The U.S. Senate has approved an amendment introduced by U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) to the FAA Reauthorization bill to strengthen U.S. airport security, especially in non-secure “soft” target areas at airports like check-in and baggage claim areas.
Blumenthal said his amendment, introduced in the wake of attacks in Brussels, would update federal security programs to provide active-shooter training for law enforcement and increase the presence of federal agents with bomb-sniffing canines at these non-secure areas.
The measure doubles the number of Visible Intermodal Prevention and Response (VIPR) teams nationwide from 30 to as many as 60 and add their operations to non-sterile areas of an airport, such as outside of a checkpoint, to enhance “soft target” security.
