NBTA Backs Bills To Scrutinize Privacy, Improve Screening

The National Business Travel Association has adopted a legislative agenda to promote travel efficiency, data privacy and the reduction of travel taxes as its primary political pursuits on Capitol Hill, NBTA today said at the Masters Program in Washington D.C.

NBTA is endorsing a number of bills and initiatives to help travelers pay lower travel-related taxes and fees, move more quickly through security and maximize privacy.

As CAPPS II continues to draw the ire of many travel managers, NBTA said it is backing House Bill 338 that will require federal agencies to analyze privacy concerns prior to implementing security regulations.

"The legislation would not prohibit the collection of information, rather, it would provide a mechanism by which legitimate privacy concerns would be considered," NBTA executive director Bill Connors said.

NBTA also said it is advocating a series of measures that limit security-related delays for air travelers while maximizing security at airports.

NBTA will lobby for the passage of House Bill 2144, "The Aviation Security Technical Corrections and Improvements Act of 2003." Connors said the bill is "designed to make important aviation security improvements, including improving consistency of passenger screening training and procedures at all U.S. airports."

In addition to cutting the time that it takes travelers to move through security, NBTA also is seeking to cut the costs. The association is requesting "that Congress call for a General Accounting Office report on the aggregated impact of post-Sept. 11 security fees and costs on air travel in this country." NBTA is proposing that the ever-increasing burden of such fees be removed from the business travel industry. NBTA said such fees have spiked 90 percent since 1989 and comprise about 26 percent of ticket costs.

NBTA said it has been in discussions with the Transportation Security Administration and is seeking to establish a "stakeholder group" to explore the issues and help devise solutions.

NBTA said it will use its second annual Legislative Day--held on May 18 in Washington D.C.--to further push its political agenda.

NBTA has increased its political activism in recent years, forming a political action committee in 2002 and last May holding its first annual Legislative Day, during which more than 75 NBTA participants met with government officials.