Overview

• The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation will mark up the Traveler Privacy Protection Act today, following its reintroduction by Sens. Jeff Merkley and John Kennedy
• The proposal would require TSA to offer manual identity checks for passengers who decline facial recognition scans and forbid additional delays or penalties for opting out
• It directs the agency to delete most biometric images collected at checkpoints within 24 hours of a traveler’s departure
• Airlines for America and major carriers argue the measure would force TSA to allocate about 75% of its budget to staffing and hamper automated screening innovations such as e-gates and TSA PreCheck Touchless ID
• The bill has drawn bipartisan support from senators including Ed Markey, Roger Marshall, Chris Van Hollen and Steve Daines