The proposal could make it even harder for short-staffed agencies to attract and hire new employees.

Additional security vetting for prospective public transit employees proposed by the Transportation Security Agency is intended to improve security in sensitive positions, reports Molly Weisner in Federal Times.
“TSA said this program will mimic others that have put employees through similar vetting procedures over the years, like screenings given to maritime employees and longshoremen. It also said that today it can take advantage of technology and capabilities for vetting that have matured since the early 2000s, with new electronic processes that are faster and more accurate.”
However, “some municipal transportation authorities said they’re concerned about this program deterring much-needed job applicants with just more hoops to jump through and created added financial constraints.” The program would also charge applicants for the cost of the additional checks.
“Another aspect of the proposed change would include continuous monitoring of an employee’s file by running the collected data against watchlists each time they are updated,” Weisner adds.
FULL STORY: TSA proposes additional background checks of US public transit workers

Alabama: Trump Terminates Settlements for Black Communities Harmed By Raw Sewage
Trump deemed the landmark civil rights agreement “illegal DEI and environmental justice policy.”

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

The 120 Year Old Tiny Home Villages That Sheltered San Francisco’s Earthquake Refugees
More than a century ago, San Francisco mobilized to house thousands of residents displaced by the 1906 earthquake. Could their strategy offer a model for the present?

Rural Missouri Transit Service Could Lose State Funding
OATS Transit offers low-cost rides to primarily elderly rural residents with little or no access to other transportation options.

Opinion: California’s SB 79 Would Improve Housing Affordability and Transit Access
A proposed bill would legalize transit-oriented development statewide.

Record Temperatures Prompt Push for Environmental Justice Bills
Nevada legislators are proposing laws that would mandate heat mitigation measures to protect residents from the impacts of extreme heat.
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