals
after 6 months and annually thereafter to Senate and House
Commerce/Transportation Committees, GAO and DoT IG.
3. FAA shall require air carriers to improve passenger bag
matching system. FAA Administrator within 60 days will establish
confidential goals for increasing the percentage of passengers
who have checked baggage whose baggage is actually matched to
those boarded passengers, until all checked baggage is being
scanned for explosives. The Administrator will confidentially
report the goals within 60 days and progress towards achieving
those goals after 12 months to Senate and House
Commerce/Transportation Committees, GAO and DoT IG.
4.
(a)
FAA shall require air carriers to expand application of
current Computer-Assisted Passenger Pre-Screening System (CAPPS)
to all passengers, regardless of baggage.
Selectees shall be subject to additional security
measures, including checks of carry on baggage and person,
before boarding
FAA Administrator shall report back to Senate and House
Commerce/Transportation Committees within 3 months on
implementation of the expanded CAPPS system.
Title II. Short-term Assessment and Deployment of Emerging
Security Technologies and Procedures
1. Deputy Secretary for Transportation Security will recommend
to airport operators, after 6 months, deployable measures or
procedures to prevent access to secure airport areas by
unauthorized persons. As part of the 6 month assessment, the
Deputy Secretary for Transportation Security will review the
effectiveness of biometrics systems currently in use at several
U.S. airports including San Francisco International;
effectiveness of increased surveillance at access points; review
the effectiveness of card or keypad based access systems; review
the effectiveness of airport emergency exit systems and
determine whether those that lead to secure areas of the airport
should be monitored or how breaches can be swiftly responded to;
and specifically target the elimination of the
“piggy-backing” phenomenon, where another, possibly
unauthorized person follows an authorized person through the
access point. The 6 month assessment will propose a 12-month
deployment strategy for currently available technology at all
category X airports, and after 18 months, the DoT IG will
conduct a review of reductions in unauthorized access at these
airports.
2. Deputy Secretary for Transportation Security, as part of the
Aviation Security Coordination Council (Sec. 4, S.1447), will
conduct a 90-day review of currently available or short-term
deployable upgrades to the Computer-Assisted Passenger
Pre-Screening System (CAPPS) and upgrades to the coordinated
distribution of information regarding persons listed on the
“watch list” for any federal law enforcement agencies who
could present an aviation security threat. The Deputy Secretary
for Transportation Security will commence deployment of
recommended upgrades within 6 months. Within 18 months, the DoT
will report on progress towards deployment of recommended
upgrades to Senate/House Commerce and Transportation Committees,
GAO and DoT IG.
3.
Deputy Secretary for Transportation Security shall conduct a study
of options for improving positive identification of passengers,
including the use of biometrics and “smart” cards. Within 6
months, the Deputy Secretary shall report to the House/Senate
Transportation/Commerce Committees on the feasibility and costs of
implementing each identification method and a schedule for
deploying such methods.
Title III. Research and Development of Aviation Security
Technology
1. $50M of funding is authorized to be appropriated to the FAA,
for research, development, testing and evaluation of the following
technologies which may enhance aviation security in the future.
Grants not to exceed 2 years will be available under this title
for
(a) research, development, testing and evaluation of explosives
detection technology for checked baggage; specifically, technology
that is
(1) more cost-effective for deployment for explosives detection in
checked baggage at small to medium-sized airports, or
(2) faster, to facilitate screening of all checked baggage at
larger airports, or
(3) more accurate, to reduce number of false positives requiring
additional security measures
(b) acceleration of research, development, testing and evaluation
of new screening technology for carry on items to provide more
effective means of detecting both organic and inorganic threats,
including advanced x-ray technology.
(c) acceleration of research, development, testing and evaluation
of threat screening technology for other items being loaded onto
aircraft, such as cargo, catering and duty free items
(d) acceleration of research, development, testing and evaluation
of technology to better screen persons boarding aircraft or
entering secure areas including detection of weapons and organic
materials
(e) research, development, testing and evaluation of integrated
system of airport security enhancements, including quantitative
methods of assessing security factors at candidate airports
(f) research, development, testing and evaluation of improved
methods of education,
training, and testing of key airport security personnel
The grant proposals must identify potential outcomes of the
research, and propose a method for quantitatively assessing
effective increases in security upon completion of the research
program. At the conclusion of the grant, the final report to the
FAA will include a cost-benefit analysis of potential improvements
to airport security based upon deployment of the proposed
technology. The first grants shall be awarded within 90 days of
enactment.
2. FAA shall prepare a budget and detailed strategy for deployment
of security upgrades recommended upon completion of the grants in
the previous section. A budget submission and detailed strategy
for deploying the identified security upgrades must be submitted
to Congress with the Department’s annual budget submission.
3. $20M is authorized to be appropriated for the FAA to issue
research grants in conjunction with the Defense Advanced Research
Projects Agency. Grants awarded under this title are to be used
for research and development of longer-term improvements to
airport security including advanced weapons detection; secure
networking and sharing of threat information between federal
agencies, law enforcement entities, and other appropriate parties;
advances in biometrics for identification and threat assessment;
or other technologies for preventing acts of terrorism in
aviation.
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