Bipartisan Bill to Streamline Clearance Process for Transportation Workers Passes House

December 18, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act passed the U.S. House of Representatives, bringing this important legislation one step closer to becoming law.

Representatives Garret Graves (Chairman, House Aviation Subcommittee), Adam Smith (Ranking Member, House Armed Services Committee), along with U.S. Representatives Michael Guest (MS-03), Mark Green (TN-07), Dina Titus (NV-01), and Salud Carbajal (CA-24), introduced the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act in December 2023 to eliminate redundant fees and background checks for essential transportation workers.

The bill cuts through red tape to allow workers to apply existing valid background checks to multiple TSA-managed credentialing programs, preventing workers from going through identical processes multiple times. With each of these credentials having varying expiration dates and fees, workers end up spending a significant amount of time and money keeping their credentials up to date, preventing them from fully participating in the workforce.

This new streamlining legislation reduces costs and hassle for workers like truck drivers, pipeline operators, longshoremen, and warehouse managers, among many others, who must obtain these credentials as a condition of employment.

“Today, as the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act passes the House, we are one step closer to less redundancy for American workers,” said Rep. Smith (WA-09). “Many transportation workers in my district have spent a significant amount of time and money to keep their credentials up to date. It’s urgent we sign pass this legislation into law so that our transportation workers can have a more streamlined application and renewal process. We need more common-sense bills like this to make it through Congress.”

"As the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act moves one step closer to becoming law, we are taking an important stride in reducing unnecessary burdens for our nation's transportation workers,” said Rep. Salud Carbajal (CA-24). “This legislation will eliminate redundant fees and background checks, saving time and money for hardworking men and women on the Central Coast who are essential to keeping our economy moving.”

“Making credentialing more efficient for both TSA and transportation workers will reduce costs for multiple industries and ultimately benefit the American people," said Rep. Mark Green (TN-07). It’s time to remove as many roadblocks as possible for our hardworking truck drivers, pipeline operators, longshore workers, and warehouse managers, among others. We can and should keep our supply chains secure and our country safe without redundant and burdensome credentialing programs.”

"I am proud to have helped co-lead the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act in the House of Representatives and am pleased that we are considering this legislation led by my fellow Mississippian, Senator Roger Wicker," said Rep. Michael Guest (MS-03). "This bill will streamline the credentialing process and eliminate redundancies in the screening and accreditation process of transportation workers. This bill does exactly what President Trump has promised to do which is to save money, eliminate redundancy, and maintain supply chain resiliency."

“Our national economy depends on the hard work of thousands of truck drivers, railroad workers, and longshoremen to move goods around the country," said Rep. Dina Titus (NV-01). This legislation streamlines redundant background checks by TSA-managed programs and eliminates duplicitous fees to apply for and renew their hazardous materials credentials. It is common-sense legislation that maintains security while lessening the burden on these workers. Supporting them strengthens our economy and lowers costs for consumers."

Background

The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act does not make any modifications to the back-end security assessment conducted on individual applicants, ensuring that applicants must undergo the same level of review as they do under current law. This bill simply modernizes the consumer-facing applicant process to reduce the burden on American transportation workers who must maintain more than one TSA credential, such as the Transportation Worker Identification Credentials and Hazardous Materials Endorsements.

A fact sheet for the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act can be found here.

The bill text can be found here.

The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act is endorsed by over 150 organizations across the nation. The full list of endorsements can be found here.

See below for statements of support:

“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. 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.” - ATA President & CEO Chris Spear

“The hardworking men and women in the trucking industry and other essential members of our supply chain deserve a federal credentialing process that respects their time and money. The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act will reform the current duplicative system by codifying recommendations repeatedly made by government audits to reduce redundancy, costs, and hassle. I commend Congressman Adam Smith for leading this effort in Congress to support American workers and the resilience of our supply chain.” - Sheri Call, President and CEO, Washington Trucking Associations

“This common-sense solution is a win for movers. Eliminating administrative redundancies and improving access to our customer’s homes is both reasonable and practical and continues to assure efficient moves, our highest priority, are achieved. We appreciate the work of Congress to get these important reforms finished before year’s end.” - Dan Hilton, Executive Director, Moving and Storage Conference

“The nation’s transportation security screening system is stuck in the past. We can do better. The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act helps bring our security screening into the 21st century by removing redundancies and increasing efficiencies, all while making our supply chain stronger, safer, and more resilient. The Border Trade Alliance strongly supports this legislation and urges the House of Representatives to send it to the president’s desk." - Britton Mullen, President of the Border Trade Alliance

“Passage of the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act is a win for our nation’s essential transportation workforce. Thanks to this legislation, these hard-working men and women will no longer be burdened with duplicative background checks and fees that do nothing to increase safety or security. The bill will also help keep critical supply chains moving. IME applauds the work of House and Senate leadership to pass this important legislation and make the lives of our transportation workers a little easier." - Clark Mica, President of the Institute of Makers of Explosives

“The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act streamlines the TSA credentialing processes for railroaders and other essential workers, saving them time and money while still maintaining the highest security standards. Thank you to Sen. Wicker and Rep. Garret Graves for this legislation that eliminates redundancies to help railroaders focus on doing what they do best - moving the goods that move America.” - Ian Jefferies, AAR President and CEO

"This important legislative effort will reduce the cost and time that many transportation workers spend to maintain TSA security credentials as a requirement of their frontline jobs. We commend Representatives Smith and Graves for their continued commitment to our national security and transportation workforce." - Greg Regan, President of the Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO.

"The workers who keep America's supply chains running deserve a federal credentialing process that respects their time and money. The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act addresses redundancies and other inefficiencies in the current system to reduce costs and hassles while maintaining effective screening of employees. This is a long-overdue solution for essential workers in the transportation trades who must obtain credentials as a condition of employment. Organized labor strongly supports this legislation and we commend Representatives Garret Graves and Adam Smith plus the other co-sponsors for their leadership on this important issue." - April Sims, President of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Issues: Transportation and Infrastructure