Bill Overview
Title: Bottles and Breastfeeding Equipment Screening Enhancement Act
Description: This bill directs the Transportation Security Administration to issue or update guidance to minimize the risk for contamination of breast milk, baby formula, purified deionized water for infants, and juice (as well as ice packs, freezer packs, frozen gel packs and other accessories required to cool breast milk, baby formula, and juice) that is subject to re-screening or additional screening, including by ensuring adherence to hygienic standards.
Sponsors: Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL]
Target Audience
Population: People traveling with infants or young children who require infant feeding supplies
Estimated Size: 4000000
- Breastfeeding mothers who travel via air transportation will benefit as their breast milk is less likely to be contaminated due to improved TSA screening processes.
- Parents or guardians traveling with infants who require baby formula, purified water, or juice during flights will be positively impacted.
- By minimizing contamination risks, the legislation supports families who rely on air travel and need to transport such critical infant supplies safely.
- Approximately 4 million babies are born each year in the U.S., and a significant portion of these babies are breastfed or require formula.
- At any given time, there are thousands of families traveling with infants across the globe who require safe transportation of breastfeeding and feeding supplies.
- Air travel is a common means of transportation worldwide, with millions of families potentially engaging in flights annually.
Reasoning
- The policy will primarily benefit breastfeeding mothers and families traveling with infants as it aims to ensure the safety and hygiene of breast milk and infant feeding supplies during airport security checks.
- There is a significant population of families traveling with infants who would prefer guaranteed safety of their feeding supplies from contamination risks.
- However, not all travelers with infants face issues with TSA screenings, and some may not be aware of, or concerned about, such risks, meaning the policy could yield varying levels of perceived benefit.
- Budget limitations restrict the scale of implementation, potentially making it less effective at high-traffic airports where these issues are more prevalent.
- The policy is unlikely to affect people without young children or those who do not fly frequently.
Simulated Interviews
Marketing Director (New York City, NY)
Age: 32 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- As a breastfeeding mother, this change means less anxiety about traveling with breast milk on work trips.
- I'm thrilled they are doing something about the unhygienic screening practices.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Software Engineer (San Francisco, CA)
Age: 28 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I was once questioned about the amount of formula I was carrying and found that really distressing.
- This policy would certainly make me feel a lot more comfortable traveling with my baby.
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 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Consultant (Austin, TX)
Age: 40 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I usually handle travel logistics, and anything that eases the process is welcome.
- My wife would appreciate less hassle and concern over our baby's supplies.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Nurse (Chicago, IL)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- When my child was an infant, I was worried every time we traveled.
- Anything that ensures safety and cleanliness is undoubtedly beneficial.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Professor (Seattle, WA)
Age: 42 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm cautious about taking milk with me when I travel.
- This policy may help in ensuring that I'm not put into inconvenient situations at the airport.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Stay-at-home Dad (Miami, FL)
Age: 27 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Any improvement is welcome but I'd rather focus on travel-friendly packaging rather than policy.
- Still, knowing that screeners pay attention to hygiene is reassuring.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Accountant (Denver, CO)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 3.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- There's so much to manage with twins, any reduction in stress is beneficial.
- Hopefully, this means I won't worry about formula being contaminated during transit.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 4 |
Lobbyist (Washington, D.C.)
Age: 45 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 0.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm concerned about how this might slow down the screening process further.
- Otherwise, I'm indifferent as I rarely carry such items.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Fitness Trainer (Philadelphia, PA)
Age: 39 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 3/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Travel is already expensive and stressful.
- Improved safety and hygiene are good, but not the first thing on my mind when flying.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
Filmmaker (Los Angeles, CA)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 4.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- We're always traveling as a family, anything that makes life easier is appreciated.
- This might be more helpful for my partner who handles the baby supplies.
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 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $5000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $7000000)
Year 2: $4000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $6000000)
Year 3: $4000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $6000000)
Year 5: $4000000 (Low: $3000000, High: $6000000)
Year 10: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Year 100: $0 (Low: $0, High: $0)
Key Considerations
- The TSA will need to ensure compliance across all airports, which may result in varying costs depending on airport size and current infrastructure.
- Training all relevant personnel nationwide could require significant coordination and expenditure.
- Ensuring minimal disruption to existing screening processes while implementing new standards will be crucial.
- Monitoring and assessment mechanisms will be essential to measure the policy's effectiveness and any need for adjustments.