TSA's Screener Partnership Program
Ready For Airport Applicants
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Transportation Security Administration
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - November 16, 2004
TSA Press
Office: (571) 227-2829
Facilities Seeking to Participate in the Program May Apply
Starting November 19
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) today announced
that the agency is ready to accept applications from commercial
airports that wish to participate in the Screening
Partnership Program (SPP). This option will allow
participants to choose security screeners employed by qualified
private companies while maintaining TSA standards and government
oversight.
Under the Aviation and Transportation Security Act (ATSA), which
created TSA in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, November 19,
2004 is the first day airports may apply to join the program.
TSA assumed responsibility for aviation security in February 2002
and hired a federal work force to screen all passengers and baggage
by the end of that year except at five airports that were allowed to
have contract screeners under a pilot program. ATSA allows
airport operators to apply to have screening performed by a
contractor with federal oversight after the pilot program expires on
November 18, 2004.
�This is an important local decision and we�re ready to work with
any airport that prefers to have contractor screeners,� said Rear
Adm. David M. Stone, USN (Ret.), Assistant Secretary of Homeland
Security for TSA. �An important objective is maintaining the
same high level of security at any airport that seeks to �opt-out�
of federal screening, and TSA is prepared to make that
guarantee.�
Information on SPP, including the application, program guidance
and frequently asked questions, can be obtained on TSA�s Web site,
www.tsa.gov under Spotlight.
No deadline has been set for filing applications in order to
provide airports maximum flexibility.
The final decision on whether an airport is approved for the
program rests with TSA. Airports that enter the program are
not expected to begin making the transition to contract screeners
before May 2005.
Under the SPP, federal security directors (FSDs) and their staffs
will continue to be responsible for security at the airport.
An FSD�s mission is to ensure security regardless of whether
screening is done by contract or federal screeners.
TSA is currently developing a list of qualified screening
companies that may offer proposals to provide screening at
individual airports. To qualify, companies must show financial
capability and meet ATSA and other federal requirements that include
providing screening services and protection equal to or greater than
the federal government delivers and being owned and controlled by a
U.S. citizen. TSA will ensure that screening companies meet
federal standards.
When an airport applies to the program, TSA will solicit
proposals from qualified companies. Those proposals will be
evaluated by TSA using these criteria: business management,
technical merit, past performance and cost.
�We will start with a set of requirements and criteria that must
be met,� said Admiral Stone. �Then, SPP operational plans will
be tailored to meet specific needs of individual airports since each
one is unique.�
At the request of the original five pilot airports, their
screening contractors will continue to do screening for at least
another year until those contracts can be competitively bid under
the new Screening Partnership procedures. An evaluation
earlier this year concluded there was little difference in the
performance or cost of the private and federal screening forces.
Private companies are screening at airports in San Francisco,
Kansas City, Mo., Rochester, N.Y., Tupelo, Miss., and Jackson,
Wyo.
Admiral Stone noted that some airport officials have expressed
concern about federal funding being adequate should an airport
participating in the program experience unexpected growth. He
said contracts under the SPP would be handled like any other TSA
contract, with modifications made when warranted by changing
conditions.
He also noted that officials of some companies interested in
providing screening services have had concerns about their liability
in case of a terrorist incident. Limited liability protection
for terrorist acts can be provided to companies for specific
products or services under the Homeland Security Act of 2002 and the
Support of Anti-terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies Act of
2002, which is called the SAFETY Act. The SAFETY Act provides a
system of risk and litigation management and essentially limits tort
liability in the event of acts of terrorism when utilizing a
qualified service or product that has been designated or certified
by DHS. Details of the program can be found at
safetyact.gov.
The Aviation and Transportation Security Act also requires
contract screening companies to employ screeners who meet all the
requirements that federal screeners meet and that the companies
provide compensation and benefits not less than what the government
provides. TSA will also require any selected contract company
to give hiring preference to federal screeners who are employed at
an airport that transitions to a private screening force.
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