PORT OF SEATTLE 
MEMORANDUM 
COMMISSION AGENDA               Item No.      4g 
ACTION ITEM 
Date of Meeting    September 22, 2015 
DATE:    August 26, 2015 
TO:      Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
FROM:   Wendy Reiter, Director, Aviation Security and Emergency Preparedness 
Christian Samlaska, Senior Manager, Aviation Security 
SUBJECT:  Contract for Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Mandated Background
Checks 
Amount of This Request:   Estimated $3.1 million   Source of     Airport Development
Funds:                Fund 

ACTION REQUESTED 
Request Commission authorization for the Chief Executive Officer to execute a contract to
provide TSA-mandated background checks for badged employees. The total estimated value of
this request is $3.1 million for a seven-year contract (one base year with six one-year options). 
SYNOPSIS 
All regulated, commercial airports are required to conduct background checks as described in 49
CFR 1542.209 on every badged employee who may access restricted areas without going
through screening at a TSA checkpoint. The Port of Seattle now manages and distributes about
16,500 badges. The current annual growth rate (through new business and turnover) is a little
over 15 percent. The background checks are two-fold. 1) One fingerprint submission is sent
electronically to a channeling service. The information is then distributed to the FBI database for
a Criminal History Records Check (CHRC), which is returned to the airport. 2) Other data is
transmitted to the TSA for a separate Security Threat Assessment (STA). This data does not
come back to the airport; however, the TSA sends a "pass" or "fail" status to the airport for the
STA once complete. All background checks are conducted by vendors selected and certified by
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) /TSA. 
BACKGROUND 
The TSA recently issued a new mandate that requires full background checks be conducted on
all badged employees every two years. Previously, fingerprinting was only required once prior to 
the start of a job. TSA has identified three approved vendors:  Transportation Security
Clearinghouse (TSC), Telos, and MorphoTrust. However, MorphoTrust has since pulled out of
the service, leaving two vendors to choose from for the required background checks. 

Template revised May 30, 2013.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
August 26, 2015 
Page 2 of 3 

PROJECT JUSTIFICATION AND DETAILS 
Scope of Work 
Fingerprint and other data to be submitted electronically to a channeling service on all badged
employees.
Schedule 
Current contract expires December 31, 2015. The new contract date would be January 1, 2016, 
for maximum duration of seven years. 
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS 
Budget Status and Source of Funds 
The cost of the badging background check is in the annual operating budget. The funding source
is the Airport Development Fund. If we change vendors, the interface with the new vendor is
estimated to cost $40,000. 
The Aviation Credential Center operates on a cost recovery basis. The badge fee is set to recover
the Credential Center costs including these background services (fingerprinting and security
threat assessments).
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED 
Alternative 1)  Issue a competitive waiver contract to the current vendor.
Pros: 
Vendor is a known quantity and currently meeting our needs. 
The Port will not need to spend approximately $40,000 for an interface between the
new vendor system and our badging system. 
Cons: 
This is inconsistent with Port's policy to compete contracts over $150,000. 
Negotiating fair and reasonable rates on contracts without a competitive threat is more
challenging. Port may not see cost savings without competition. 
This is not the recommended alternative. 
Alternative 2)  Compete new contract.
Pros: 
We anticipate that through a competitive process, we will negotiate lower service cost.

COMMISSION AGENDA 
Ted Fick, Chief Executive Officer 
August 26, 2015 
Page 3 of 3 
Cons: 
Potential change in vendors could create some issues with transition during data
migration. A change in vendor will generate a likely cost of $40,000 for system data
migration. 
This is the recommended alternative. 
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST 
Attached Badging Projections Document 
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS 
None