Security Policy Alert: TSA to Cease Paying for Janitorial Services at Airport Security Checkpoints
January 16, 2020
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) proposed, as part of its fiscal year 2020 budget request to Congress, eliminating payments to airports for janitorial services at security checkpoints. While AAAE raised concerns about this proposal to both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the final FY 2020 spending bill for TSA did not restore funding for this activity. AAAE staff have been working with TSA to understand the implications of this decision.
According to TSA, there are a total of 103 airports that will be impacted. These airports have signed other transactional agreements (OTAs) with TSA where the agency has agreed to reimburse the airport for janitorial services at the security checkpoints. Of this total, 31 OTAs are for janitorial services only and the remainder (72) have OTAs that cover both janitorial services and utilities. While an airport may have signed a multi-year OTA with TSA for these payments, there is language in the document that makes the annual payment subject to appropriations, which TSA no longer has.
TSA has instructed their Federal Security Directors to work with their respective airports to coordinate the transition. Each airport's period of performance (POP) for OTA or vendor-provided services has a different expiration. Once each airport's POP expires, TSA will not obligate any FY 2020 funds for additional janitorial services or for any remaining option years.
For airports that have an OTA that includes both janitorial services at airport checkpoints and utilities, TSA will continue to reimburse airports for the utilities.
At the request of AAAE, TSA plans to discuss the elimination of funding for janitorial services at airport checkpoints during the next monthly national airport call, which is scheduled for February 6, 2020 at 1 pm ET. In the interim, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Stephanie Gupta or Colleen Chamberlain.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) proposed, as part of its fiscal year 2020 budget request to Congress, eliminating payments to airports for janitorial services at security checkpoints. While AAAE raised concerns about this proposal to both the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, the final FY 2020 spending bill for TSA did not restore funding for this activity. AAAE staff have been working with TSA to understand the implications of this decision.
According to TSA, there are a total of 103 airports that will be impacted. These airports have signed other transactional agreements (OTAs) with TSA where the agency has agreed to reimburse the airport for janitorial services at the security checkpoints. Of this total, 31 OTAs are for janitorial services only and the remainder (72) have OTAs that cover both janitorial services and utilities. While an airport may have signed a multi-year OTA with TSA for these payments, there is language in the document that makes the annual payment subject to appropriations, which TSA no longer has.
TSA has instructed their Federal Security Directors to work with their respective airports to coordinate the transition. Each airport's period of performance (POP) for OTA or vendor-provided services has a different expiration. Once each airport's POP expires, TSA will not obligate any FY 2020 funds for additional janitorial services or for any remaining option years.
For airports that have an OTA that includes both janitorial services at airport checkpoints and utilities, TSA will continue to reimburse airports for the utilities.
At the request of AAAE, TSA plans to discuss the elimination of funding for janitorial services at airport checkpoints during the next monthly national airport call, which is scheduled for February 6, 2020 at 1 pm ET. In the interim, if you have any questions, please feel free to contact Stephanie Gupta or Colleen Chamberlain.
