SUMMARY
H.R. 3150 establishes a new Transportation Security
Administration within the Department of
Transportation (DOT) responsible for security for all
modes of transportation and headed by a new Under
Secretary. This new Administration will have
personnel and management flexibility.
This bill federalizes, but does not nationalize, airline
security screening. It requires the Administration to
adopt new stricter standards for screening of
passengers and baggage. It also requires federal
supervision of the screening process, background
checks, testing, and strict oversight. The measure
provides the Administration the option of either
using federal employees or contracting with private
screening companies. The measure also allows for
expedited procedures to be used to get important
security directives in place.
Countries that Have Tried and Rejected Nationalized Screeners
- Israel, Germany, UK, Austria, Italy, France, Ireland, Poland, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, The Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Sweden
The bill requires the deployment of Federal Air
Marshals. It also directs the new Under Secretary,
in consultation with the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA), to take action to strengthen
cockpit doors.
H.R. 3150 requires a fee to be charged for each
one-way trip to cover the cost of providing the
screening function. The fee will have to be based on
the cost of providing the service, but will be capped
at $2.50 per one-way trip. Any additional funds
needed will be authorized to be appropriated or may
come from a fee imposed directly on the airlines.
The fee can be spent on security screening services
only. The measure also requires federal or state law
enforcement personnel at each screening location,
not merely at each airport.
The bill establishes an aviation oversight board
composed of representatives from other agencies
(DOT, Department of Defense (DOD), Department of
Justice (DOJ), Treasury, and either the National
Security Council (NSC) or Homeland Security) of the
federal government to share intelligence information
and oversee the actions of the new Under
Secretary. The measure also establishes an advisory
board composed of industry and labor stakeholders
to advise the new Under Secretary on
transportation and security issues. H.R. 3150
authorizes funding and provides flexibility in the use
of Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and
Passenger Facility Charges (PFC) funds to help
airports pay for the increased security costs and to
help general aviation airports adversely affected by
the restrictions on Visual Flight Rule (VFR) flights in
Class B airspace.
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