Bill Tightens Restrictions On Just Who Can Enter TSA PreCheck Lanes
Scott Dylan September 28, 2018
Congestion in some TSA PreCheck lines has been causing an uproar among airline passengers lately. It turns out that not everyone who is welcomed into PreCheck lanes actually qualifies to be there. Airports have been allowing people who are considered to be low-risk travelers to enter PreCheck lanes during busy travel times.
The big problem is that these passengers have not gone through the required pre-screening process or paid the membership fees that are necessary when using PreCheck. Many actual PreCheck members are unhappy about this. What’s more, the idea that unapproved travelers are passing through designated PreCheck lanes could lessen the effectiveness of the program.
What’s being done about the relaxed attitude regarding who can enter PreCheck lanes at airports?
The PreCheck Act of 2018 was introduced as a way to ensure that only people who are qualified can actually enter PreCheck lanes. The bill has already received approval in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is now on its way to Congress. The PreCheck Is PreCheck Act has the full endorsement the Global Business Travel Association.
The bill acts to direct the TSA to make sure that only approved travelers are actually using special PreCheck screening lanes. It also goes as far as to instruct the TSA to create new segmented lanes for passengers based on risk. That means that low-risk passengers would undergo screening that is slightly modified when passing through regular lanes.
How long will PreCheck members have to wait until they never have to worry about seeing ordinary travelers in their lanes again?
It could be some time before the issue is fully resolved. No date has been put on the schedule for when this bill will be voted on again.
The recent uproar regarding who is using TSA PreCheck lanes isn’t the first time that an issue has come up. The TSA was forced to crack down on individuals using PreCheck lanes when they hadn’t registered for the PreCheck program back in 2015.
People who travel frequently may want to look into registering for the TSA’s PreCheck program in anticipation of the bill being passed if they are hoping to avoid long lines. PreCheck is a popular choice among business travelers because it makes the check-in process much quicker and easier in most cases. Unfortunately, business travelers also have the most to lose if too many non-members end up in PreCheck lanes and begin to hold things up.
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"The bill has already received approval in the U.S. House of Representatives. It is now on its way to Congress." Please don't vote if you do not see the problem in this sentence from the story.
"Congress" includes the House of Representatives. It is being sent to the other body in Congress, the Senate.
I hope it never passes. Nobody should have to pay to stand on a line that that they HAVE TO go through, they have no choice. Also do people really think they are so special or excluded that paying $85 to get on this special list will remain status quo?.....that the price will never rise as more and more people jump on this bandwagon? Soon enough the TSAPreCheck lists and lines will be inundated with everybody. Start profiling and stop treating every passenger as a terrorist.
About time. I hate wasting time behind clueless travelers who are taking off their shoes and have no clue as to how precheck works. If someone is getting precheck on their boarding pass then they should have to pay the fee and go through the background check.
about time!