WHEREAS, in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks the federal government made an increased commitment to screen all airport checked baggage and increase the level of cargo inspections for explosives; and

WHEREAS, airport security is an interdependent network, and the security at any individual airport is dependent on the security at the other airports; and

WHEREAS, in response the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has placed Explosive Detection Systems (EDS) and Explosive Trace Detection (EDT) equipment in airports; and

WHEREAS, TSA acknowledges that in-line baggage EDS systems are the most efficient and cost-effective use of scarce resources, resulting in significant savings in personnel and worker compensation costs; and

WHEREAS, TSA has established two ways to fund their EDS efforts:(i) a letter of intent “LOI” program; and (ii) an other transaction agreement “OTA” to reimburse airports for the cost of installing sophisticated EDS to more efficiently screen checked baggage; and

WHEREAS, Congressional authorizers directed TSA through the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill (P.L. 108-176) to fund 90% of the EDS installation cost for large airports and 95% of the cost for small to medium sized airports; and

WHEREAS, TSA has not fully reimbursed airports at the statutorily authorized level of Federal share, and furthermore the Office of Management and Budget will not allow TSA to commit to any more LOIs beyond the eight they have granted due to funding constraints; and

WHEREAS, airport EDS projects will be delayed and security will be less efficient as a result of this lack of funding; and

WHEREAS, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the TSA have yet to develop an adequate funding mechanism or program to broadly assist airport efforts to fund complex inline EDS and cargo inspection facilities; and

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Conference of Mayors urges the TSA and Congress to develop an effective creative financing program that will accelerate the installation of efficient, cost-effective in-line baggage and cargo screening EDS where appropriate, to provide sufficient annual appropriations to assure such installations, and to reimburse airports at the statutorily authorized Federal share.