TSA will double the minimum fines for travelers who refuse to wear masks to $ 500

Travelers who refuse to wear masks could soon receive fines of up to $ 3,000.

The Transportation Security Administration said Thursday it is doubling fines for travelers who fail to comply with a federal mask warrant for air, bus and other forms of transportation. Minimum fines will double, starting at $ 500, and rise to $ 3,000 for repeat offenders.

The Biden administration last month extended the mandate of the federal mask for air, bus and train travel until Jan. 18 in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19 as infections grew throughout the country. It was scheduled to expire in mid-September.

Airline crews have been tasked with enforcing the federal mask policy on aircraft and have repeatedly complained about increased unruly passenger behavior, many of these cases related to warrant violations.

Disputes over compliance with federal aircraft mask rules were cited in nearly 75% of the nearly 4,200 cases of undisciplined passengers the Federal Aviation Administration received this year.

“If you break the rules, be prepared to pay,” President Joe Biden said Thursday, announcing widespread measures aimed at suppressing Covid, including vaccine mandate plans that would apply to millions of U.S. workers. .

“And by the way, show some respect,” Biden said, after a wave of cases of undisciplined and sometimes violent behavior toward flight attendants. “It’s wrong. It’s ugly.”