National Tank Truck Carriers and its allies are keeping the pressure on Congress to streamline Transportation Security Administration (TSA) credentialing.
The association recently joined a host of trade associations, including the American Trucking Associations, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, Truckload Carriers Association, and all 50 state trucking groups, to urge legislators to quickly pass the TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act, introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives in February and the U.S. Senate in May.
“Despite our unique perspectives on challenges facing America’s supply chains, we share the common burden of redundant background checks and duplicative fees that make it challenging and onerous for our members to obtain the security credentials they need to do their jobs,” the coalition wrote in its July 11 letter to Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), and Reps. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) and John Katko (R-N.Y.).
“The (act) would create efficiencies for both the government and supply chain workers by harmonizing programs that require the same background check, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME), and TSA PreCheck programs.”
See also: Senators intro bill to streamline TSA credentialing
The bipartisan bill would codify formal recommendations delivered in 2007 for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to eliminate redundancies in TSA credentialing. DHS tasked the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center (HSOAC) with assessing the TWIC program’s security value, and HSOAC recommended DHS allow applicants to apply valid background checks to multiple TSA-managed credentialing programs “to reduce costs and hassle” for users, the coalition reminded legislators in its letter.
“The TSA Security Threat Assessment Application Modernization Act is a long overdue solution for essential workers like truck drivers, pipeline operators, longshore workers, and warehouse managers, among many others, who must obtain these credentials as a condition of employment,” argued the coalition, which also included the Association of American Railroads, Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference, National Association of Chemical Distributors, and National Private Truck Council, among many others.
