California bill calls for crackdown on Clear at state's airports

23.04.2024 - 08:55 / thepointsguy.com / Gavin Newsom / Airlines

Could a crackdown on Clear be brewing in the nation's most populous state?

On Tuesday, California lawmakers will begin considering a bill that, if passed, could place serious new regulations on the expedited airport security service. Critics say it could effectively force Clear out of many Golden State airports.

At issue is the fact that Clear allows members a fast track to the front of the Transportation Security Administration's screening lines.

The bill would specifically prohibit airports from allowing third-party companies to give certain travelers expedited access to the existing TSA lines — in essence, what Clear does for its paying members.

Instead, were this law to pass, the company would likely have to foot the bill (and find the space) for sending its members to an entirely separate set of TSA screeners. This requirement could prove fiscally and physically challenging for Clear within constrained airport terminals.

First filed in February, the bill will go in front of the state senate's transportation committee Tuesday, albeit with a long road ahead.

Before becoming law, it would have to clear a committee, win approval from both chambers of the California legislature and ultimately garner a signature from Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Although the bill has stiff opposition, including from several major U.S. airlines, it does have support from a TSA workers union in California, not to mention the nation's largest flight attendants union.

A favorite time-saving service for many frequent flyers, Clear provides members a shortcut through security with the help of a quick biometric scan to verify a traveler's identity. Then, the traveler gets escorted to the front of the TSA security line (specifically, Clear members who are also TSA PreCheck-enrolled get escorted to the front of the TSA PreCheck line).

The service costs $189 annually, though some travel credit cards and frequent flyer programs can discount (or even offset entirely) that annual cost.

It's those factors — a steep annual fee and a line-cutting shortcut — that inspired the bill, said its author, California Sen. Josh Newman, an Orange County Democrat.

"I became aware of that interaction that happens right at the TSA kiosks, where that jovial Clear attendant pushes some other traveler out of the way and says, 'Sorry, Clear customer,'" Newman told TPG in an interview Monday.

In Newman's eyes, the process favors wealthy travelers; Newman filed the bill "on behalf of frustrated travelers everywhere," he said.

Newman is garnering some support for the legislation.

The American Federation of Government Employees Local 1230, which represents TSA workers in Sacramento, has signaled its support for the legislation, according to a nonpartisan analysis of