I 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 7223 

To require the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration 

of the United States to develop guidelines to improve returning citizens’ 

access to the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, 

to assist individuals in custody of Federal, State, and local prisons 

in pre-applying or preparing applications for Transportation Worker 

Identification Credential cards, and to assist individuals requesting an 

appeal or waiver of preliminary determination of ineligibility, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 5, 2024 

Mr. CARTER of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To require the Administrator of the Transportation Security 

Administration of the United States to develop guidelines 

to improve returning citizens’ access to the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program, to assist individuals in custody of Federal, State, and local 

prisons in pre-applying or preparing applications for 

Transportation Worker Identification Credential cards, 

and to assist individuals requesting an appeal or waiver 

of preliminary determination of ineligibility, and for other 

purposes. 


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1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 

4 Congress finds the following: 

5 (1) The Maritime Transportation Security Act 

6 of 2002 (in this Act referred to as ‘‘MTSA’’) was in7 troduced following the terrorist attacks on Sep8 tember 11, 2001, and became Public Law 107–295 

9 in 2002. 

10 (2) The MTSA provided that Transportation 

11 Worker Identification Credential cards (in this Act 

12 referred to as ‘‘TWIC cards’’) were to be issued to 

13 workers who require access to secure areas of the 

14 Nation’s maritime facilities and vessels. 

15 (3) The Transportation Security Administration 

16 (in this Act referred to as ‘‘TSA’’) and the United 

17 States Coast Guard jointly administer the TWIC 

18 card program. 

19 (4) Congress passed statutes for the TWIC pro20 gram that authorize the Department of Homeland 

21 Security and the Transportation Security Adminis22 tration to review an applicant’s request for an ap23 peals or waiver if the Transportation Security Ad24 ministration determines that the individual may pose 

25 a security risk. 


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1 (5) At year end 2021, the United States prison 

2 population was 1,204,300, a 25 percent decrease 

3 since 2011. 

4 (6) The Louisiana Department of Public Safety 

5 and Corrections releases over 13,000 individuals 

6 back into the community each year and supervises 

7 over 44,000 individuals. 

8 (7) Securing a TWIC card as soon as possible 

9 after release may provide for more opportunities for 

10 employment. 

11 (8) According to the Ports Association of Lou12 isiana, 525,000 jobs in Louisiana are tied to the 

13 State’s ports, and there are over 260,000 jobs in 

14 Louisiana related to the oil and gas industry, many 

15 of which require a valid TWIC card. 

16 (9) According to the American Association of 

17 Port Authorities, between 2014 and 2018, the total 

18 number of jobs supported by cargo moving through 

19 the America’s deep-draft ports increased by more 

20 than one-third, from 23,100,000 jobs to 30,800,000. 

21 (10) The total economic value that United 

22 States coastal ports provide in terms of revenue to 

23 businesses, personal income and economic output by 

24 exporters and importers rose 17 percent from 


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1 $4,600,000,000 to $5,400,000,000, representing 

2 nearly 26 percent of the nation’s economy. 

3 (11) According to a Homeland Security Oper4 ational Analysis Center (HSOAC) 2019 Comprehen5 sive Security Assessment of the TWIC Program, 

6 MTSA affects approximately 13,825 vessels, 3,270 

7 facilities, and 56 Outer Continental Shelf facilities. 

8 (12) According to TSA’s ‘‘Transportation 

9 Worker Identification Credential Appeal Timelines 

10 Fiscal Year 2019 Report to Congress’’, 2,300,000 

11 people nationwide hold the credential, which is valid 

12 for 5 years. 

13 (13) Employment is critical to the success of 

14 those on supervision and studies show that unem15 ployment is a major predictor of recidivism. 

16 (14) It is critical to national security to protect 

17 and secure the Nation’s maritime facilities and ves18 sels through the TWIC card process. 

19 (15) It is also critical that opportunities are 

20 available to those who have demonstrated rehabilita21 tion and are seeking a second chance. 

22 (16) Brennan Center for Justice 2015 report 

23 found that between 70,000,000 to 100,000,000 U.S. 

24 residents, a median of 27 percent, have criminal 

25 records. 


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1 (17) HSOAC’s 2019 Comprehensive Security 

2 Assessment estimates that between 99.99997 per3 cent and 99.997 percent of the United States popu4 lation are not terrorists and asserts that ‘‘Few peo5 ple with risk factors engage in terrorism, meaning 

6 that the great majority of people with disqualifying 

7 criminal histories present no terrorism risk.’’. 

8 (18) According to TSA, individuals in the cus9 tody of Federal, State, and local prisons are not eli10 gible to apply for a TWIC card until after they have 

11 been released from custody. 

12 (19) TSA may issue TWIC cards under the 

13 current regulations to individuals with certain felony 

14 convictions through the waiver process. 

15 (20) The appeal and waiver process may take 

16 up to 90 days, depending on the applicant’s response 

17 and supporting documentation, the complexity of the 

18 applicant’s case, and response time for TSA to re19 view conviction details, circumstances, proof of reha20 bilitation, and whether the person is in the process 

21 of rehabilitation before issuing a waiver. 

22 (21) Based on a sample verified by TSA, ap23 proximately 98 percent of total applicants are issued 

24 a TWIC card, including initial and redress cases, 


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1 and approximately 62 percent of applicants do not 

2 respond to redress. 

3 (22) Applying for a TWIC card and beginning 

4 the appeal and waiver process prior to a person’s re5 lease from Federal, State, and local prisons may in6 crease chances of employment shortly after release. 

7 SEC. 2. DISCUSSION ON DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES 

8 AND PROCEDURES. 

9 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Trans10 portation Security Administration shall develop guidelines 

11 to improve returning citizens’ access to the TWIC pro12 gram. 

13 (b) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 1 year after the 

14 date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 

15 Transportation Security Administration shall develop 

16 guidelines to assist individuals in custody of Federal, 

17 State, and local prisons in pre-applying or preparing appli18 cations for TWIC cards and guidelines to assist individ19 uals requesting an appeal or waiver of preliminary deter20 mination of ineligibility for TWIC cards. 

21 (c) BRIEFING.—Not later than 1 year after the date 

22 of enactment of this Act, the Transportation Security Ad23 ministration of the United States shall brief Congress on 

24 improvements to addressing access to the TWIC program. 


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1 (d) TRANSMISSION.—The clerk of the House of Rep2 resentatives shall transit a copy of this Act to the Com3 mittee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs 

4 of the Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of 

5 the House of Representatives, the Committee on Health, 

6 Education, Labor, and Pensions of the Senate, the Com7 mittee on Education and the Workforce of the House of 

8 Representatives, the Secretary of Homeland Security, the 

9 Administrator of the Transportation Security Administra10 tion, and the presiding officers of the Senate and House 

11 of Representatives of the United States. 

Æ 


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