The TWIC Readers are devices that would allow for biometric verification of the identity of the person issued the card. Until those readers are approved by TSA and the regulations put into place regarding the use of those readers the full value of the TWIC program will not be realized. TSA recently completed a field study of the use of a variety of different TWIC Readers and the report on that study should be sent to Congress in the near future. This study was one of the prerequisites to being able to formulate the TWIC Reader regulations.
The first of the TWICs issued are set to begin expiring next year. In a press release dated yesterday, Rep. Thompson, the Ranking Member of the Committee, said:
“Hard working transportation workers shouldn’t have to go through the time and expense of renewing their TWICs if DHS doesn’t even have a finalized plan for deployment of the readers. My bill will address this unique problem by delaying the necessary renewal of these expensive cards until DHS issues the final reader rule or December 31, 2014, whichever is earlier.”Readers of this blog should recall that TSA currently plans to issue their notice of proposed rule making (NPRM) for the TWIC Reader rule in November of this year. This should allow for the issuance of the final rule before the December 2014th date mentioned in this bill.
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3 comments:
PJ,
Actually the TWIC Reader rule will be a Coast Guard rulemaking--they released the ANPRM a while back. TSA is only running the Pilot Study.
Regards,
JB
The TWIC is only a money making scam that enriches Lockheed Martin (they make the TWIC) and the company that makes the TWIC Max500 (TWIC CARD Reader. TSA states it is required, while at the very SAME TIME (read the TWIC App yourself)"Possession of a TWIC is no guarantee that it will be accepted because the OWNER of the facilty can REFUSE you entrance even with TWIC". So how can the TSA say it's required when the owner of PRIVATE PROPERTY the TSA says it's required for can refuse you entrance? Also the TWIC violates the Bill of Rights (4th and 5th Amd)it is a compelled application, and PURCHASE of a military contractors PRODUCT. TSA has it set up so that private sector workers cannot work or even APPLY for work untill you PURCHASE a TWIC. It IS a scam that violates the Constitution and your right to work.
PJ, an issue to be considered: one of the (possible) advantages to a full re-issuing of TWIC's is that the current plan involves putting every application through the same three-pronged background check that occurred when the original application was filed.
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