California Democrat wants to ban line-skipping airport perk Clear because it ... trends now
A bill proposed by a California Democrat is taking aim at third-party airport security screeners like Clear, citing the unfair advantage they give wealthy travelers.
Clear is a third-party vendor that allows passengers to skip to the head of the airport screening line. For $189 per year, the company verifies passengers' identities and ushers them through security, allowing them to bypass TSA checkpoints.
The bill, the first of its kind in the county, was introduced by California State Senator Josh Newman in February.
It would require vendors like Clear to hire their own TSA screeners through the federal government. Rather than allow passengers to cut in line, the company would be required to create its own dedicated security lane.
The proposal cleared the state's Senate Transportation Committee 8-4 on Tuesday. It must pass the full Senate and Assembly before making its way to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk.
A bill proposed by a California Democrat has cleared the state's Senate Transportation Committee in an 8-4 vote. It aims to prevent passengers paying for services like Clear from skipping the airport security line
The legislature, formerly known as SB-1372, would require vendors like Clear to hire their own TSA screeners through the federal government and create a dedicated screening line
The bill was introduced by Senator Josh Newman in February and aims to keep Clear subscribers from cutting in front of 'general passengers'
Newman promoted the bill in a post to X, formerly Twitter, a day before the vote.
'General passengers don’t have anyone cutting in front of them anymore, and CLEAR passengers can still fly through their dedicated security lane. It will speed up security for everyone!' he wrote.
Newman has claimed other customers are often 'pushed aside' for Clear subscribers, who get preferential treatment in the security line.
'California’s airports should of course be encouraged to find creative ways to raise revenues, but not at the expense of the public’s interest,' the Democrat wrote in a bill analysis.
In an interview with CBS MoneyWatch, Newman described line-cutting as an 'equity issue.'
'Everyone is beaten down by the travel experience, and if Clear escorts a customer in front of you and tells TSA, "Sorry, I have someone better," it's really frustrating,' he said.
He clarified that the bill, formally known as SB-1372, doesn't seek to 'punish' Clear or 'put it out of business.'
'It wants to create a better traffic flow so customers aren't intersecting with the general public and causing a moment of
