A Government Accountability Office official has said that the Transportation Security Administration has initiated efforts to change the way it acquires passenger and baggage screening systems used at airports in order to comply with the TSA Reform Act.
Michele Mackin, director of acquisition and sourcing management at GAO, said in written testimony to the House Homeland Security transportation security subcommittee Thursday that approximately 15,000 airport security systems were fielded by TSA as of August 2015.
Mackin also cited TSA’s efforts to enhance its test and assessment procedures through the development of a strategy in which a third party would help the agency evaluate the maturity of screening systems.
Jill Vaughan, assistant administrator at TSA’s office of security capabilities, told panel members that TSA officials have shared test plans with vendors and launched efforts to seek industry proposals for new platforms through open notices, according to an FCW report.
