On March 2 the Transportation Security Administration announced a new pat-down procedure for travelers opting out of the body scanning machine or who have set off alarms.

According to a release from the TSA, the new pat-down method is a consolidation of previously used disparate techniques.

"This standardized pat-down procedure continues to utilize enhanced security measures implemented several months ago," TSA said, "and does not involve any different areas of the body than were screened in the previous standard pat-down procedure."

Portland International Airport said they were unable to comment on what the changes would mean for travelers coming through PDX but according an article last week from Bloomberg, Denver International Airport "notified employees and flight crews on Thursday that the 'more rigorous' searches 'will be more thorough and may involve an officer making more intimate contact than before.'"

"I would say people who in the past would have gotten a pat-down that wasn't involved will notice that the [new] pat-down is more involved," TSA spokesman Bruce Anderson told Bloomberg.

TSA hasn't revealed its actual pat-down procedures step-by-step but the LA Times reported earlier this week that "the industry is bracing for passenger unhappiness about more invasive searches."

TSA said that officers have "received formal instructor-led, classroom training" on what they call "the UPD."

The tightening of TSA rules comes even as a new budget from the Trump administration calls for about an 11 percent reduction in the TSA's funding to help pay for the president's multibillion-dollar border wall and his strike on illegal immigrants.

Anyone looking to attempt to avoid the new pat-down during spring break can apply for TSA Pre-Check. In fact, on Thursday, TSA spokesperson Nico Melendez be on hand at the TSA Pre-Check application center at 10643 NE Sandy Boulevard from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. to answer questions about the process.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052

lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker