Credentialing Reform Bill for Truck Drivers Nears Final Approval

On December 18, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act, legislation that now awaits President Biden’s signature to become law.

Statement from the American Trucking Associations

“For far too long, the truck drivers who keep our country running have been subjected to an outdated, inefficient credentialing system that does not respect their time and money.  That begins to change today.  By taking the final step needed to eliminate unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles, Congress will provide essential supply chain workers with overdue relief from redundant background checks and fees,” said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear. “The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act is a bipartisan victory for common sense.  We commend Members of Congress, especially Senator Roger Wicker and Congressman Garret Graves, who stood up for truckers, making it easier and less costly for hardworking Americans to obtain the credentials they need to do their jobs.”

Bipartisan Support

ATA praised several key lawmakers for their role in advancing this bipartisan bill, including Representatives Garret Graves (R-La.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.), and Dina Titus (D-Nev.). House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.) also played an instrumental role in ensuring a vote before the end of the congressional session. The bill, which was introduced in the Senate by Sens. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Deb Fischer (R-Neb.), and Angus King (I-Maine), passed the Senate unanimously last month.

Key Provisions

The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act is designed to streamline security screening processes for supply chain workers by allowing them to apply existing valid background checks to multiple TSA-managed credentialing programs. These programs include the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) and Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME). By eliminating redundant screenings and aligning these programs, the bill seeks to implement recommendations from the Government Accountability Office as early as 2007, which were reaffirmed in a 2020 security assessment by the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center.