The federal government passed the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act into law late last month, streamlining background checks for commercial carriers.
The law cuts redundancies across the Transportation Worker Identification Credential and the Hazardous Materials Endorsement programs. Congress passed the bill on December 18, and President Biden signed the bill into law on December 23.
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The Department of Homeland Security runs several, often redundant, background check programs from multiple agencies. Under the Transportation Security Administration, the TWIC and HME programs both collect similar information and follow a similar enrollment process.
Separate registration processes
Carriers must have TWIC registration to access many maritime facilities and HME registration to transfer hazardous materials. Before the latest bill became law, TWIC and HME operated independently. They had different processing times, required separate appointments, and charged different fees.
With the passage of the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, the process will be simpler. TSA will require only one application fee and one in-person appointment for both credentials.
The bill does not take immediate effect. The bill allows TSA at least two years to consolidate its TWIC/HME registration processes.
Trucking industry supports the law
When the bill passed the U.S. Senate, the American Trucking Associations and National Tank Trunk Carriers applauded the measure.
“By streamlining the administration of these important programs, this bipartisan legislation will make it easier and less costly for hardworking Americans to obtain the credentials they need to do their jobs,” ATA’s president and CEO Chris Spear said. “We commend the members of Congress who authored this bipartisan bill to support truckers, and we look forward to working with them to ensure this bill becomes law by the end of this year.”
NTTC's director of education and government relations, Will Lusk, shared a similar approval.
“NTTC is fully supportive of the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, a commonsense solution to address time and financial burdens for credentialing tank truck drivers," Lusk said. “At a time where truck driver shortages are affecting the deliveries of vital commodities, this bill provides much-needed relief that will ultimately benefit the American public at large.”
