[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 39 (Tuesday, March 15, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E495]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          THE TWIC PROGRAM ACT

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BENNIE G. THOMPSON

                             of mississippi

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 15, 2011

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to introduce 
legislation today with the following Democratic Members of the 
Committee on Homeland Security: Ms. Loretta Sanchez, Ms. Sheila Jackson 
Lee, Mr. Henry Cuellar, and Mr. Cedric Richmond.
  The SAFE Port Act of 2006 authorizes the Transportation Worker 
Identification Credential (TWIC) Program to be administered jointly by 
the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and Coast Guard within 
the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The TWIC program is focused 
on protecting the Nation's maritime transportation facilities and 
vessels by requiring maritime workers and other workers who need 
unescorted access to secure port facilities to obtain a biometric 
identification card.
  After initial delays, all maritime workers were required to obtain 
biometric TWICs by April 2009. The initial cost to workers for these 
cards is $132.50 per credential, and in the event that a card is lost, 
stolen, or damaged, a replacement TWIC costs $60.00. To date, over 1.8 
million longshoremen, truckers, merchant mariners, and rail and vessel 
crew members have undergone extensive homeland security and criminal 
background checks to obtain TWICs.
  However, the full promise of a biometric access security system has 
not been realized, as DHS has made little progress in deploying TWIC 
card readers to ports and vessels. TSA was two years late in starting a 
pilot program for the readers, even as workers raced to obtain TWICs to 
continue working in our Nation's ports. Finally, in April 2009, TSA 
commenced a limited pilot program to test the business processes, 
technology, and operational impacts necessary for full deployment of 
the TWIC readers.
  The law requires DHS to issue final regulations for the deployment of 
TWIC readers based on the results of these pilots by April 2011. TSA 
has said that it expects to complete the pilots by August 2011 and that 
Coast Guard would then issue final regulations in late 2012. Under 
current law, starting in October 2012, workers would be required to 
renew their TWICs, even though DHS has yet to issue regulations 
requiring TWIC readers.
  In the interest of security and in order not to place an undue burden 
on workers, I am introducing legislation to ensure that the full 
promise of the TWIC program is realized. The ``TWIC Program Act'' 
ensures that Transportation Worker Identification Credentials held by 
workers for unescorted access to port facilities are valid until the 
earlier of (1) the deadline for full implementation of a final rule by 
the Department of Homeland Security for readers to be installed as a 
security measure to verify the identity of TWIC card holders against 
the credential presented to gain access to our Nation's maritime ports; 
or (2) December 31, 2014.
  This legislation will help ensure that the full promise of the TWIC 
program is realized. I look forward to working with the Senate and the 
rest of our colleagues on a bipartisan, bicameral basis to see that 
this bill is enacted.