TSA Announces Termination of Registered Traveler Interoperability Pilot/Fees, Modifications to RT
The Transportation Security Administration has issued a notice, effective July 30, 2008, announcing the completion of the Registered Traveler Interoperability Pilot (RTIP) and termination of RTIP fees, and announcing modifications to Registered Traveler (RT).
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
(Under the RTIP, passengers who voluntarily provided biometric and biographic information to TSA, or a TSA agent, and successfully completed a TSA security threat assessment, could obtain expedited security screening at participating airports. TSA implemented the fees in a November 2006 notice to compensate TSA for the cost of performing security threat assessments on RTIP applicants and related program operation costs. See ITT's Online Archives or 01/04/07 news, 07010430, for BP summary.)
TSA Eliminates RT Fees, Service Providers May Require Personnel Fee
While TSA will continue to exercise oversight of the Sponsoring Entities1 to ensure compliance with the security standards, it will no longer set other standards for, or conduct security threat assessments of, RT applicants. Therefore, TSA will no longer collect a security threat assessment fee after July 30, 2008. Additionally, the RTIP Participant fee of $28 is rescinded as of July 30, 2008. (TSA notes that it will not refund any RT fees collected prior to this date.)
TSA also will no longer collect the Service Provider Key Personnel Fee. Service Providers, however, are the Sponsoring Entities' contractors. Thus, Service Providers' employees who perform certain functions, such as enrollment, must undergo a background check in accordance with TSA's existing practices covering airport-sponsored vendors, including the collection of fees.
RT No Longer Limited to 10-20 Airports
TSA is also announcing that RT is no longer limited to the 10-20 locations outlined in the November 2006 Federal Register notice. (See ITT's Online Archives or 07/29/08 news, 08072999 3, for BP summary of a TSA press release announcing the lifting of the cap on the number of airports using RT.)
New Sponsoring Entities Must Amend Security Program for RT Requirements
New Sponsoring Entities that wish to offer RT services at their respective airports will need to demonstrate that their enrollment Service Providers adopt a process that adequately establishes a RT participant's identity. Airport operators and aircraft operators who wish to begin to offer RT service after July 30, 2008 must adopt an amendment to their security program that satisfies the identity verification requirements and all other RT requirements prior to commencing RT operations at their respective airports.
12-Month Transition Period for Acceptance of RT Cards
A twelve-month transition period will be provided from July 30, 2008, where Service Providers must accept all valid RT cards at all locations, ensuring that RT participants who recently joined an RT program will have the interoperability benefits for which they enrolled.
Thereafter, RT Service Providers must continue to be able to technically verify and recognize revocation of each other's cards, but they will not be required to guarantee interoperability. TSA is leaving it to the private sector (i.e., Sponsoring Entities, Service Providers, customers, and other interested stakeholders) to determine how to address acceptance, including the possibility of transfer fees.
1Sponsoring entities (airport and aircraft operators) contract with private sector service providers to perform enrollment and verification services.
TSA contact - Thomas Cowley (571) 227-1936
TSA notice (RIN 1652-ZA12, FR Pub 07/30/08) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2008/pdf/E8-17493.pdf