I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 5109 
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 
SEPTEMBER 3, 2025 
Mr. CARTER of Louisiana (for himself and Mr. HIGGINS of Louisiana) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Home-
land 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 Transpor-
tation Worker Identification Credential program, to as-
sist 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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Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
(1) The Maritime Transportation Security Act 
of 2002 (in this Act referred to as ‘‘MTSA’’) was in-
troduced following the terrorist attacks on Sep-
tember 11, 2001, and became Public Law 107–295 
in 2002. 
(2) The MTSA provided that Transportation 
Worker Identification Credential cards (in this Act 
referred to as ‘‘TWIC cards’’) were to be issued to 
workers who require access to secure areas of the 
Nation’s maritime facilities and vessels. 
(3) The Transportation Security Administration 
(in this Act referred to as ‘‘TSA’’) and the United 
States Coast Guard jointly administer the TWIC 
card program. 
(4) Congress passed statutes for the TWIC pro-
gram that authorize the Department of Homeland 
Security and the Transportation Security Adminis-
tration to review an applicant’s request for an ap-
peals or waiver if the Transportation Security Ad-
ministration determines that the individual may pose 
a security risk. 
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(5) At year end 2021, the United States prison 
population was 1,204,300, a 25 percent decrease 
since 2011. 
(6) The Louisiana Department of Public Safety 
and Corrections releases over 13,000 individuals 
back into the community each year and supervises 
over 44,000 individuals. 
(7) Securing a TWIC card as soon as possible 
after release may provide for more opportunities for 
employment. 
(8) According to the Ports Association of Lou-
isiana, 525,000 jobs in Louisiana are tied to the 
State’s ports, and there are over 260,000 jobs in 
Louisiana related to the oil and gas industry, many 
of which require a valid TWIC card. 
(9) According to the American Association of 
Port Authorities, between 2014 and 2018, the total 
number of jobs supported by cargo moving through 
the America’s deep-draft ports increased by more 
than one-third, from 23,100,000 jobs to 30,800,000. 
(10) The total economic value that United 
States coastal ports provide in terms of revenue to 
businesses, personal income and economic output by 
exporters and importers rose 17 percent from 
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$4,600,000,000 to $5,400,000,000, representing 
nearly 26 percent of the nation’s economy. 
(11) According to a Homeland Security Oper-
ational Analysis Center (HSOAC) 2019 Comprehen-
sive Security Assessment of the TWIC Program, 
MTSA affects approximately 13,825 vessels, 3,270 
facilities, and 56 Outer Continental Shelf facilities. 
(12) According to TSA’s ‘‘Transportation 
Worker Identification Credential Appeal Timelines 
Fiscal Year 2019 Report to Congress’’, 2,300,000 
people nationwide hold the credential, which is valid 
for 5 years. 
(13) Employment is critical to the success of 
those on supervision and studies show that unem-
ployment is a major predictor of recidivism. 
(14) It is critical to national security to protect 
and secure the Nation’s maritime facilities and ves-
sels through the TWIC card process. 
(15) It is also critical that opportunities are 
available to those who have demonstrated rehabilita-
tion and are seeking a second chance. 
(16) Brennan Center for Justice 2015 report 
found that between 70,000,000 to 100,000,000 U.S. 
residents, a median of 27 percent, have criminal 
records. 
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(17) HSOAC’s 2019 Comprehensive Security 
Assessment estimates that between 99.99997 per-
cent and 99.997 percent of the United States popu-
lation are not terrorists and asserts that ‘‘Few peo-
ple with risk factors engage in terrorism, meaning 
that the great majority of people with disqualifying 
criminal histories present no terrorism risk.’’. 
(18) According to TSA, individuals in the cus-
tody of Federal, State, and local prisons are not eli-
gible to apply for a TWIC card until after they have 
been released from custody. 
(19) TSA may issue TWIC cards under the 
current regulations to individuals with certain felony 
convictions through the waiver process. 
(20) The appeal and waiver process may take 
up to 90 days, depending on the applicant’s response 
and supporting documentation, the complexity of the 
applicant’s case, and response time for TSA to re-
view conviction details, circumstances, proof of reha-
bilitation, and whether the person is in the process 
of rehabilitation before issuing a waiver. 
(21) Based on a sample verified by TSA, ap-
proximately 98 percent of total applicants are issued 
a TWIC card, including initial and redress cases, 
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and approximately 62 percent of applicants do not 
respond to redress. 
(22) Applying for a TWIC card and beginning 
the appeal and waiver process prior to a person’s re-
lease from Federal, State, and local prisons may in-
crease chances of employment shortly after release. 
SEC. 2. DISCUSSION ON DEVELOPMENT OF GUIDELINES 
AND PROCEDURES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Trans-
portation Security Administration shall develop guidelines 
to improve returning citizens’ access to the TWIC pro-
gram. 
(b) GUIDELINES.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Transportation Security Administration shall develop 
guidelines to assist individuals in custody of Federal, 
State, and local prisons in pre-applying or preparing appli-
cations for TWIC cards and guidelines to assist individ-
uals requesting an appeal or waiver of preliminary deter-
mination of ineligibility for TWIC cards. 
(c) BRIEFING.—Not later than 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Transportation Security Ad-
ministration of the United States shall brief Congress on 
improvements to addressing access to the TWIC program. 
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