The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is responsible for screening all checked baggage in U.S. airports for explosives and has deployed explosive detection systems and developed standard procedures for their use. TSA also allows alternative screening procedures to be used for short-term, special circumstances. This report addresses (1) how TSA prioritized the use of checked baggage screening procedures and identified trade-offs in security effectiveness and operational efficiencies; (2) how TSA reported use of the procedures and ensured that standard procedures are used whenever possible; and (3) what steps TSA took to reduce airports' need to use alternative screening procedures and to establish performance measures to monitor their use. To address these issues, GAO interviewed TSA officials, reviewed information from TSA's database on checked baggage screening operations; and conducted airport site visits.

The U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) is an independent agency that works for Congress. The GAO watches over Congress, and investigates how the federal government spends taxpayers dollars. The Comptroller General of the United States is the leader of the GAO, and is appointed to a 15-year term by the U.S. President. The GAO wants to support Congress, while at the same time doing right by the citizens of the United States. They audit, investigate, perform analyses, issue legal decisions and report anything that the government is doing. This is one of their reports.

The screening of airport passengers & their checked baggage is a critical component in securing our nation's commercial aviation system. This report incorporates results from a survey of 155 Federal Security Directors -- the ranking Transportation Security Admin. (TSA) authority responsible for the leadership & coordination of TSA security activities at the nation's commercial airports. This report addresses: (1) actions TSA has taken to enhance training for passenger & checked baggage screeners & screening supervisors, (2) how TSA ensures that screeners complete required training, & (3) actions TSA has taken to measure & enhance screener performance in detecting threat objects. Charts & tables.

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has deployed two types of baggage screening equipment: explosive detection systems (EDS), which use X-rays to scan bags for explosives, and explosive trace detection systems (ETD), in which bags are swabbed to test for chemical traces of explosives. TSA considers screening with EDS to be superior to screening with ETD because EDS machines process more bags per hour and automatically detect explosives without direct human involvement. In March 2005, GAO reported that while TSA had made progress in deploying EDS and ETD machines, it had not conducted a systematic, prospective analysis of the optimal deployment of these machines to achieve long-term savings and enhanced efficiencies and security. GAO's testimony today updates our previous report and discusses TSA's (1) deployment of EDS and ETD systems and the identified benefits of in-line systems, and (2) planning for the optimal deployment of checked baggage screening systems and efforts to identify funding and financing options.