Congress Pushes TSA, Leaving Industry On The Hook

Despite ARSA’s efforts, Congress stood firm in pushing repair station security rules; keeping industry on the hook for agency delays.

In August 2007 the President signed into a law legislation implementing suggestions from the 9-11 Commission. ARSA continuously advocated removal of a provision that prohibited the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) from issuing new foreign repair station certificates (renewals could still be issued) unless the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) issued its final security rules within 90 days of enactment. In addition, the legislation shortened from 18 months to six the time that TSA has to audit foreign repair stations once the new rules are issued.

ARSA and its industry allies successfully changed the original provision so the agreement between the House and Senate now mandates that:

• TSA has one year after enactment to issue repair station security regulations.
• If the regulations are not issued within the allotted time, the FAA is prohibited from certificating a foreign repair station unless:
     – The station was previously certificated, or,
     – The station is in the process of certification.

Once the security rules are issued, the law will:

• Give TSA only 6 months to conduct audits of all foreign repair stations.
• Bar the FAA from certifying any foreign repair station other than ones previously certificated, or in the process of certification, until the audits have been completed.

Although this is now law, previous attempts to push TSA on this rulemaking were even more harmful to the repair industry. ARSA sent a letter to TSA emphasizing that agency inaction on these rules will punish the industry and create harmful consequences throughout aviation.

ARSA's letter may be found here.

ARSA continues to remain vigilant against such attempts to restrict the use of repair stations, and asks its members to continue contacting Congress to educate it on the repair industry. Go to www.arsaaction.org to send a letter to your representatives. Look up the local office information, and stop in to visit with staff. Your ground support is needed for ARSA to fight and win battles against misdirected or burdensome legislation!