Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act

Summary: Essential Transportation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to submit to Congress and the Comptroller General (GAO) a comprehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the transportation security card program at enhancing security and reducing security risks for maritime facilities and vessels. Requires the assessment to be conducted, to the extent practicable, by a national laboratory within the DHS laboratory network or a maritime security university-based center within the DHS centers of excellence network. Directs the Secretary to submit to Congress a corrective action plan responding to the assessment which: (1) includes an implementation plan with benchmarks, and (2) shall be considered in any DHS rulemaking with respect to the transportation security card program. Directs the Comptroller General, within 120 days after the corrective action plan is issued, to: (1) review the extent to which it implements the recommendations of the national laboratory or the maritime security university-based center and of the Comptroller General, and (2) inform Congress as to the plan's responsiveness to such recommendations. Prohibits the Secretary from issuing a final rule requiring the use of transportation security card readers until: (1) the Comptroller General informs Congress that the submission is responsive to the GAO recommendations, and (2) the Secretary issues an updated list of transportation security card readers that are compatible with active transportation security cards. Requires the Comptroller General to report to Congress on implementation of the plan at least 18 months after it is issued, and every 6 months thereafter for the ensuing 3-year period. Declares that no additional funds are authorized to carry out this Act. Requires this Act to be carried out using amounts otherwise available for the purpose.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Essential Transportation Worker 
Identification Credential Assessment Act''.

SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY ASSESSMENT OF THE TRANSPORTATION 
              SECURITY CARD PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--Not later than one year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit 
to the Committee on Homeland Security and the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and 
the Comptroller General of the United States a comprehensive assessment 
of the effectiveness of the transportation security card program under 
section 70105 of title 46, United States Code, at enhancing security 
and reducing security risks for facilities and vessels regulated 
pursuant to section 102 of Public Law 107-295. Such assessment shall be 
conducted by a national laboratory that, to the extent practicable, is 
within the Department of Homeland Security laboratory network with 
expertise in maritime security or by a maritime security university-
based center within the Department of Homeland Security centers of 
excellence network.
    (b) Contents.--The comprehensive assessment shall include--
            (1) an evaluation of the extent to which the program, as 
        implemented, addresses known or likely security risks in the 
        maritime environment;
            (2) an evaluation of the extent to which deficiencies 
        identified by the Comptroller General have been addressed; and
            (3) a cost-benefit analysis of the program, as implemented.
    (c) Corrective Action Plan; Program Reforms.--Not later than 60 
days after the Secretary submits the assessment under subsection (a), 
the Secretary shall submit a corrective action plan to the Committee on 
Homeland Security and the Committee on Transportation and 
Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate that responds to 
the assessment under subsection (b). The corrective action plan shall 
include an implementation plan with benchmarks, may include 
programmatic reforms, revisions to regulations, or proposals for 
legislation, and shall be considered in any rule making by the 
Department relating to the transportation security card program.
    (d) Comptroller General Review.--Not later than 120 days after the 
Secretary issues the corrective action plan under subsection (c), the 
Comptroller General shall--
            (1) review the extent to which such plan implements--
                    (A) recommendations issued by the national 
                laboratory or maritime security university-based 
                center, as applicable, in the assessment submitted 
                under subsection (a); and
                    (B) recommendations issued by the Comptroller 
                General before the enactment of this Act; and
            (2) inform the Committee on Homeland Security and the 
        Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
        Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
        Transportation of the Senate as to the responsiveness of such 
        plan to such recommendations.
    (e) Transportation Security Card Reader Rule.--
            (1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security may not 
        issue a final rule requiring the use of transportation security 
        card readers until--
                    (A) the Comptroller General informs the Committees 
                on Homeland Security and the Committee on 
                Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
                Representatives and Commerce, Science and 
                Transportation of the Senate that the submission under 
                subsection (a) is responsive to the recommendations of 
                the Comptroller General; and
                    (B) the Secretary issues an updated list of 
                transportation security card readers that are 
                compatible with active transportation security cards.
            (2) Limitation on application.--Paragraph (1) shall not 
        apply with respect to any final rule issued pursuant to the 
        notice of proposed rulemaking on Transportation Worker 
        Identification Credential (TWIC)-Reader Requirements published 
        by the Coast Guard on March 22, 2013 (78 Fed. Reg. 17781)
    (f) Comptroller General Oversight.--Not less than 18 months after 
the date of the issuance of the corrective action plan under subsection 
(c), and every six months thereafter during the 3-year period following 
the date of the issuance of the first report under this subsection, the 
Comptroller General shall report to the Committee on Homeland Security 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of 
Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation of the Senate regarding implementation of the corrective 
action plan.

SEC. 3. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED.

    No additional funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out 
this Act and the amendments made by this Act, and this Act and such 
amendments shall be carried out using amounts otherwise available for 
such purpose.

            Passed the House of Representatives July 28, 2014.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.