U.S. House Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
U.S. Rep. Don Young,
Chairman
Contact: Steve Hansen (Communications Director) (202) 225-7749
Justin Harclerode (Communications Assistant) (202)
226-8767
To: National Desk/Transportation Reporter
January 18, 2002
New Transportation Security Undersecretary To Testify About
Aviation Screening Effectiveness At Congressional Hearing On
Wednesday
Washington, D.C. - The new
Undersecretary for Transportation Security and other aviation experts will
testify before Congress on Wednesday about the implementation of the Aviation
and Transportation Security Act, and the effectiveness with which the Department
of Transportation (DOT) and airlines have met the January 18th baggage screening
deadline.
The hearing of the House Aviation
Subcommittee, chaired by U.S. Rep. John Mica (R-FL), is scheduled to
begin at 1:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 23rd in room 2167 Rayburn House
Office Building. A live audio broadcast of the hearing will be
available at the Committee’s website:
www.house.gov/transportation
Representatives of the
Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the DOT Inspector General’s
office, the airlines, and the airports have been invited to participate.
Wednesday’s Witness List
- Honorable
John Magaw, Under Secretary of Transportation Security, Department of
Transportation
- Honorable Kenneth R. Mead, Inspector General,
Department of Transportation
- Carol Hallett, President and CEO, Air
Transport Association
- David Z. Plavin, President, Airports Council
International, North America (ACI-NA)
Representing ACI-NA
and the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)
- Arnold
Barnett, George Eastman Professor of Management Science, Sloan School of
Management
Massachusetts Institute of Technology,
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Background
In response to the terrorist attacks of September 11th, the Aviation and
Transportation Security Act (Public Law 107-71) transferred responsibility for
aviation security from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to the new
Transportation Security Administration (TSA) within DOT. In response to
concerns about checked baggage in particular, the law establishes firm deadlines
for the screening of all checked baggage.
Section 110 establishes two
separate deadlines for checked baggage screening. The first deadline – 60
days after enactment or January 18, 2002 – requires that all checked baggage be
screened by some means. The law lists four possible ways that checked
baggage could be screened:
- A bag match program that insures that no checked baggage is placed aboard
an aircraft unless the passenger who checked the bag is aboard the aircraft;
- Manual search, which involves opening the bag and searching by hand;
- Search by canine explosive detection units; and
- Other means or technology approved by the Under Secretary for
Transportation Security.
The second deadline is at the end of the year. It requires the Under
Secretary for Transportation Security to take all necessary actions to insure
that explosive detection systems are deployed at all U.S. airports in sufficient
numbers to screen all checked baggage.
On December 7th, 2001, the
Subcommittee held a hearing on the problems DOT would encounter in meeting the
second deadline. The purpose of this hearing is to focus on the first
deadline that requires action by today, January 18th.
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