On Dec. 12, Congress approved the Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act (H.R. 1204), which establishes a committee within the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to offer feedback on the agency’s development and implementation of policies, programs, rulemakings and security directives. The legislation now heads to the president’s desk, where he is expected to sign the bill into law in the near future.
As originally introduced in the House by Rep. Bennie Thompson (R-Miss.), H.R. 1204 failed to include repair stations as part of Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC). However, ARSA’s legislative team worked with Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) on an amendment mandating repair stations as advisory panel participants. The bill passed the House and was introduced by Sen. Jon Tester (R-Mont.) in the Senate listing “aeronautical repair stations” as ASAC members along with representatives from labor unions, manufacturers, air carriers and passenger advocacy groups.
If the Aviation Security Stakeholder Participation Act is signed into law, the expanded ASAC would provide recommendations to the TSA on ways to remove redundancies and apply a more targeted approach to improving the security of our nation’s aviation network.
“ARSA commends Rep. Hudson, Rep. Thompson, and Sen. Tester for ensuring that repair stations have a voice at the Transportation Security Administration,” said ARSA’s Vice President of Legislative Affairs, Daniel Fisher. “Despite the congressional mandate that TSA regulate repair station security, the aviation maintenance industry was originally left off the Aviation Security Advisory Committee. In the end, common sense prevailed and repair stations look forward to having a seat at the table as aviation security matters are contemplated.”