Last week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) published a series of regulations regarding screening air and sea passengers, including the controversial Secure Flight program. The program, which was put into law by a final rule, gives the Transportation Security Administration completely take over screening airline passengers for names on government watch lists.

"Under [this] program, TSA would receive passenger and certain non-traveler information from aircraft operators, conduct watch-list matching, and transmit watch-list matching results back to aircraft operators," said a DHS representative.

Additional notices were published, including a system of records for the advanced passenger-information system and a final rule giving air and sea vessel operators information on where to submit electronic information on their passengers.