Bill to Reform TWIC Application Process Introduced in the House
On October 12, 2011, Representative Scalise (R-LA) and five co-sponsors introduced H.R. 3173 in the House to direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to reform the process for the enrollment, activation, issuance, and renewal of a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) to require, in total, not more than one in-person visit to a designated enrollment center.
Sign up for a free preview to unlock the rest of this article
Timely, relevant coverage of court proceedings and agency rulings involving tariffs, classification, valuation, origin and antidumping and countervailing duties. Each day, Trade Law Daily subscribers receive a daily headline email, in-depth PDF edition and access to all relevant documents via our trade law source document library and website.
Bill Would Require No More than One Visit to an Enrollment Center
The bill states that TWIC applicants must pay $132.50 to obtain the TWIC and make two or more trips to an enrollment center to apply for, and then to pick up and activate, their TWIC. To avoid further imposing unnecessary and costly regulatory burdens on U.S. workers and businesses, the bill states that it is urgent that the TWIC application process be reformed by not later than the end of 2012, when hundreds of thousands of current TWIC holders will begin to face the requirement to renew their TWICs.
(See ITT's Online Archives 111101709 for summary of the introduction of H.R. 3173 into the House.
See ITT's Online Archives [11091310] for summary of the Senate Appropriations Committee's 2012 funding bill, which would direct the Transportation Security Administration to expand TWIC enrollment centers.
See ITT's Online Archives 11051120 for summary of the GAO and others' testimonies on credentialing shortcomings, TWIC deficiencies, and issues with TWIC readers during a May 2011 hearing. GAO reports that during covert tests, its investigators were able to access ports using counterfeit TWICs, authenticate TWICs acquired through fraudulent means, and false business cases.
See ITT’s Online Archives 11022440 for summary announcing that the Office of Management and Budget approved a Coast Guard prerule on the TWIC card reader requirements in February 2011.
See ITT's Online Archives 11032432 for summary of a House bill that, if enacted, would allow mandatory renewal of TWICs to be delayed.)
H.R. 3173 is available here.