The House of Representatives passed the “Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act of 2013” last month, requiring the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to permanently establish an Aviation Security Advisory Committee (Asac), a government/industry group that collaborates on security policies.
The bill, H.R. 1204, would give the TSA a private-sector sounding board for its security proposals. The measure codifies the existing Asac and requires TSA to consult with the Asac on aviation security matters. It also requires the Asac to develop recommendations to improve aviation security when requested to do so by the TSA.
According to the act, the Asac may include up to 32 member organizations, representing a wide array of groups with interests in aviation security, among them airlines, all-cargo air carriers, indirect air carriers, aircraft manufacturers, airport operators and general aviation representatives. The bill formalizes the structure of a general aviation security subcommittee that is currently within the Asac, on which NBAA serves.
“The legislation includes language addressing the unique needs and diversity of the general aviation community and ensures that the general aviation security subcommittee becomes a permanent part of the TSA Asac program,” said Doug Carr, NBAA vice president for safety, security and regulation. “We commend the House members who introduced, co-sponsored and supported this bill and are optimistic the bill will face similar enthusiasm if it reaches the Senate.”
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), chairman of the Homeland Security Committee, said the “Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act” ensures that private-sector partners are consulted before big policy changes are made that affect millions of travelers. “TSA’s policies can no longer be made in a vacuum, and H.R. 1204 will add much needed transparency to aviation security decisions,” he added.
“The TSA’s decision to allow knives on airplanes, by removing them from the ‘Prohibited Items List,’ without consulting the Asac early last year underscores the need for the TSA to engage in meaningful consultation and coordination with stakeholders on aviation security,” said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), ranking Democrat on the Homeland Security Committee. “In the past, the charter of this crucial advisory committee has been allowed to expire; we must not let that happen again. That is why it is important that we codify it into law.”
The Asac evolved from the original civil aviation security committee, formed in the aftermath of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, in December 1988. But it eventually went dormant until it was revived by then-Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in 2011.
“Historically, the TSA has been engaged with the Asac, considering it a valuable government/industry partnership,” Carr explained. “The permanent establishment of the Asac and, more important for NBAA’s member companies, the general aviation security subcommittee will allow NBAA and other GA organizations to continue to have a positive impact on security policies affecting our community. We know that government/industry collaboration often produces the most reasonable, effective security measures.”
The general aviation security subcommittee was the leader in developing the TSA’s “Security Guidelines for General Aviation Airports,” a list of voluntary guidelines and recommendations for GA airport owners, operators and users to address aviation security concepts, technology and enhancements in 2004, and last year it provided the agency with recommendations for revising the guidelines.
