by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:30 PM ET, Wed February 24, 2016
Photo courtesy of Department of Homeland Security
On Tuesday, the United States House of Representatives approved a bill that would make applying for the Transportation Security Administration's expedited screening program easier for travelers.
According to Bart Jansen of USA Today, the bill would make up signup up for the program easier by allowing people to join online or at airport kiosks and staffed stations, but it would also require travelers already enrolled to provide more vital information in order to continue participating.
While the Senate must approve the bill before it can become a law, the changes that would come from the passing of the law would be noticeable to travelers quickly. Within 90 days, the TSA would be required to start building online enrollment rules and regulations for the Precheck service.
Some of the other guidelines put forth by the bill include the TSA being required to develop an automated system to review travel documents within a year, and expanding the travel document review system to large hub airports by the end of 2017.
For frequent fliers, the new bill would require them to join the expedited screening program, which is $85 for five years of access. To join, though, passengers must provide fingerprints and vital information that will be cleared through security databases.
READ MORE: Is the TSA's Precheck Program Too Popular?
U.S. Travel Association vice president Jonathan Grella released a statement about the bill:
"Congress continues to take the prudent approach to travel security programs: consistently assess them, and evolve even the effective ones to stay current with innovation and the shifting security landscape."
"The adjustments to TSA PreCheck make abundant sense and enhance an already innovative and cutting-edge security instrument. Expanding PreCheck allows pre-screened, low-risk travelers access to expedited protocols, improving their travel experience; but more importantly, it enables TSA to focus security resources on the higher-risk pool of travelers."
"We thank Congress for its continued attention to policies that both improve security and facilitate travel-certainly not, as was once thought, a zero-sum choice."
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