PreCheck is PreCheck Act would ban TSA from putting people in expedited security lines if they haven’t been approved
Should the TSA be able to shift people into the PreCheck security line as a way of managing traffic flow at the airport?
Context
Airport volume hit a new record in 2017, with more than 4 billion passengers. All those extra passengers can mean much longer security lines. So in 2011, the Transportation Security Administration started the program TSA PreCheck.
For a relatively small fee, and after you pass both a background check and an in-person interview, you can be cleared for an expedited security line that nearly always takes five minutes or less. You don’t have to remove such items as belts, shoes, or laptops. More than 7 million Americans have signed up.
However, the TSA has in some cases been permitting people who haven’t signed up for PreCheck to use those shorter lines anyway, to move passengers through faster.
“PreCheck was designed to enhance security, not manage traffic at the checkpoint,” a nonpartisan House committee report wrote. “However, passengers who receive expedited screening via a rule or canines have not undergone the same vetting as PreCheck members, resulting in a potential security vulnerability.”
What the bill does
The PreCheck is PreCheck Act would clarify under federal law that this practice is not allowed.
The only exemption allowed would be for a person under age 12 or over age 75 who is not a member of TSA PreCheck but is traveling with somebody else who is.
The bill was introduced in the House on June 28 as H.R. 6265 by Rep. John Katko (R-NY24).
What supporters say
Supporters argue the bill makes sure that the existing program is used precisely as it’s intended, without any loopholes.
“Expedited screening through the TSA PreCheck Program allows travelers who have been pre-screened to move through security checkpoints more quickly,” Rep. Katko said in a press release. “However, when airport passenger volumes climb, the TSA has routinely allowed travelers who are not members of the PreCheck program to use expedited lanes.”
“Doing so opens up our airports and airlines to vulnerabilities and risks the safety of the traveling public,” Rep. Katko continued. “Rather than moving unscreened passengers through expedited screening lanes, this measure will ensure that the TSA enhances its enrollment processes and develops alternative methods to manage checkpoint wait times.”
GovTrack Insider was unable to locate any public statements of opposition.
Odds of passage
The bill first attracted three bipartisan House cosponsors: two Democrats and one Republican. It then passed the House Homeland Security Committee on July 24.
Then it passed the full House on September 4 by voice vote, meaning there was no significant opposition or record of individual votes cast. It next goes to the Senate.
This article was written by GovTrack Insider staff writer Jesse Rifkin.
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