Senate Passes Bill to Boost Travel Security
The Senate approved legislation that would boost domestic travel security, among other security-related items.
The 95-3 vote sends the measure to the House of Representatives, Reuters reported.
The bipartisan Senate measure includes doubling the number of transportation security teams with bomb-sniffing dogs at domestic airports, as well as stronger vetting of airport employees and increased security at check-in and baggage claim areas, reported Reuters.
According to USA Today, the bill includes provisions such as:
- Automatic refunds for fees or services that aren’t received, such as seat assignments, early boarding and carry-bags.
- Refunds of baggage fees when luggage is lost or delayed six hours after arrival of a domestic flight and 12 hours after an international arrival. Airlines charged $2.8 billion in bag fees last year, according to the Transportation Department.
- Airline notification to families when tickets are booked if seats aren’t adjacent.
- A ban on cell-phone calls aboard planes in flight. A similar provision is in the House bill.
- A review of how airlines provide information about delays or cancellations blamed on weather.
-
Criminalize drone flights that interfere with occupied aircraft, with penalties up to life in prison for causing serious injury or death, under an amendment fromSen. Sheldon Whitehouse , D-R.I. -
Require airlines to install wire-mesh gates between the cockpit and seating area of new airliners, to provide a second barrier when pilots open the flight-deck door, under an amendment from Sens. Robert Casey, D-Pa., and
Patrick Toomey , R-Pa. A similar provision is in the House bill. -
Double the number of
Transportation Security Administration teams from 30 to 60 that patrol airports away from checkpoints, such as around baggage claim or check-in desks.
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-faa-senate-idUSKCN0XG2BO
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