[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3959 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
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118th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3959
To require the Transportation Security Administration to streamline the
enrollment processes for individuals applying for a Transportation
Security Administration security threat assessment for certain
programs, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential
and Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment programs of the
Administration, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
March 14, 2024
Mr. Wicker (for himself, Mr. King, Mrs. Fischer, and Mr. Tester)
introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require the Transportation Security Administration to streamline the
enrollment processes for individuals applying for a Transportation
Security Administration security threat assessment for certain
programs, including the Transportation Worker Identification Credential
and Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment programs of the
Administration, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Transportation Security Screening
Modernization Act''.
SEC. 2. STREAMLINING OF APPLICATIONS FOR CERTAIN SECURITY THREAT
ASSESSMENT PROGRAMS OF THE TRANSPORTATION SECURITY
ADMINISTRATION.
(a) Streamlining.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 2 years after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the
Transportation Security Administration (in this section
referred to as the ``TSA'') shall take such actions as are
necessary, including issuance of an interim final rule if
needed, to streamline the procedures for individuals applying
for or renewing enrollment in more than one TSA security threat
assessment program, in particular, the TWIC and HAZMAT
Endorsement programs, and any other credentialing programs as
determined by the Administrator, by--
(A) permitting an individual to enroll at any TSA
authorized enrollment center once for a threat
assessment program endorsement and use the application,
including associated biometric and biographic data, as
well as information generated by TSA's vetting, for one
of such programs to enroll in any other of such
programs;
(B) permitting an individual to visit any TSA
authorized enrollment center and enroll in more than
one TSA security threat assessment program at the same
time for a fee that is less than the cumulative fee
that would otherwise be incurred for each such program
separately;
(C) permitting an individual to undergo a
streamlined and expeditious renewal process;
(D) aligning the expiration of an individual's
successful, valid eligibility determination with the
expiration of that individual's eligibility to
participate in subsequent TSA security threat
assessment programs to which the individual applies;
(E) providing to States the expiration dates for
each individual's TSA security threat assessment to
ensure a commercial driver's license of an individual
who holds a HAZMAT Endorsement does not indicate the
individual is authorized to transport hazardous
materials after the expiration date of the enrollment
of the individual in the HAZMAT Endorsement security
threat assessment program if such commercial driver's
license has an expiration date that is different from
the expiration date of such enrollment; and
(F) enrolling an individual in a subsequent TSA
security threat assessment program at the minimum cost
necessary for the TSA to cover printing costs and costs
associated with the collection of any additional
biometric and biographic data in accordance with
paragraph (3).
(2) State requirements for streamlining.--Not later than 6
months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the States
shall carry out the responsibilities of the States pursuant to
section 5103a of title 49, United States Code.
(3) Special rule.--If an individual under this subsection
is at different times applying for or renewing enrollment in
more than one TSA security threat assessment program, such
individual may be required to revisit a TSA authorized
enrollment center for the collection of additional data, such
as biometrics, necessary for any such program that were not so
collected in connection with any other such program.
(b) Publication.--The Administrator of the TSA shall post on a
publicly available website of the TSA information relating to the
streamlining of the enrollment processes for individuals applying for
more than one TSA security threat assessment program described in
subsection (a).
(c) Expedited Rulemaking.--Notwithstanding sections 551 through 559
of title 5, United States Code, nothing in this section shall require
notice and comment rulemaking, and to the extent it is necessary to add
additional requirements for which limited rulemaking may be advisable,
the Administrator of the TSA shall implement such requirements through
publication of an interim final rule.
(d) Briefing.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the TSA shall brief
Congress on progress made toward the implementation of this section.
(e) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) HAZMAT endorsement.--The term ``HAZMAT Endorsement''
means the Hazardous Materials Endorsement Threat Assessment
program authorized under section 5103a of title 49, United
States Code.
(2) TWIC.--The term ``TWIC'' means the Transportation
Worker Identification Credential authorized under section 70105
of title 46, United States Code.
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