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                         November 21, 2001

Congress passes airport security bill

By Irene Brown
Editor

Both the House and Senate approved an airport security bill Friday that would overhaul the airport security system and federalize airport security employees, at least for the next several years. President Bush signed the bill Monday.

Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Ernest Hollings of South Carolina held a press conference Friday and touted the new bill as an "airline stimulus."

"This is not only a security measure," Hollings told reporters, "it’s designed to stimulate the airline industry by restoring consumer confidence."

The bill would provide a one-year transition for all airport security to be taken over by the federal government and supervised by a new deputy for transportation security under the U.S. Department of Transportation. Following the one-year transition, the bill calls for a two-year period in which all airport security personnel would be federal employees, subject to the restrictions against unionization and striking that were in the Senate bill. After the two-year period, airports could request to keep the federal system or opt to use private screeners or local law enforcement personnel instead.

"Hopefully this bill will be the first step in having the government relook the policy of outsourcing government jobs and the entire ‘inherently governmental’ system of labeling functions," said Michael Styles, national president of the Federal Managers Association.

The bill also creates a new transportation safety agency, imposes new requirements for screening all bags, securing cockpit doors and increasing the number of air marshals.

"This is a very good agreement," Senate Commerce ranking member John McCain of Arizona said. "It gives us the promise of federal supervisors and a specific blueprint for security.

"We view this as a big victory for the American people," he added.

Airline passengers will foot part of the cost of the new airport security system. The bill calls for an extra $2.50 to $5.00 "emplanement fee" to be added to the cost of each one-way flight.