Supreme Court Leaves TSA Mask Mandate Ruling in Place

Supreme Court Leaves TSA Mask Mandate Ruling in Place
Passengers wait in line for screening at a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoint at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago, Ill. on Oct. 19, 2020. Scott Olson/Getty Images
Matthew Vadum
Matthew Vadum
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The Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal on Oct. 31, leaving in place a federal appeals court ruling that allowed the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to require the wearing of masks on airplanes, trains, and buses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Although the TSA abandoned its mask mandate in April, the decision allows a Dec. 10, 2021, ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to remain on the books as a legal precedent that the government may rely upon in the future.