DHS delays TWIC compliance date

DHS announced that the final compliance date for the Transportation Worker Identification
Credential (TWIC) program will be 15 April 2009, which is a realignment of the 25
September 2008 compliance date set in the final rule. The department said that the seven
month extension is a direct result of collaboration with port officials and
industry, and realigns the enrollment period with the original intent of the
TWIC final rule. TWIC was established in the Maritime Transportation Security
Act and the SAFE Port Act to serve as an identification
program for all Coast Guard credentialed mariners and personnel requiring
unescorted access to secure areas within a port. The program is on track to
complete enrollment for a substantial number of jurisdictions by the end of
2008, and several ports will be required to comply with TWIC regulations this
 year.

Owners
and operators of facilities located within Captain of the Port Zones Boston, Northern New England, and Southeastern New England will need to comply by 15
October 2008.
These three ports were selected based on favorable conditions that facilitate
near-term implementation. These ports are suitable for initial compliance based
upon geographic proximity, the size of their TWIC enrollment population, and
respective enrollment efforts to date. Additional ports will be announced in
the coming weeks, and the Coast Guard will provide at least 90 days notice
prior to enforcement. DHS says that TWIC program is progressing steadily and
has opened more than 100 fixed enrollment centers and dozens of mobile sites
nationwide. More than 250,000 workers have enrolled to date and thousands more
are processed each week. Enrollment began at the Port of Wilmington, Delaware,
in October 2007. Workers can pre-enroll online.
Pre-enrollment can accelerate credentialing by allowing workers to provide
biographic information and schedule a time to complete the application process
in person. This eliminates delays at enrollment centers and reduces total
enrollment time for each worker. Although the compliance date has been extended
seven months, workers are encouraged to enroll as soon as possible.