California’s new bill would limit airport skip services in the name of fair cleaning

A proposed new law in California would limit expedited security company clearance. Supporters say the service raises fairness issues because it effectively allows wealthy individuals to skip lines of passengers waiting to be inspected by Transportation Security Administration (TSA) agents.

The bill, SB-1372, is the first of its kind in the United States and requires third-party providers like Clear to have their own dedicated secure channels or lose their ability to operate in the United States. California Airport.

CLEAR Charges members $189 per year to verify passengers’ identities at airports, allowing them to bypass TSA checkpoints. The service is used at more than 55 U.S. airports and dozens of sports stadiums and other venues, according to its website. Members verify their identity at Clear Kiosk. This is separate from TSA Pre-Check, although many Clear members use both services.

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Democratic state Sen. Josh Newman is sponsoring the legislation.

“When you see people who subscribe to concierge services are waiting in front of TSA lines for long periods of time, that’s a fundamental fairness issue,” Newman told CBS MoneyWatch.

“Every travel experience, it’s really frustrating if Clear escorts a customer in front of you and TSA says, ‘Sorry, I have someone better.’ ”

Republican Sen. Janet Nguyen expressed similar concerns but did not support the bill, a spokeswoman told Fox Business.

“I understand the frustration with Senator Newman’s bill,” Transportation Committee member Nguyen told Politico. “It becomes a battle between the haves and the have-nots, with those who can afford it jumping ahead of the rest of us. They even jump in front of TSA pre-boarding pass passengers who go through TSA inspection.”

Six major airlines – Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue and Hawaiian – oppose the bill and wrote to Senate Transportation Committee Chairman Dave Cortes this month, arguing that passage of the bill would result in revenue losses.

Services were used more than 5 million times in California in 2023, they wrote.

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The airlines argue that the bill “not only has the potential to increase costs for airlines, but also severely limits airports’ ability to effectively manage security checkpoint lines, resulting in a poor travel experience for our California customers.”

An outspoken spokesperson echoed the airline’s concerns.

“We will continue to work constructively with lawmakers, the federal government and our airport partners to ensure that operations at California airports are as seamless and efficient as possible,” Ricardo Quinto said in a statement to Politico.

Supporters of the bill include the Flight Attendants Association (CWA) and unions representing transportation security officers in Oakland, Sacramento and San Jose.

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“Clear is nothing more than a luxury resale of interior spaces. Airport security James Murdock, president of AFGE Local 1230, the TSA officer union, wrote in a separate letter to Cortes, CBS reported.

“While Clear’s paying customers can save time, non-customers are subject to Clear’s aggressive sales tactics and long security lines while entering the critical security process.”

The bill is scheduled to go before the California Senate Transportation Committee on Tuesday.

Editor’s note: This report has been updated