Legislation that will eliminate duplicative screening measures and ease burdens on the traveling public is one step closer to reality thanks to a vote in the House today. The "No-Hassle Flying Act of 2012" (H.R. 6028) sponsored by Rep. Joe Walsh (IL-8) received strong support, and the U.S. Travel Association commended its passage by the House.
"The No-Hassle Flying Act is a perfect example of a common sense policy to eliminate a wasteful government measure and alleviate pressure on the Transportation Security Administration," said Roger Dow, president and CEO of the U.S. Travel Association. "We commend the House for passing this legislation, and we urge the Senate to take up the legislation as soon as possible."
Currently, a U.S. or foreign traveler flying from 15 specific U.S. "pre-clearance" locations (nine in Canada, four in the Caribbean, and two in Ireland) is inspected and admitted to the United States by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers stationed in those countries. Once the pre-cleared flight arrives in the U.S., travelers that have reached their final destination can simply collect their baggage and leave the airport. However, travelers that are connecting to a domestic flight in the U.S. must have their checked baggage rescreened by TSA, even though the baggage was already screened at the pre-clearance airport.
The No-Hassle Flying Act of 2012 gives TSA the discretion to determine, on a location-by-location basis, if rescreening checked baggage is necessary when re-entering the U.S. based upon the screening procedures in place at pre-clearance locations.
The U.S. Travel Association is the national, non-profit organization representing all components of the travel industry that generates $1.9 trillion in economic output and supports 14.4 million jobs. U.S. Travel's mission is to increase travel to and within the United States.
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