II 
Calendar No. 436 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 710 
[Report No. 114–244] 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
FEBRUARY 11, 2015 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs 
APRIL 22, 2015 
Committee discharged; referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation 
APRIL 25, 2016 
Reported by Mr. THUNE, with an amendment 
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic] 
AN ACT 
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prepare 
a comprehensive security assessment of the transpor-
tation security card program, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Essential Transpor-
tation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY ASSESSMENT OF THE 
TRANSPORTATION
SECURITY
CARD
PRO-
GRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Se-
curity and the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure of the House of Representatives, the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, 
and the Comptroller General of the United States a com-
prehensive assessment of the effectiveness of the transpor-
tation security card program under section 70105 of title 
46, United States Code, at enhancing security and reduc-
ing security risks for facilities and vessels regulated pursu-
ant to section 102 of Public Law 107–295. Such assess-
ment shall be conducted by a national laboratory that, to 
the extent practicable, is within the Department of Home-
land Security laboratory network with expertise in mari-
time security or by a maritime security university-based 
center within the Department of Homeland Security cen-
ters 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; 
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(2) an evaluation of the extent to which defi-
ciencies identified by the Comptroller General have 
been addressed; and 
(3) a cost-benefit analysis of the program, as 
implemented. 
(c)
CORRECTIVE
ACTION
PLAN;
PROGRAM
RE-
FORMS.—Not later than 60 days after the Secretary sub-
mits 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 sub-
section (b). The corrective action plan shall include an im-
plementation plan with benchmarks, may include pro-
grammatic 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 ac-
tion plan under subsection (c), the Comptroller General 
shall— 
(1) review the extent to which such plan imple-
ments— 
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(A) recommendations issued by the na-
tional laboratory or maritime security univer-
sity-based center, as applicable, in the assess-
ment submitted under subsection (a); and 
(B) recommendations issued by the Comp-
troller General before the enactment of this Act; 
and 
(2) inform the Committee on Homeland Secu-
rity and the Committee on Transportation and In-
frastructure of the House of Representatives and the 
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transpor-
tation 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 Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives and Com-
merce, Science and Transportation of the Sen-
ate that the submission under subsection (a) is 
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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 rule-
making
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 cor-
rective action plan under subsection (c), and every 6 
months thereafter during the 3-year period following the 
date of the issuance of the first report under this sub-
section, the Comptroller General shall report to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security and the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Rep-
resentatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate regarding implementa-
tion of the corrective action plan. 
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SEC. 3. NO ADDITIONAL FUNDS AUTHORIZED. 
No additional funds are authorized to be appro-
priated 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. 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Essential Transpor-
tation Worker Identification Credential Assessment Act’’. 
SEC. 2. COMPREHENSIVE SECURITY ASSESSMENT OF THE 
TRANSPORTATION WORKER IDENTIFICATION 
CREDENTIAL PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall commission a 2-phase comprehensive assess-
ment of the effectiveness of the Transportation Worker Iden-
tification Credential Program (referred to in this section 
as the ‘‘TWIC Program’’ under section 70105 of title 46, 
United States Code) at enhancing security and reducing se-
curity risks for facilities and vessels regulated pursuant to 
chapter 701 of title 46, United States Code. 
(b) LOCATION.—The assessment commissioned pursu-
ant to subsection (a) shall be conducted by a national lab-
oratory or a university-based center within the Department 
of Homeland Security centers of excellence network. 
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(c) CONTENTS.—The assessment commissioned pursu-
ant to subsection (a) shall include— 
(1) in phase 1, a review of the credentialing 
process, including— 
(A) the appropriateness of vetting stand-
ards; 
(B) whether the fee structure adequately re-
flects the current costs of vetting; and 
(C) whether there is unnecessary overlap be-
tween other transportation security credentials; 
(2) in phase 2, which shall follow the implemen-
tation of the TWIC reader rule— 
(A) an evaluation of the extent to which the 
TWIC Program, as implemented, addresses 
known or likely security risks in the maritime 
environment; and 
(B) the technology, business process, and 
operational impacts of the use of the transpor-
tation worker identification credentials and 
TWIC readers in the maritime environment; 
(3) an evaluation of the extent to which defi-
ciencies identified by the Comptroller General have 
been addressed; and 
(4) a cost-benefit analysis of the TWIC Program, 
as implemented. 
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(d) CORRECTIVE
ACTION
PLAN; PROGRAM
RE-
FORMS.—If, as part of the assessment submitted by the Sec-
retary under subsection (a), the Secretary identifies a defi-
ciency in effectiveness of the TWIC Program, the Secretary, 
not later than 120 days after such submission, shall submit 
a corrective action plan to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee 
on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, and 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives that— 
(1) responds to findings of the assessment com-
missioned under this section; 
(2) includes an implementation plan with bench-
marks; 
(3) may include programmatic reforms, revisions 
to regulations, or proposals for legislation; and 
(4) shall be considered in any rulemaking by the 
Department of Homeland Security relating to the 
TWIC Program. 
(e) INSPECTOR GENERAL REVIEW.—If a corrective ac-
tion plan is required under subsection (d), the Inspector 
General of the Department of Homeland Security, not later 
than 120 days after the submission of such plan, shall— 
(1) review the extent to which such plan imple-
ments— 
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(A) recommendations issued by the national 
laboratory or university-based center of excel-
lence, as applicable, in the assessment submitted 
under subsection (a); and 
(B) recommendations issued by the Comp-
troller General before the date of the enactment 
of this Act; and 
(2) notify the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on 
Homeland Security of the House of Representatives, 
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives about the respon-
siveness of such plan to such recommendations. 
(f) TRANSPORTATION WORKER IDENTIFICATION CRE-
DENTIAL RULES.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland 
Security may not issue additional rules relating to 
the issuance of transportation worker identification 
credentials or the use of TWIC readers until— 
(A) the Inspector General of the Department 
of Homeland Security notifies the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate, the Committee on Homeland Security of 
the House of Representatives, and the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
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House of Representatives that the submission 
under subsection (d) is responsive to the rec-
ommendations of the Inspector General; and 
(B) the Secretary issues an updated list of 
TWIC readers that are compatible with active 
transportation worker security credentials. 
(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). 
(g) INSPECTOR GENERAL OVERSIGHT.—Not later than 
18 months after the date of the issuance of the corrective 
action plan under subsection (d), and every 6 months there-
after during the 3-year period following the date of the 
issuance of the first report under this subsection, the Inspec-
tor General shall submit a report to the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security of the House of Representa-
tives, and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastruc-
ture of the House of Representatives that describes imple-
mentation of such plan. 
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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. 
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Calendar No. 436 
114TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 710 
[Report No. 114–244] 
AN ACT 
To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
prepare a comprehensive security assessment of 
the transportation security card program, and for 
other purposes. 
APRIL 25, 2016 
Reported with an amendment 
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