TSA FY 2011 Budget Requests Funding For Air Cargo Security, Credentialing, Etc.

Highlights of TSA's FY 2011 budget request include:

Less Funding for Air Cargo Policy and Programs, More Funding for Inspections

For FY 2011, TSA is requesting $117.6 million for its air cargo activities, a $5.3 million decrease from the amount that was appropriated in FY 2010. (This decrease is due to $11.3 million in non-recurring funding, and the fact that the funding for 50 cargo inspectors was received in FY 2010.)

Highlights of TSA's air cargo activity budget request include:

Air cargo policy and programs - TSA has requested $28 million for FY 2010 (a $11.1 million decrease from FY 2010) for air cargo policy and programs, which is responsible for securing the air cargo supply chain including cargo, conveyances, and people.

(TSA states that as part of its Certified Cargo Screening Program (CCSP), it has been conducting an Indirect Air Carrier (IAC) Screening Technology pilot which will, in its current format, cease by August 2010. All funds for this pilot were obligated by the close of FY 2009.

According to the TSA, an IAC means any person or entity within the U.S. not in possession of a Federal Aviation Administration air carrier operating certificate, that undertakes to engage indirectly in air transportation of property and uses for all or any part of such transportation the services of a passenger air carrier.)

Air cargo inspectors, inspections - TSA has requested $74.4 million for its air cargo inspectors, an increase of almost $4 million above the enacted amount for FY 2010. (Air Cargo Inspectors enforce statutory and regulatory requirements and provide guidance on securing air cargo)¹.

National Explosives Detection Canine Training Program - TSA has requested $15.2 million, an increase of almost $2 million over FY 2010, for the National Explosives Detection Canine Training Program (NEDCTP). The TSA canine teams provide screening capabilities for air cargo and will assist TSA in achieving the 100% screening of all passenger air cargo. The screen air cargo at 20 domestic airports with the greatest volume of passenger air cargo.

TSA Outlines its Air Cargo Plans for FY 2011

In FY 2011, TSA states that it plans to accomplish the following:

Maturation of CCSP. Continue maturation of the CCSP by certifying more facilities to conduct screening of cargo to be transported on passenger aircraft.

Technologies, screening protocols. Ongoing qualification of TSA approved technologies and screening protocols for X-Ray, Explosives Trace Detection, and metal detection and their uses on commodity types and cargo configurations, particularly skidded cargo. Continue evaluation of emerging technologies.

Int'l inspection outreach. Expand international inspection outreach efforts regarding all-cargo security and will place added emphasis on the development of international standard with which all ICAO member states must comply.

Regulatory investigations. Regulatory investigations of foreign and domestic air carriers, IACs, and CCSFs as needed to enforce security requirements;

Implementation of targeting system for int'l inbound cargo. Full program development and implementation of Targeting System to conduct risk screening on international inbound cargo of passenger aircraft.

Intl Harmonization of air cargo security standards. Continue working with international stakeholders to harmonize air cargo security standards and advance the "supply chain screening" approach toward 100% screening of international inbound cargo on passenger aircraft.

Vulnerability assessments on selected airports. Continue Vulnerability Assessments on high cargo volume Category 1 airports and reassessments at select high volume Category X airports.

100% air cargo screening final rule. By October 2011, publish the Air Cargo 100% Screening Final Rule.

Funding for Transport Threat Assessment & Credentialing Modernization

For FY 2011, the Transportation Security Administration requests $210.9 million for its Transportation Threat Assessment and Credentialing, a decrease of $4.7 million from FY 2010 enacted levels. Of that amount, $65.1 million (an increase of $1.4 million over FY 2010) would be designated for TSA's Transportation Threat Assessment and Credentialing Infrastructure Modernization (TIM).

The goal of TIM is to provide a unified and scalable enterprise architecture to improve vetting and credentialing services to current and future TSA screening populations. The TIM program will enable policy, business, systems, and data integration and drive the deployment of a person-centric information architecture in accordance with the DHS Credentialing Framework Initiative (CFI). This will be accomplished by consolidating enrollments, identify management services, customer relationship management, credentialing processes, vetting and adjudication, and integrating program specific information technology systems and business processes. The TIM program will also eliminate redundant background checks by working in tandem with TSA's Universal Fee Rule initiative.

(See ITT's Online Archives or 03/26/10 news, 10032620, for previous BP summary on FY 2011 TSA budget request for credentialing streamlining, etc.)

Funding, Positions for TSA's International Air Aviation Activities

TSA requests $125 million for International Aviation Security to fund, among other things, the strengthening of international sharing. Of that amount, TSA is requesting $40 million to manage international programs at 15 existing offices around the globe. The 74 new positions, which include 34 Transportation Security Specialists, 10 International Industry Representatives, and 10 positions for Rapid Response Teams, would be strategically placed in high risk areas such as the Middle East and Africa.

¹The inspectors also carry out planned and random inspections of foreign and domestic air carriers and indirect air carriers and conduct monthly cargo strikes (week-long compliance blitzes in a single metropolitan area) at air ports and IAC facilities.) In addition to domestic inspections, TSA has developed a program to ensure the security of inbound cargo from outside the U.S.

DHS FY 2011 budget justification available at http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/dhs_congressional_budget_justification_fy2011.pdf.