New Bill Introduced to Improve Airport and Seaport Security

On September 14, 2001, U.S. Senator John Edwards introduced the Airport and Seaport Terrorism Prevention Act (S. 1429), which states that it would provide for the improvement of security at U.S. airports and seaports, etc., by (partial list):

• requiring the Transportation Secretary, in cooperation with Customs and private shippers, to establish a pilot program to track imported cargo from the time it arrives in the U.S. until it reaches its final destination;
• requiring the Transportation Secretary, in cooperation with customs, etc., to develop and implement anti-tampering standards to ensure that cargo containers cannot be opened or tampered with during shipment within the U.S.;
• requiring the Transportation Secretary, after consultation with Customs and the Coast Guard, to provide grants not to exceed $250,000 for seaport security infrastructure improvements for eligible projects at any U.S. seaport involved in international trade; (Under S. 1429, "eligible projects" would include the construction, acquisition, or deployment of surveillance equipment and technology, including surveillance cameras with video feed to regional and national Customs offices, iris recognition or similar biometric technology for port workers with access to secure areas, etc.)
• in the case of flights by U.S. air carriers originating outside the U.S., requiring passenger manifests, including passport numbers, to be transmitted to Customs before the plane lands in the U.S., and authorize the Transportation Secretary to impose a similar requirement on such flights by foreign air carriers; and
• requiring the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to require airports to maximize the use of available, FAA-approved, non-intrusive and other inspection and detection technology for screening passengers, baggage, or cargo.