US Travel praises inclusion of TSA PreCheck expansion in Senate FAA bill

WASHINGTON, DC – US Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement on the Senate’s inclusion of language from H.R. 2843, the TSA PreCheck Expansion Act, in its FAA reauthorization bill:

“The TSA PreCheck Expansion Act is a valuable piece of legislation that has the U.S. travel community’s full-throated support. We would like to commend Sen. John Thune and Sen. Bill Nelson for including this bill’s language in the Senate’s FAA reauthorization package.

“Expanding TSA PreCheck is a smart security move that will greatly benefit all travelers to and within our country. By rigorously pre-screening applicants ahead of time, this trusted traveler program allows TSA to focus resources where they are most needed, while giving flyers the 21st-centry screening process they need and deserve. I’ve often compared TSA’s job to ‘finding a needle in a haystack.’ By expanding access to and awareness of TSA PreCheck, more applicants can enter the pool of known travelers upon approval, thereby effectively shrinking the haystack in which TSA must search for potential bad actors.

“Despite the clear advantages to both security and travelers, TSA is currently far from its goal of enrolling 25 million people in TSA PreCheck—but luckily, the TSA PreCheck Expansion Act will help by providing smart solutions that can be quickly enacted. These include streamlining the application process by working with the private sector to collect biographic and biometric identification information from applicants via kiosks or mobile platforms, and increasing awareness of the program through public-private marketing partnerships—all commonsense measures U.S. Travel sought in the initial drafting of this bill.

“Increased TSA PreCheck enrollment is paramount not only to efficient security screening, but also to improving the travel experience for all flyers. The U.S. travel community strongly supports opportunities for the private sector to do its part toward increasing participation in this valuable program. The Senate’s inclusion of these measures in its FAA reauthorization package is a step in the right direction, and we applaud this action.”