Bipartisan legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) to safeguard use of the PreCheck Program by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) received unanimous approval in the U.S. House on Sept. 4 and has moved to the U.S. Senate for debate.
The PreCheck is PreCheck Act of 2018, H.R. 6265, introduced on June 28 by Rep. Katko, directs the TSA to ensure that only travelers who are members of a trusted traveler program are permitted to use TSA PreCheck security screening lanes at TSA airport checkpoints nationwide, according to the congressional record summary.
“Expedited screening through the TSA PreCheck Program allows travelers who have been pre-screened to move through security checkpoints more quickly,” said Rep. Katko, chairman of the U.S. House Homeland Security Transportation and Protective Security Subcommittee, which has sole oversight of the TSA.
“However, when airport passenger volumes climb, the TSA has routinely allowed travelers who are not members of the PreCheck program to use expedited lanes,” Katko said. “Doing so opens up our airports and airlines to vulnerabilities and risks the safety of the traveling public.”
H.R. 6265 would end such practices by requiring the TSA to implement a risk modified screening protocol for lanes other than designated TSA PreCheck security screening lanes at TSA checkpoints to further segment passengers based on risk, according to the congressional record summary. Only low-risk passengers would be eligible to undergo risk modified screening at TSA checkpoints.
Additionally, H.R. 6265 would require the TSA to complete the implementation of a long-term strategy to increase enrollment in the TSA PreCheck Program and expand the total population of members of trusted traveler programs, the summary says.
“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,” Rep. Katko explained.
Among other provisions, H.R. 6265 also would direct the TSA to take targeted measures toward increasing PreCheck enrollment, for instance by partnering with airlines to ramp up marketing and provide travelers with more accessible PreCheck enrollment centers at airports.
U.S. Reps. Michael McCaul (R-TX) and William Keating (D-MA) are the original cosponsors of H.R. 6265, which was received in the Senate on Sept. 5 and that day referred to the U.S. Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee for consideration.