Texas Legislature: ‘Anti-groping’ Bill Would Limit Airport Pat Downs
By Zahira Torres \ Austin Bureau
Posted: 05/17/2011 12:00:00 AM MDT
AUSTIN — Invasive airport pat downs may soon be unwelcome in Texas.
A bill headed to the state Senate for approval would ban agents with the Transportation Security Administration from performing searches on certain parts of a person’s body with their hands without probable cause. The “anti-groping” bill unanimously passed the state House last week.
If the bill becomes law, agents who touch travelers in a manner that a “reasonable person” would find offensive or who touch the “anus, sexual organ, buttocks, or breast” of a traveler would be subject to up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.
“Groping innocent citizens does little to enhance security but it does much to reduce our freedom and dignity,” state Rep. David Simpson, R-Longview, the author of the legislation, said in a statement.
The bipartisan bill, which would impose such restrictions on body searches by the federal agency, is the first in the country to get this far in a state legislature.
Texas and eight other states — including Washington, New Jersey, Alaska and Pennsylvania — have proposed legislation to “protect travelers’ dignity,” according to Simpson’s office.
Questions remain on whether the state can impose such a law to regulate federal employees.
One Response to "Texas Legislature: ‘Anti-groping’ Bill Would Limit Airport Pat Downs"
[...] the TSA argument. Read this post from Lonestar Watchdog. It won’t be hard to guess where TSA Tyranny comes down on this [...]
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