[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 188 (Wednesday, December 18, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7345-H7348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY SCREENING MODERNIZATION ACT OF 2024
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and
pass the bill (S. 3959) to require the Transportation Security
Administration to streamline the enrollment processes for individuals
applying for a Transportation Security Administration security threat
assessment for certain programs, including the Transportation Worker
Identification Credential and Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat
Assessment programs of the Administration, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 3959
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transportation Security
Screening Modernization Act of 2024''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
(2) HAZMAT endorsement.--The term ``HAZMAT Endorsement''
means the Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment
program authorized under section 5103a of title 49, United
States Code.
(3) State.--The term ``State'' means each of the several
States, the District of Columbia, and the territories and
possessions of the United States.
(4) TSA.--The term ``TSA'' means the Transportation
Security Administration.
(5) TWIC.--The term ``TWIC'' means the Transportation
Worker Identification Credential authorized under section
70105 of title 46, United States Code.
SEC. 3. STREAMLINING OF APPLICATIONS FOR CERTAIN SECURITY
THREAT ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS OF THE
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Streamlining.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall take such
actions as are necessary, including issuance of an interim
final rule if needed, to streamline the procedures for
individuals applying for or renewing enrollment in more than
one TSA security threat assessment program, in particular,
the TWIC and HAZMAT Endorsement programs, and any other
credentialing
[[Page H7346]]
programs as determined by the Administrator, by--
(A) permitting an individual to enroll at any TSA
authorized enrollment center once for a threat assessment
program endorsement and use the application, including
associated biometric and biographic data, as well as
information generated by TSA's vetting, for one of such
programs to enroll in any other of such programs;
(B) permitting an individual to visit any TSA authorized
enrollment center and enroll in more than one TSA security
threat assessment program at the same time for a fee that is
less than the cumulative fee that would otherwise be incurred
for each such program separately;
(C) permitting an individual to undergo a streamlined and
expeditious renewal process;
(D) aligning the expiration of an individual's successful,
valid eligibility determination with the expiration of that
individual's eligibility to participate in subsequent TSA
security threat assessment programs to which the individual
applies;
(E) providing to States the expiration dates for each
individual's TSA security threat assessment to ensure a
commercial driver's license of an individual who holds a
HAZMAT Endorsement does not indicate the individual is
authorized to transport hazardous materials after the
expiration date of the enrollment of the individual in the
HAZMAT Endorsement security threat assessment program if such
commercial driver's license has an expiration date that is
different from the expiration date of such enrollment; and
(F) enrolling an individual in a subsequent TSA security
threat assessment program at the minimum cost necessary for
the TSA to cover printing, issuance, and case management
costs, costs associated with the collection of any additional
biometric and biographic data in accordance with paragraph
(3), and other costs that are not duplicative.
(2) State requirements for streamlining.--Not later than 6
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the
States shall carry out the responsibilities of the States
pursuant to section 5103a of title 49, United States Code.
(3) Special rule.--If an individual under this subsection
is at different times applying for or renewing enrollment in
more than one TSA security threat assessment program, such
individual may be required to revisit a TSA authorized
enrollment center for the collection of additional data, such
as biometrics, necessary for any such program that were not
so collected in connection with any other such program.
(b) Publication.--The Administrator shall post on a
publicly available website of the TSA information relating to
the streamlining of the enrollment processes for individuals
applying for more than one TSA security threat assessment
program described in subsection (a).
(c) Expedited Rulemaking.--Notwithstanding sections 551
through 559 of title 5, United States Code, nothing in this
section shall require notice and comment rulemaking, and to
the extent it is necessary to add additional requirements for
which limited rulemaking may be advisable, the Administrator
shall implement such requirements through publication of an
interim final rule.
(d) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall brief
Congress on progress made toward the implementation of this
section.
SEC. 4. ELIMINATING DUPLICATIVE COSTS.
(a) Audit.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall audit the administration of the security threat
assessment programs by the TSA and the States, including the
TWIC and HAZMAT Endorsement programs.
(b) Elements.--
(1) TSA audit.--In conducting the audit of the TSA required
by subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall--
(A) identify any redundancies and duplications in costs and
administration of security threat assessment programs that if
eliminated would not impact national security and any
benefits of eliminating such redundancies and duplications
and improving the experiences for individuals applying for or
renewing enrollment in more than one TSA security threat
assessment program;
(B) review the impacts of the implementation by the TSA of
recommendations from previous studies conducted by the
Comptroller General, including GAO-07-756 and GAO-17-182, on
increasing the efficiency and effectiveness, and reducing
costs, of processing applications for enrollment and renewal
in TSA security threat assessment programs;
(C) review the findings of the assessment required by
section 1(b) of the Act entitled ``An Act to require the
Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare a comprehensive
security assessment of the transportation security card
program, and for other purposes'', approved December 16, 2016
(46 U.S.C. 70105 note; Public Law 114-278) and determine
whether the TSA has implemented any remedies to redundancies
and duplication identified by that assessment and whether
such implementation impacted national security;
(D) determine whether there are unique challenges rural
applicants have with accessing TSA security threat assessment
programs;
(E) assess the numbers and locations of enrollment centers
for meeting the needs of such programs, including determining
the access provided to rural applicants;
(F) identify potential opportunities that exist to improve
the enrollment center operations of and customer experience
with such programs;
(G) identify potential opportunities to harmonize the
enrollment, vetting, and renewal processes of such programs
in which similar information is collected for similar
security threat assessment processes for different vetted
credentials while not impacting national security;
(H) identify other ways the TSA can reduce the costs of the
TSA security threat assessment programs while not impacting
national security; and
(I) review the vetting, application, and enrollment
processes of each TSA security threat assessment program.
(2) State audit.--In conducting the audit of the States
required by subsection (a), the Comptroller General shall
review--
(A) the administration of the HAZMAT Endorsement program by
the States;
(B) methods by which the States could streamline the HAZMAT
Endorsement program; and
(C) any potential barriers States face administering TSA
security threat assessment programs for individuals applying
to TWIC and the HAZMAT Endorsement program or individuals
that already have a TWIC credential.
(c) Report and Recommendations.--Not later than 180 days
after the date of the completion of the audit required by
subsection (a), the Comptroller General of the United States
shall submit to the Administrator, the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and the Committee
on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives a report
that includes--
(1) a summary and analysis of the costs associated with the
operation and administration of each individual TSA security
threat assessment program;
(2) a summary and analysis of the application and
enrollment costs associated with providing an individual
multiple credentials under TSA security threat assessment
programs;
(3) an identification of any potential duplicative
processes associated with an applicant applying for, or the
vetting or enrollment by the TSA of an individual in, a
subsequent or multiple TSA security threat assessment
programs;
(4) a breakdown of costs borne by applicants for current
enrollment and renewal processes of such programs;
(5) ways to improve access to such programs, including for
rural applicants;
(6) any potential recommendations to the TSA for reducing
costs and streamlining the administration and operation of
each TSA security threat assessment program while not
impacting national security;
(7) any potential recommendations for the TSA to administer
such programs in a way that would improve national security;
and
(8) any potential recommendations for ways States can
improve their role in administering the HAZMAT Endorsement
program and streamline the application process or reduce
costs for individuals seeking multiple transportation
security credentials.
(d) Implementation.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of
the receipt of the report required by subsection (c), the
Administrator shall--
(A) implement the recommendations from such report;
(B) provide to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and
Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Homeland
Security of the House of Representatives a written
notification detailing--
(i) the timeline for implementation of each recommendation
from the report;
(ii) justifications for any implementation timeline lasting
longer than 2 years; and
(iii) justifications for recommendations that the
Administrator has declined to pursue or implement.
(2) Briefings.--Not later than 60 days after the date of
the receipt of the report required by subsection (c), and
annually thereafter until the date that the TSA has
implemented each recommendation made in such report, the
Administrator shall brief the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives on the
implementation of recommendations from the report.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Tennessee (Mr. Green) and the gentleman from New York (Mr. Kennedy)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Tennessee.
General Leave
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all
Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise extend their remarks
and to include extraneous material on S. 3959.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from Tennessee?
There was no objection.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
[[Page H7347]]
I rise today in support of S. 3959, the Transportation Security
Screening Modernization Act of 2024, which will streamline the
background check and credentialing processes for American truck drivers
across the United States. Truck drivers are a vital element of the U.S.
supply chain that touch every sector of our economy.
From the food on your table to the lifesaving medicine at the
pharmacy to the gas pump, truck drivers are an essential part of our
daily lives that often go overlooked.
As it currently stands, truck drivers who transport hazardous
materials or require access to secure areas of regulated maritime
facilities in the United States must undergo separate background checks
for the credentials they need to do their jobs, even though the
background checks are the exact same.
This bill would streamline credentialing for America's truck drivers
by eliminating duplicative background checks administered by the TSA.
S. 3959 will allow truck drivers to apply for and enroll in any
security threat assessment program administered by the TSA for the
credentials they need based on only one background check, not multiple
threat assessment programs.
We depend on our truck drivers every day, and I firmly believe that
we should make their lives easier by streamlining their credentialing
process.
I am proud to be an original cosponsor of the House companion to this
bill, H.R. 5840, and I am grateful to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr.
Graves) for his leadership in the House, as well as Senator Wicker of
Mississippi for bringing forth this important piece of legislation.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, many U.S. truck drivers and other transportation workers
must undergo Transportation Security Administration background checks
as a requirement for employment.
Workers requiring access to secure areas within maritime posts must
undergo a background check to receive a Transportation Worker
Identification Credential known as a TWIC.
Likewise, truck drivers authorized to transport hazardous materials
must undergo a background check to receive hazardous materials or
hazmat endorsement.
In fact, many workers with both a TWIC and a hazmat endorsement--and
though TSA has made some progress in reducing requirements for such
workers--they are still subject to far too many duplicative burdens and
costs.
The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act of 2024 would
help eliminate and ease those burdens by streamlining requirements and
reducing costs.
Importantly, the bill will push TSA and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation to allow truck drivers and other individuals to visit a
TSA enrollment center once and use their application to enroll in
multiple programs.
This bill will reduce barriers to employment for these essential
workers who are keeping our economy moving.
I urge my colleagues to support this bill.
Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may
consume to the gentleman from Louisiana (Mr. Graves), the sponsor and
author of the House version of this bill.
Mr. GRAVES of Louisiana. Mr. Speaker, this legislation is common
sense. Why does a patient not go through the same open heart surgery
twice? Because you fixed it, you addressed the problem.
In this case, if you have someone that is a truck driver, someone
that is a port worker, and they have to get a TWIC card, they have to
go through a background check. If they also have to get a hazardous
materials endorsement, they have to go through a background check, the
same background check.
Einstein is often credited with the quote that the definition of
insanity is expecting a different outcome from the same process. I know
that a lot of people have said he didn't really say that, but accuracy
has never ever prevented anyone on the House floor from saying
something.
The reality is why would you do it twice? It costs additional money,
and it takes additional time to do that.
In my home State of Louisiana, one in every five jobs are tied back
to our waterways, one in every five. If you are going to delay these
workers, the availability of workers, that impacts our supply chain by
making them go through this same process twice, by delaying them
months, by costing them additional dollars, it simply doesn't make
sense.
I thank Chairman Mark Green for working with us on this. I thank
Ranking Member Adam Smith. I thank Ms. Titus from Nevada, Mr. Carbajal,
and many others that worked with us on a bipartisan basis to apply this
commonsense legislation and fix this problem, help with government
efficiency, and get our supply chain back in order.
Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of the legislation.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from
Washington (Mr. Smith) an original cosponsor of the House version of
this legislation.
Mr. SMITH of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I thank Chairman Green, Mr.
Graves, and all the people that have been involved in this process. It
is, as has been described, a very commonsense fix that really affects a
lot of blue-collar workers.
If you work in a job that takes you into secure transportation
environments, you are required to go through a very cumbersome process
and also pay fees to get the security clearance to do that job. The
fees are redundant, the process is redundant, and it is an incredible
burden on workers just trying to do their job. This bill makes a ton of
sense, fixes the process, reduces the fees, streamlines the process, is
going to make it easier for workers all across the country, and it is
something we need to work on.
In my own world in the Department of Defense we have a similar
problem with security clearances taking forever and in many cases being
redundant, so I hope this is an idea that will spread. We need workers
to go to work for us. Yes, we need security, but the process takes too
long, it is redundant, and it costs too much. I hope this can be an
inspiration to fix it.
The last thing I want to say is that I first heard about this issue--
and I think this is the coolest thing about this legislation--from a
constituent, Van Hurst, who was a Teamster and a truck driver at the
time, who experienced this process, alerted my office to the problem,
and it led to our involvement in this legislation.
A lot of people say that the system doesn't work; nobody ever listens
to us. This is an average constituent, a truck driver in my district,
who had a problem and brought it to us. We worked through the process,
and now today we are about to pass the Senate bill, solve the problem,
send it off to the President where it will be signed, and the problem
will be fixed.
For all constituents out there frustrated, irritated, aggravated
about all the things that aren't happening, bring your problems to us.
We will do our level best to listen and try to solve them. It doesn't
always work. It is a big, complicated democracy, a lot of people with a
lot of voices, but it works far more often than people realize.
I will close with another shout-out to Van Hurst, a Teamster from the
city of Kent in the Ninth Congressional District who brought this to my
attention, and we are now working to solve the problem.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and as such, I
yield myself the balance of my time.
Mr. Speaker, TSA's vetting programs are critical to ensuring the
security of our Nation's transportation systems. At the same time, we
must ensure these programs do not place unnecessary burdens on
frontline workers.
The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act of 2024 will
help reduce these burdens while upholding security.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to support this measure, and I yield
back the balance of my time.
Mr. GREEN of Tennessee. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my
time.
I, too, want to thank Mr. Graves and Ranking Member Smith. I urge my
colleagues to support S. 3959, and I yield back the balance of my time.
[[Page H7348]]
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Molinaro). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Tennessee (Mr. Green) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 3959.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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