Security on the majority of domestic U.S.-flagged passenger vessels can be ensured without a requirement for electronic readers of crew members’ Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWICs), according to the Passenger Vessel Association (PVA). PVA made this observation in comments filed on May 26 to the Coast Guard’s regulatory docket soliciting advance comments on the possibility of a rule to require TWIC readers on certain vessels and marine facilities. Under the preliminary proposal, a TWIC reader would interact with the biometric data stored in TWICs issued to specified maritime workers to confirm the validity of the card and to verify the identity of the person using it.
