Bill Overview
Title: Trusted Traveler Reconsideration and Restoration Act of 2021
Description: This bill directs (1) the Government Accountability Office to review Department of Homeland Security (DHS) trusted traveler programs, and (2) DHS to extend the enrollment period where an individual's participation in a trusted traveler program was revoked in error.
Sponsors: Rep. Katko, John [R-NY-24]
Target Audience
Population: People enrolled in DHS trusted traveler programs
Estimated Size: 750000
- The bill involves the Department of Homeland Security's trusted traveler programs, which include Global Entry, TSA PreCheck, SENTRI, and NEXUS.
- Individuals who depend on these programs for expedited clearance when traveling, either domestically or internationally, would be directly impacted by this legislation.
- The bill aims to address situations where enrollment in these programs has been revoked in error, suggesting that it targets errors affecting otherwise eligible participants.
- The Global Entry program is utilized by citizens of several countries, but a significant proportion of participants are U.S. citizens.
- TSA PreCheck and other programs are specifically targeted towards frequent travelers within or into the United States.
- The legislation enables reconsideration and restoration, which implies those improperly revoked will regain privileges.
- Several hundreds of thousands of participants might be affected by erroneous revocations.
Reasoning
- The policy will primarily impact individuals who are participants in the DHS trusted traveler programs and who have experienced wrongful revocation of their status.
- Given a budget constraint and targeting errors in revocation, the policy seems focused on resolution rather than broad expansion of the programs.
- The majority of affected individuals are likely frequent travelers, as they are most cognizant of the impact revocation errors could have on their travel.
- While about 750,000 Americans could be affected, not all these individuals will see changes in their wellbeing score since many may not rely on these programs heavily.
- The Cantril wellbeing scores give insights into the life satisfaction impacts over a range of future time periods, providing a view of long-term satisfaction changes based on policy effects.
Simulated Interviews
Business Executive (Chicago, IL)
Age: 45 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy is great, I've faced revocation due to a mistake and it's been a hassle.
- Restoration of my Global Entry will significantly reduce travel stress.
- I feel the system can improve further to prevent such issues in future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
IT Consultant (New York, NY)
Age: 29 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Finally recognition that mistakes happen and need correction!
- I enjoy hassle-free travel, and revocation disrupted this.
- I hope the process for reconsideration is quick.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Marketing Manager (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 52 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The inconvenience caused by losing TSA PreCheck was significant.
- Reconsideration and restoration will be a huge relief.
- I hope preventive measures are implemented too to reduce errors.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Freelance Journalist (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This mistake affected my job and caused delays.
- Policy is a step in assuring participants that errors will be fixed promptly.
- However, systems should be more transparent to prevent false revocations.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Retired (Houston, TX)
Age: 60 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 15/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Fixing this revocation would make travel much easier for me.
- Good to see they are addressing errors, but they should compensate for the trouble caused.
- More preventive checks before revocation would be appreciated.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Travel Blogger (Miami, FL)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Such policies are crucial for frequent travelers like me.
- Mistakes like revocations have compounded stress and logistical issues.
- Once restored, I hope for an upgraded more robust application process.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Financial Analyst (Dallas, TX)
Age: 27 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Losing TSA PreCheck was a huge inconvenience as I travel often for work.
- Happy to know errors in revocation are being handled.
- Future effectiveness will also depend on speed of enacted solutions.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
Software Engineer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 40 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 6.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy acknowledges that errors happen and backs up corrections.
- A critical step for restoring faith in trusted traveler programs.
- Would like to see preventive measures taken seriously.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Consultant (Phoenix, AZ)
Age: 56 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 11/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Finding the error and restoring privileges is crucial.
- The continuous use of TSA PreCheck is a major convenience factor.
- I hope this policy requires periodic review and system improvements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 4 |
University Professor (Boston, MA)
Age: 49 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Efficient restoration of my Global Entry status would ease travel burdens.
- Ensures confidence in the program's integrity and reliability.
- Hoping for faster resolution timeframes with this bill.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $10000000 (Low: $8000000, High: $12000000)
Year 2: $7000000 (Low: $5000000, High: $9000000)
Year 3: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 5: $3000000 (Low: $2000000, High: $4000000)
Year 10: $1000000 (Low: $500000, High: $1500000)
Year 100: $100000 (Low: $50000, High: $150000)
Key Considerations
- Extent and nature of known erroneous revocations in Trusted Traveler programs.
- Capacity of DHS and GAO to integrate and efficiently implement the required reviews and processes.
- Potential for administrative and IT enhancements required to manage reconsiderations and extensions of program enrollments.
- Stakeholder reactions and expected benefits in the traveler community.