You will want to keep track of this one!

The House is set to review H.R. 2200, TSA’s authorization bill. Part of the bill requires airport operators notify the Federal Security Director whenever local police are called to an aircraft or onto the airfield. Okay, so that’s another administrative step, now for the better news. The bill also calls for the establishment of an Aviation Security Advisory Committee and tightens the standard for when TSA can issue an Emergency Amendment or a Security Directive. The new language would require TSA to issue an SD only to respond to an immediate threat of finite duration, or that TSA comply with rulemaking requirements if their desired change does not meet the new SD requirement. This blog has previously discussed TSA’s penchant for using Security Directives to bypass the rulemaking process, which often causes unplanned and undue burdens on airport and air carrier operators.

Stay tuned – you may want to write your Congressman for support on this one.