House Committee Passes Credentialing Reform Bill Championed by ATA

Sep 25, 2024

Washington - Today, the American Trucking Associations applauded the House Homeland Security Committee, led by Congressmen Mark Green (R-Tennessee) and Bennie Thompson (R-Mississippi), for passing the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act. ATA has been at the forefront of the push to pass this bipartisan legislation to eliminate redundant fees and background checks for essential supply chain workers.

"The hardworking truck drivers and other essential transportation workers who keep our supply chain running should not be saddled with redundant background checks and pay duplicative fees to obtain the credentials they need to do their jobs. Unfortunately, those who operate at ports and maritime facilities or handle hazardous materials are subject to unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles imposed by the federal government that waste their time and money," said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear. "The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act makes a simple, commonsense fix that harmonizes the administration of these important programs. We commend the Members of Congress who authored this bipartisan bill to support truckers, and we appreciate the leadership of Chairman Green and Ranking Member Thompson who advanced these long-overdue reforms through their committee."

Beginning last year, ATA assembled a group of over 150 organizations representing trucking, rail, energy, organized labor, agriculture, third-party logistics providers and other key supply chain stakeholders in support Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, which was introduced by Representatives Garret Graves (R-Louisiana), Adam Smith (D-Washington), Mark Green (R-Tennessee), Michael Guest (R-Mississippi), Salud Carbajal (D-California) and Dina Titus (D-Nevada).

The bill has been a mainstay in ATA's Call on Washington program this year, which has facilitated approximately 700 meetings between ATA's member companies and lawmakers on Capitol Hill since the beginning of this Congress. ATA also leveraged its 50-state federation to put pressure on key Members of Congress. As part of this comprehensive, ongoing advocacy effort, ATA President and CEO Chris Spear headed to Capitol Hill to meet one-on-one with the bill's original sponsors and the leaders of the Homeland Security Committee to shore up support. These visits culminated with the Homeland Security Committee announcing that it would hold today's markup.

The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act cuts through red tape to allow workers to apply existing valid background checks to multiple TSA-managed credentialing programs, such as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME) programs. By eliminating duplicative screenings and harmonizing these programs, the bill would codify formal recommendations by the Government Accountability Office dating back to 2007. These recommendations were reaffirmed in 2020 in a comprehensive security assessment conducted by the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center. The bill does not make any modifications to the backend security threat assessment conducted on individual applicants, ensuring that they undergo the same level of review as they do under current law.

The Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, led by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-Washington) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), previously voted to advance the Senate companion authored by Senators Roger Wicker (R-Mississippi), Jon Tester (D-Montana), Deb Fischer (R-Nebraska), and Angus King (I-Maine). The bill now awaits final passage by the full Senate and House