In 2011, TSA began developing new expedited security procedures intended to strengthen security and improve the passenger experience by shortening lines and wait times, and in October 2011, implemented its expedited screening program—known as TSA Pre®. According to TSA, expedited screening involves a relatively more efficient and convenient screening process for individuals from whom TSA has obtained sufficient information to determine them to be lower risk, compared with the standard screening process for a traveler for whom TSA does not have such information. For example, passengers eligible for expedited screening may no longer have to remove their shoes; may leave their permitted liquids, gels, and laptops in carry-on baggage; and are not required to divest light outerwear, jackets, or belts when passing through screening checkpoints unless the screening technology alarms, in which case these items must be removed. TSA uses the following methods to assess whether a passenger is low risk and therefore eligible for expedited screening. Approved TSA Pre ® lists of known travelers—These lists are comprised of individuals whom TSA has determined to be low risk by virtue of their membership in a specific group, such as active duty military members, or based on group vetting requirements, or if approved through the TSA Pre® Application Program. Automated TSA Pre ® risk assessments of all passengers— Using these assessments, TSA assigns passengers scores based upon information available to TSA to identify low risk passengers eligible for expedited screening for a specific flight prior to the passengers’ arrival at the airport. Real-time threat assessments through Managed Inclusion— These assessments use several layers of security, including procedures that randomly select passengers for expedited screening, behavior detection officers who observe passengers to identify high- risk behaviors, and passenger screening canine teams to help ensure that passengers selected for expedited screening have not handled explosive material. TSA developed Managed Inclusion as a tool to improve the efficiency of dedicated TSA Pre ® screening lanes. When TSA began offering expedited screening at airports in the summer of 2011, TSOs initially provided such screenings in standard lanes to passengers aged 12 and younger, and subsequently extended expedited screening to certain flight crew members and then to passengers aged 75 and older. However, in October 2011, TSA began to expand the concept of expedited airport screening to more of the flying public by piloting the TSA Pre ® program. This pilot program allowed certain frequent fliers of two air carriers to experience expedited screening at four airports. These frequent fliers became eligible for screening in dedicated expedited screening lanes, called TSA Pre ® lanes, because they had opted into the TSA Pre ® program through the air carrier with which they had attained frequent flier status. Since October 2011, TSA has further expanded the known traveler populations eligible for expedited screening. TSA established separate TSA Pre ® lists for additional low-risk passenger populations, including members of the U.S. armed forces, Congressional Medal of Honor Society Members, members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council, and Members of Congress, among others. In March 2015, TSA officials stated that the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force, and Coast Guard branches of the U.S. armed forces, as well as Reserve and National Guard personnel, were eligible to participate. TSA also created its own TSA Pre ® list composed of individuals who apply to be preapproved as low-risk travelers through the TSA Pre ® Application Program, an initiative launched in December 2013. To apply, individuals must visit an enrollment center where they provide biographic information (i.e., name, date of birth, and address), valid identity and citizenship documentation, and fingerprints to undergo a TSA Security Threat Assessment. Applicants must be U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, or lawful permanent residents, and cannot have been convicted of certain crimes. As of December 2015, about 8.8 million individuals were eligible, through TSA Pre ® lists, for expedited screening. Figure 1 shows the populations for each TSA Pre ® list. To carry out passenger and checked baggage screening operations, TSA employs TSOs at the vast majority of the nation’s commercial airports. TSOs must complete the New Hire Training Program (NHTP), which includes at least 40 hours of classroom training focused on their duties as a screener, a minimum of 60 hours of on-the-job training, and certification tests for the functions they will be performing. In addition, TSOs are required to take recurrent training throughout the year to maintain proficiency with skills learned during the NHTP, and to remain up-to-date with changes in screening standard operating procedures (SOP), as well as emerging threats. Also, TSOs who are absent from their screening duties for a period of time must undergo some level of “return-to-duty” training based on the amount of time they were absent. Lastly, if TSOs fail an operational test, they are required to take remedial training customized to fit the specific screener’s performance improvement needs. Furthermore, each year, TSA conducts certification testing for its airport security screeners, and in an effort to measure the performance of aviation security screening, both TSA and the DHS-OIG conduct regular covert testing of TSA screening operations. Recent covert tests conducted by the DHS-OIG highlighted the following areas of concern: (1) the effectiveness of the passenger screening process, (2) TSA’s Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT) screening equipment, (3) related automated target recognition software used by the AIT systems, and (4) checkpoint screener performance in identifying and resolving potential security threats at airport checkpoints. In response to the results of the covert testing, TSA updated its screening SOPs, retrained TSOs to address the Inspector General’s findings, and provided additional classroom training nationwide to all TSOs. In addition, TSA developed new measures of effectiveness that it expects will better emphasize the agency’s goals for improving security effectiveness by focusing the measures on both the screening system and workforce in the areas of readiness and performance. To measure TSO performance, TSA uses the following performance measurement tests: Annual Proficiency Reviews (APR) evaluate TSOs’ ability to identify prohibited items on an X-ray machine, ability to resolve explosives detection system machine alarms using the appropriate tools, and whether TSOs can perform various practical skills such as pat downs, bag searches, and use of explosive trace detection technology. If a screener does not pass one of the components of the APR after two; or, in some cases, three attempts, they are subject to removal from their position. Threat Image Projection (TIP) monitors TSOs’ ability to identify prohibited items in x-ray images of carry-on baggage at the passenger checkpoint by projecting fictional threat items onto the bags. TIP also aides in keeping TSOs focused and attentive, and in keeping their skills sharp in identifying items they do not routinely see. According to TSA policy, FSDs must monitor TIP results monthly and, if one of their TSOs identifies less than a target percentage of TIP images accurately in a month, then the TSO is required to attend remedial training. Aviation Screening Assessment Program (ASAP) is a form of covert testing to measure, at a national level, TSO screening performance against screening SOPs. TSA’s Office of Security Operations utilizes local role players to take prohibited items such as knives, guns, or simulated improvised explosive devices, through the screening checkpoints to test TSOs performance in accurately identifying those items. ASAP tests are conducted by TSA at both screening checkpoints and checked baggage screening areas. The tests are designed to assess the operational effectiveness of screeners. TSA implemented a series of improvements to ASAP in 2010 and 2012 that introduced (1) specific testing scenarios to improve the level of standardization, (2) a formalized debriefing process, (3) training scenarios by which airports can tailor lessons learned to their operations, and (4) a strategy for allowing the reporting of comparable testing results, over time, from the airports. After these improvements, TSA renamed the program ASAP Advantage. TSA implements ASAP Advantage according to a 6- month testing schedule, and at the completion of each 6-month cycle, generates a report identifying trends in screening performance. TSA has taken steps to improve the security effectiveness of expedited screening since we issued our December 2014 report. Specifically, TSA has begun planning for the testing of the security effectiveness of the Managed Inclusion process as an overall system–ensuring that the testing adheres to established design practices. In addition, TSA has adjusted the TSA Pre ® Risk Assessment program algorithm used to assign passengers scores and identify low risk passengers because the DHS-OIG found that the algorithm allowed a high-risk individual access to expedited screening. Also, according to TSA documentation, TSA reduced the number of passengers screened by the Managed Inclusion process by limiting its use to airports that have canine teams to detect explosives. Our December 2014 report found that TSA has tested the effectiveness of the individual Managed Inclusion security layers, but that TSA had not yet tested the Managed Inclusion process as an overall system. We stated that our previous work identified challenges in several of the layers used in the Managed Inclusion process, raising concerns regarding their overall effectiveness. For example, in November 2013, we found that TSA had not demonstrated that behavioral indicators can be used to reliably and effectively identify passengers who may pose a threat to aviation security.