Memorializes Congress to consider eliminating the Transportation Security Administration at airports and shift the responsibility to airline employees
Summary
House Concurrent Resolution 71 is a nonbinding memorial to the United States Congress asking it to consider eliminating the Transportation Security Administration at airports and transferring airport security screening duties to airline employees. The resolution argues that TSA screening is ineffective, intrusive, costly, and time-consuming, and it cites examples of failed detection tests, alleged civil-liberties concerns, and misconduct by some TSA employees as reasons for change.
The resolution does not change Louisiana law or create any state-level regulatory program. Instead, it expresses the Louisiana Legislature’s position on federal airport security policy and directs that copies be sent to Congress and Louisiana’s congressional delegation. Its practical effect is limited to advocacy, since any elimination or restructuring of TSA airport screening would require federal action.
Impact
HCR71 has no direct legal effect on Louisiana statutes, airport operations, or TSA authority. It is a concurrent resolution that serves as a formal request to Congress, so its impact is political rather than regulatory. If adopted by Congress, the proposal would shift airport screening responsibilities from federal TSA personnel to airline employees, potentially affecting airport security procedures, training requirements, passenger screening practices, and the federal-state balance in transportation security.
Sentiment
The bill’s tone is strongly critical of the TSA and supportive of replacing federal screening with a different model. The resolution presents the TSA as ineffective and burdensome, while portraying airline employees as capable of handling screening in a more respectful and efficient way. Because there are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided material, the available sentiment comes entirely from the bill text itself, which is clearly favorable to TSA elimination and skeptical of the current system.
Contention
The main point of contention is whether airport security should remain a federal function or be shifted to airline employees. Supporters of the resolution argue that TSA screening is costly, invasive, and demonstrably ineffective, and they point to alternative security models such as the Israeli approach. Opponents would likely focus on concerns about consistency, training, accountability, and whether private airline staff could reliably perform a core public safety function. The resolution also raises civil-liberties concerns and questions about the effectiveness of current screening methods, which are central to its argument.