Dateline: 11/18/01

Congress on Friday overwhelmingly approved the Airport Security Federalization Act of 2001, a law intended to greatly improve security at America's airports. What will this new law mean to American air travelers?

First, the law requires all airport security screening personnel to be federal employees. An estimated 28,000 new federal employees will need to be hired and trained within months, with many expected to come from private security firms currently employed at airports. Smaller airports can elect to employ local law enforcement agencies to provide security. Three years after the law goes into effect, airports will have the option of returning security screening functions to private control, if approved by the government. 

The law creates a Federal Transpiration Security Administration under the Department of Transpiration to oversee the security operations of all modes of commercial passenger transportation on land and at sea. The director of the Transpiration Security Administration will be responsible for the hiring, training and supervision of screening personnel. 

Under the law, all airport security screening personnel must be American citizens.

What Tavelers May Notice
Besides at least temporarily federalizing airport security, the new law provides for several security requirements and procedures that will directly affect the public.

-- By Dec. 31, 2002, all checked baggage must be screened by devices capable of detecting explosives. Until then, all checked baggage must be inspected by X-ray, matching of boarded passengers to checked baggage, or by hand searching.

-- The Computer Assisted Passenger Prescreening System will now be used to screen all passengers, rather than just those who check in at a ticket counter.

-- The Federal Air Marshal program is expanded under the law. More armed Air Marshals will be present on more flights. In addition, the law allows properly trained and certified Federal, State, and local law enforcement agents to carry a firearm onboard and to assist Air Marshals if necessary.

-- The law requires the airlines to develop methods to fortify cockpit doors and to prevent unauthorized access to the cockpit.

-- Requires the use of video monitors or other devices to alert pilots in the cockpit to suspicious activity in the cabin.

-- Requires all passenger aircraft and passenger trains to be equipped with telephones providing "effective 911 emergency call capability."

-- Provides for "the use of voice stress analysis or other technologies to prevent a person who might pose a danger to air safety or security from boarding the aircraft..."

-- Imposes a per-passenger fee not to exceed $2.50 on a 1-way ticket to help defray the costs of enhanced security measures.

Stun Guns in the Cockpit? 
In a related story, United Airlines announced on Thursday (Nov. 8) a plan to put "Taser" stun guns in the cockpit of each of its 500 planes.

A Taser is a non-lethal weapon that uses an electrical charge to incapacitate an attacker for around 15 minutes. 

While United pilots welcomed the idea, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), whose regulations allow "deadly or dangerous" weapons to be carried only by federal Air Marshals, may nix the plan.

"At this point there is no plan to change the rule," FAA spokesman Paul Takemoto told reporters. 

The just passed Airport Security Federalization Act of 2001, however, allows properly trained and certified Federal, State, and local law enforcement agents to carry a firearm onboard.