The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced the issuance of the final rule for the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program, which
enhances port security by checking the backgrounds of workers before they
are granted unescorted access to secure areas of vessels and maritime
facilities.
The rule was posted publicly on TSA's web site Jan. 1, 2007 and
has been delivered to the Federal Register for posting in the coming days.
The rule lays out the enrollment process, disqualifying crimes, usage
procedures, fees and other requirements for workers, port owners, and
operators. These guidelines allow the industry, government and public to
prepare for the implementation of this important security program.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Coast
Guard held four
public meetings around the nation and received more than
1,900 comments regarding the initial draft of this federal rule. Comments
were filed by workers, port facility owners and operators, small businesses
and others who would be affected by the
new program. All comments were
carefully considered in the development of the final rule.