President Bush signs aviation security bill

Dec 1, 2001 12:00 PM

President Bush signed a sweeping package of legislative changes Nov. 19 at Reagan Washington National Airport, the last major U.S. airport to reopen following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Under the new law, the federal government will assume control of passenger and baggage-screening operations, previously run by private security firms contracted by airlines, and put all 28,000 screeners on the federal payroll.

For three years after the law goes into effect all airports must be under the federal system, except for five airports of different sizes that can apply for pilot programs to try out different screening approaches. After that, airports can opt out of the federal system.

The measure also moves toward 100 percent inspection of checked bags and seeks to ensure that a potential hijacker who gets into a plane will be stopped by air marshals in the cabin and reinforced cockpit doors.

The government will have a year to take control of passenger and baggage screening operations and to put all 28,000 screeners on the federal payroll. Airports also will have 60 days to initiate plans to increase baggage screening, with a deadline of the end of 2002 for subjecting all checked bags to explosives detection screening.

The decision is sure to impact Atlanta-based Argenbright Security, the nation's largest airport security company. Argenbright has come under fire for questionable hiring and training practices, and the state of Massachusetts has already banned Argenbright from supplying workers to Logan International Airport.

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