*The White House National Science and Technology Council Subcommittee on Biometrics and Identity Management has issued for public comment a draft standards registry that lists recommended standards to enable government agencies to easily share biometric data. For example, the use of such standards ensures that biometric data on known or suspected terrorists collected by the Defense Department in war zones are also useable by the Department of Homeland Security’s screening operations at U.S. border crossings, according to the National Institute for Standards and Technology. Additional information about the NSTC’s biometrics subcommittee can be found at biometrics.gov/nstc and the standards registry is available at biometrics.gov/standards. Comments on the draft standards can be sent to [email protected] by March 10.
*The FBI has named West Virginia University as its lead academic partner in biometrics research, which means its role is to provide biometrics research support to the FBI and its law enforcement and national security partners and serve as the FBI liaison to the academic community of biometric researchers nationwide. Under an agreement WVU is the academic arm of the FBI’s new Biometric Center of Excellence. The Center of Excellence will coordinate biometric and identity management activities within the FBI and partner with other U.S. government agencies.
*The Transportation Security Administration says it is piloting a new checkpoint lane process in Salt Lake City, Utah, where passengers can choose between three lanes based on their own circumstances. The security standard is unchanged. The lanes are marked after ski icons, green for beginners, blue for intermediate and black for expert. The green lane is for families traveling with children or people who need special assistance. Blue is for casual travelers who are somewhat familiar with the procedures and have multiple carry- on bags. Black is for travelers who know the procedures well and arrive at the checkpoint with appropriate items removed and limited carry-on luggage. “Passengers will ultimately determine the success of the pilot,” TSA says. The agency plans to test the black lane concept in Denver shortly.
*Correction: In the Feb. 6 issue of TR2, Luke Thomas of FLO should have been quoted as saying, “I’m not going to make excuses,” in his reference to losing the Registered Traveler competition to Verified Identity Pass for Washington D.C. area airports.