WASHINGTON, DC – For months, Congresswoman Nita Lowey (D-Westchester/Rockland) has urged the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to better protect Americans by requiring the physical screening of airport workers.  Now Lowey is introducing legislation to do just that.

“We know that there are vulnerabilities.  That is why passengers and baggage all go through rigorous inspection.  Yet airport workers can get into secure areas without going through any physical screening.  It is just unconscionable and doesn’t make any sense,” said Lowey.  “My legislation will close this security gap.”

The Government Accountability Office has estimated that there are currently more than 1 million airport workers, including cabin cleaners, maintenance crews, and caterers, who are permitted to bypass medal detectors or other physical screening before accessing secure areas.  This security failing has been exploited by workers in the past, as in the November 2003 case where 25 people, mostly current or former JFK airport employees, were arrested for operating a long-running drug smuggling operation.  Without stricter efforts to screen airport employees, these failures could again be exploited for the purposes of carrying out criminal, or even terrorist, acts.

Lowey’s bill, the Guaranteeing Airport Physical Screening Standards Act, or GAPSS Act, would require the physical screening of airport workers entering secure areas within 120 days of enactment.  It would also put in place an interim measure that would require random physical screening of workers at the entrances to and within secure areas until an airport achieves 100% physical screening of workers.  Random screening would allow for increased security while TSA and airport officials work towards full compliance.

“These reasonable steps can help us to better ensure the security of our airports, airplanes and travelers,” said Lowey.  “One person can cause a security breach of devastating effect – it just makes sense that everyone with access to airplanes undergoes the same screening as passengers and baggage.”