Coast Guard to Hold Public Meeting May 6th on Its ANPR for TWIC Reader Requirements
The Coast Guard will hold a public meeting May 6, 2009 in the Washington, DC area to receive comments on its March 2009 advanced notice of proposed rulemaking on Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC1) reader requirements.
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The Coast Guard is publishing this notice in order to aid those wishing to attend. Further notice of the exact location will be published in the Federal Register.
ANPR Addressed TWIC Reader Requirements for Certain Vessels/Facilities
The March 2009 ANPR discussed the Coast Guard's preliminary thoughts on potential requirements for owners and operators of certain regulated2 vessels, facilities, and Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) facilities for use of electronic readers designed to work with TWICs as an access control measure.
Among other things, the Coast Guard's proposed dividing certain vessels and facilities into groups according to risk, each with different requirements for TWIC reader frequency at different Maritime Security (MARSEC) levels, etc.
It also discussed potential recordkeeping requirements for those owners or operators required to use an electronic reader and amendments to security plans previously approved by the Coast Guard to incorporate TWIC requirements. (Comments on the ANPR may be submitted until May 26, 2009.)
(See ITT's Online Archives or 03/27/09 news, 09032720, for BP summary of the ANPR, including details on an option for recurring "visual badge only" access for up to 14 TWIC holders, not needing to use a TWIC when leaving a facility, etc.)
1TWIC has been developed by the Transportation Security Administration to ensure that all personnel requiring unescorted access to secure areas of Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA)-regulated facilities and vessels, and all mariners holding Coast Guard-issued credentials, possess a biometric TWIC card by a certain date, April 15, 2009 (also expressed on certain TSA documents as April 14, 2009). The ANPR and the subject of the upcoming public meeting specifically deal with the reader requirements associated with TWICs.
2These vessels/facilities are those that are regulated by the Coast Guard under 33 CFR Chapter I, subchapter H, commonly known as Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA)-regulated vessels/facilities.
(See ITT's Online Archives or 09/29/08 news, 08092930, for BP summary of a Government Accountability Office (GAO) TWIC status update.
See ITT's Online Archives or 05/08/08 news, 08050835, for BP summary of the TWIC compliance date being extended to April 15, 2009 (from September 25, 2008).
See ITT's Online Archives or 09/24/07 news, 07092420, for BP summary of TSA issuing TWIC Biometric Reader and Smart Card Application Specs.
See ITT's Online Archives or 03/07/07 news, 07030710, for the final part of a multi-part BP summary of the January 2007 joint TSA/Coast Guard TWIC final rule, with links to previous parts.)
| LCDR Jonathan Maiorine (ANPR issues) | (877)687-2243 |
| Renee Wright (comment submissions, etc.) | (202)366-9826 |
Coast Guard notice (D/N USCG-2007-28915, FR Pub 04/09/09) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-8142.pdf
Coast Guard ANPR (D/N USCG-2007-28915, FR Pub 03/27/09) available at http://edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-6852.pdf