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Senate Bill Wants TSA To Take Your Temperature

Transportation Security Officer (TSO), Steve Chao, reviews baggage at Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD).

If a recently introduced bill in the U.S. Senate moves forward, the Transportation Security Administration could be doing more than checking your ID. The Cantwell-Scott Fly Safe and Healthy Act of 2020 would make the TSA also do temperature checks of passengers at security checkpoints.

A newly introduced bill in Congress wants the Transportation Security Administration to be in charge of checking both your government-issued identification and your temperature, as a measure to stop the spread of COVID-19. Introduced in the U.S. Senate, the Cantwell-Scott Fly Safe and Healthy Act of 2020 wants to expand the authority of the TSA to include temperature screenings, to help flyers feel safe.

Bill Would Set Four-Month Pilot Program with “Various Technologies”

The bill is co-sponsored by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), both members of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. If passed, the TSA would open a four-month pilot program at airports with TSA checkpoints “that represent diverse operating conditions, including those with various passenger throughputs.”

During this time, the TSA administrator would evaluate “various technologies” to scan passenger temperatures. TSA agents would be trained to use the technology, and program procedures. If a passenger’s temperature is above 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit, they would be refused entry into the airport’s secure zone. In this situation, the flyer would legally be allowed to cancel or change their flight at no additional cost.

The agency would also be allowed to partner with a number of national and regional health authorities, including academic institutions, national laboratories, public health groups and private companies to make improvements to the system. Once the trial is complete, the TSA would have 90 days to develop a plan to install temperature scanning equipment at checkpoints across the country until the COVID-19 pandemic is declared over.

The bill hopes to encourage travelers to once again fly with airlines, as the carriers find themselves debating which airports to support and how to manage a number of layoffs. The senators cite recent data from the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) which suggests temperature checks would make 80 percent of flyers feel more comfortable booking and taking a flight. And if the temperature checks would result in a 10 percent increase in air travel, Airlines for America claims it could drive more than $1.53 billion towards airline payrolls.

TSA Bill Latest Attempt to Curb Transmission Through Temperature

The bill has been introduced into the Senate, and is awaiting a committee hearing. However, it’s not the first attempt to make the public feel safer by taking the temperature of flyers. In June 2020, Los Angeles World Airports introduced a voluntary temperature scanning program, with the goal of identifying international travelers who may have COVID-19. Those who tested at a high temperature were either diverted to local health officials, or referred to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for additional support.

10 Comments
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CDTraveler October 4, 2020

2 aspirin is all you need to deceive those temperature checks. This is even stupider than making you take all the food or papers out of your carry-on. As for the 15 minute antibody tests, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/lab/resources/antigen-tests-guidelines.html explains a lot of the reasons why that's not feasible. There's also the costs of deploying persons trained to administer, perform and interpret the tests, installing appropriate facilities inside airports which not only maintain patient/passenger privacy but also comply with all FDA & state regulations regarding handling of medical waste, managing the flow of persons to be tested, tested waiting for results, tested negative, tested positive - and don't forget the complexities of creating a bubble around anyone positive while maintaining their right to medical privacy, etc. No, 15 minute antibody tests are not the solution, either.

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sfoeuroflyer October 4, 2020

Blame the FDA...and do so loudly. There are very good antibody tests that give results in 15 minutes. Screening every passenger would confer huge advantages that masks or thermometers can't. This test is not 100% perfect, but is much better than any other practical solution. Better than masks by miles. So why has this not been rolled out? BUREAUCRATS who can't think beyond the end of their noses.

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kabroui September 30, 2020

Good heavens... the stupidity continues unabated....

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Centurion September 30, 2020

Comical attempt that temp taking helps prevent the spread of Covid. Who wrote the bill? A Thermal Camera company?

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kate lied September 30, 2020

why not have automated thermal scanners at the entrance to the Airport like in Rome.