Many vessel and port workers for PVA members in Florida not only have to contend with the Coast Guard-required Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC), but they also must obtain the Florida Uniform Port Access Credential (FUPAC). This state-mandated requirement was authorized before the TWIC rule went into effect, but in many ways the background checks associated with the two credentials are duplicative.
Congresswoman Kathy Castor of Florida will introduce an amendment in the U.S. House of Representatives to prohibit a state from requiring security background checks for maritime workers that duplicate those already performed by the federal government. She wants to add the amendment to H.R. 2200, a bill authorizing funds for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). PVA commended Congresswoman Castor for her efforts, saying that requiring a TWIC for certain individuals that work on a dinner cruise, harbor excursion, or sightseeing vessel is burdensome and expensive enough.