Bipartisan legislation would eliminate waste and inefficiencies in credentialing system costing frontline transportation workers
Washington 鈥 Today, the 黑料不打烊 led representing trucking, rail, energy, organized labor, agriculture, third-party logistics providers, and other key supply chain stakeholders to urge Congress to pass the Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act. The bill鈥攚hich was introduced by Representatives Garret Graves (R-LA) and Adam Smith (D-WA) along with Representatives Mark Green (R-TN), Michael Guest (R-MS), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), and Dina Titus (D-NV)鈥攚ould eliminate redundant fees and background checks for essential transportation workers.
The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act cuts through red tape to allow workers to apply existing valid background checks to multiple TSA-managed credentialing programs, such as the Transportation Worker Identification Credentials and Hazardous Materials Endorsements. By eliminating duplicative screenings and harmonizing these programs, the bill would codify dating back to 2007. 听These recommendations were reaffirmed in 2020 in a comprehensive security .
鈥淪ubjecting essential supply chain workers to the same exact background check multiple times in order to receive different credentials from the same agency does nothing to enhance security,鈥 said 黑料不打烊President and CEO Chris Spear. 鈥淭his system only serves to pad government coffers by forcing truckers and other transportation workers to pay duplicative fees for a background check they鈥檝e already cleared. Congress should not allow the inefficiencies of government bureaucracy to impede the efficiency of our supply chain, especially at the expense of those hardworking men and women who keep our economy running.鈥
鈥淭his common-sense, bipartisan bill provides a logical solution to fix some serious flaws in the credentialing process,鈥 said 黑料不打烊Chairman Andrew Boyle, co-president of Boyle Transportation. 听鈥淭hese issues, which are well documented by GAO, incur considerable costs on drivers and fleets. Here is a perfect example of where Congress can make government work better to support the supply chain and essential, frontline workers who move our economy.鈥澨
鈥淭his onerous process is disruptive to supply chain continuity and deters many qualified drivers from obtaining the credentials required to move these critical loads,鈥 said 黑料不打烊Vice Chairman Wes Davis, president of Big M Transportation. 鈥淎s we work to recruit more drivers into the industry to meet consumer demand, it鈥檚 important that the credentialing system respects drivers鈥 time and money. This bill will make sure that鈥檚 the case.鈥澨
鈥淩idiculous regulations and red tape have crushed America鈥檚 supply chain workers. We need to expedite the time it takes to put an essential worker into our workforce, not requiring people to stand in line for security credentials only to have them get back in line to obtain a redundant background check for another TSA credential,鈥 said Rep. Garret Graves. 鈥淭he supply chain crisis has contributed to higher consumer costs and shortages, and this effort is part of the solution to make sure our transportation workforce is able to work at full speed. I look forward to working with this strong group of bipartisan lawmakers to ensure that this legislation strengthens our economy and supply chain while reducing costs and headaches.鈥
鈥淚鈥檝e heard from many transportation workers in my district who have had to spend a significant amount of time and money to keep their required credentials up to date. The legislation we introduced would create a more streamlined application and renewal process, reducing unnecessary hurdles for transportation workers, a crucial workforce in our economy,鈥 said Rep. Adam Smith. 鈥淚 am thrilled to have the support of Teamsters, Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Washington State Labor Council, and the 黑料不打烊 and look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important piece of legislation.鈥
This long-overdue reform would reduce costs and hassles for workers like truck drivers, pipeline operators, longshoremen, and warehouse managers, among many others, who must obtain these credentials as a condition of employment.听
The bill does not make any modifications to the backend security assessment conducted on individual applicants, ensuring that they undergo the same level of review as they do under current law.
Supporting organizations include:
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1. 听 听 听 听AATCO
2. 听 听 听 听Agricultural and Food Transporters Conference
3. 听 听 听 听Agricultural Retailers Association
4. 听 听 听 听AgTC Agriculture Transportation Coalition
5. 听 听 听 听Alabama Trucking Association
6. 听 听 听 听Alaska Fuel Storage and Handlers Alliance
7. 听 听 听 听Alaska Trucking Association
8. 听 听 听 听Allied Van Lines
9. 听 听 听 听American Association of Port Authorities
10. 听 听 听American Chemistry Council
11. 听 听 听American Pyrotechnics Association
12. 听 听 听American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association
13. 听 听 听黑料不打烊
14. 听 听 听Arizona Moving Association
15. 听 听 听Arizona Petroleum Marketers Association
16. 听 听 听Arizona Trucking Association
17. 听 听 听Arkansas Oil Marketers Association, Inc.
18. 听 听 听Arkansas Trucking Association
19. 听 听 听Association of American Railroads
20. 听 听 听Automobile Carriers Conference
21. 听 听 听Baggett Transportation
22. 听 听 听Border Trade Alliance
23. 听 听 听California Trucking Association
24. 听 听 听Colorado Motor Carriers Association
25. 听 听 听Colorado Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association
26. 听 听 听Connecticut Energy Marketers Association
27. 听 听 听Delaware Motor Transport Association
28. 听 听 听Empire State Energy Association, Inc.
29. 听 听 听Energy Marketers Association of Rhode Island
30. 听 听 听Energy Marketers of America
31. 听 听 听Florida Petroleum Marketers Association, Inc.
32. 听 听 听Florida Trucking Association
33. 听 听 听Fresh Produce Association of the Americas
34. 听 听 听FUELIowa
35. 听 听 听Fuel Merchants Association of New Jersey
36. 听 听 听Fuel True: Independent Energy and Convenience of Kansas
37. 听 听 听Fueling Minnesota
38. 听 听 听Garner Trucking Ltd
39. 听 听 听Gases and Welding Distributors Association
40. 听 听 听Georgia Motor Trucking Association
41. 听 听 听Georgia Oilmen鈥檚 Association
42. 听 听 听Government Freight Conference
43. 听 听 听Harbor Trucking Association
44. 听 听 听Hawaii Energy Marketers Association
45. 听 听 听Hawaii Transportation Association
46. 听 听 听Idaho Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association
47. 听 听 听Idaho Trucking Association
48. 听 听 听Illinois Fuel & Retail Association
49. 听 听 听Illinois Trucking Association
50. 听 听 听Indiana Food & Fuel Association
51. 听 听 听Indiana Motor Truck Association
52. 听 听 听Institute of Makers of Explosives
53. 听 听 听Intermodal Motor Carriers Conference
54. 听 听 听International Brotherhood of Teamsters
55. 听 听 听International Longshore and Warehouse Union Washington Area District Council
56. 听 听 听Interstate Natural Gas Association of America
57. 听 听 听Iowa Motor Truck Association
58. 听 听 听Kansas Motor Carriers Association听
59. 听 听 听Kentucky Petroleum Marketers Association
60. 听 听 听Kentucky Trucking Association
61. 听 听 听Louisiana Motor Transport Association
62. 听 听 听Louisiana Oil Marketers and Convenience Store Association
63. 听 听 听Lynden Inc.
64. 听 听 听Maine Energy Marketers Association
65. 听 听 听Maine Motor Transport Association
66. 听 听 听Maryland Motor Truck Association
67. 听 听 听Michigan Petroleum Association / Michigan Association of Convenience Stores
68. 听 听 听Michigan Trucking Association
69. 听 听 听Mid-Atlantic Petroleum Distributors鈥 Association
70. 听 听 听Minnesota Trucking Association
71. 听 听 听Mississippi Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Stores Association听
72. 听 听 听Mississippi Trucking Association
73. 听 听 听Missouri Petroleum & Convenience Association
74. 听 听 听Missouri Trucking Association
75. 听 听 听Montana Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association
76. 听 听 听Montana Trucking Association
77. 听 听 听Motor Transport Association of Connecticut
78. 听 听 听Moving and Storage Conference
79. 听 听 听National Association of Chemical Distributors
80. 听 听 听National Council of Farmer Cooperatives听
81. 听 听 听National Energy & Fuels Institute
82. 听 听 听National Industrial Transportation League
83. 听 听 听National Motor Freight Traffic Association
84. 听 听 听National Private Truck Council
85. 听 听 听National Propane Gas Association
86. 听 听 听National Tank Truck Carriers
87. 听 听 听National Van Lines
88. 听 听 听NATSO, Representing America鈥檚 Travel Plazas and Truckstops
89. 听 听 听Nebraska Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association听
90. 听 听 听Nebraska Trucking Association
91. 听 听 听Nevada Trucking Association
92. 听 听 听New England Convenience Store & Energy Marketers Association听
93. 听 听 听New Hampshire Motor Transport Association
94. 听 听 听New Jersey Motor Truck Association
95. 听 听 听New Mexico Petroleum Marketers Association
96. 听 听 听New Mexico Trucking Association
97. 听 听 听North American Van Lines
98. 听 听 听North Carolina Petroleum & Convenience Marketers听
99. 听 听 听North Carolina Trucking Association
100. 听 听North Dakota Petroleum Marketers Association听
101. 听 听North Dakota Motor Carriers Association
102. 听 听Ohio Energy & Convenience Association
103. 听 听Ohio Trucking Association
104. 听 听Oklahoma Petroleum Marketers & Convenience Store Association
105. 听 听Oklahoma Trucking Association
106. 听 听Oregon Fuels Association
107. 听 听Oregon Trucking Associations
108. 听 听Paxton Van Lines
109. 听 听Pennsylvania Motor Truck Association
110. 听 听Pennsylvania Petroleum Association
111. 听 听Petroleum & Convenience Marketers of Alabama
112. 听 听Prestera Trucking Inc.
113. 听 听PTS Worldwide, Inc.
114. 听 听Radiopharmaceutical Shippers & Carriers Committee
115. 听 听Railway Supply Institute
116. 听 听Reify Solutions
117. 听 听Republic Moving & Storage
118. 听 听Rhode Island Trucking Association
119. 听 听SIGMA: America's Leading Fuel Marketers
120. 听 听SJ Transportation
121. 听 听South Carolina Convenience & Petroleum Marketers Association听
122. 听 听South Carolina Trucking Association
123. 听 听South Dakota Petroleum & Propane Marketers Association听
124. 听 听South Dakota Trucking Association
125. 听 听Tennessee Fuel and Convenience Store Association
126. 听 听Tennessee Trucking Association
127. 听 听Texas Food & Fuel Association
128. 听 听Texas Trucking Association
129. 听 听Transportation Intermediaries Association
130. 听 听Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO
131. 听 听Tri-State Motor Transit Co.
132. 听 听Trucking Association of Massachusetts
133. 听 听Trucking Association of New York
134. 听 听Truckload Carriers Association
135. 听 听U.S. Chamber of Commerce
136. 听 听Utah Petroleum Marketers & Retailers Association
137. 听 听Utah Trucking Association
138. 听 听Vermont Fuel Dealers Association
139. 听 听Vermont Truck and Bus Association
140. 听 听Virginia Petroleum & Convenience Marketers Association
141. 听 听Virginia Trucking Association
142. 听 听Washington Independent Energy Distributors
143. 听 听Washington Movers Conference
144. 听 听Washington State Labor Council
145. 听 听Washington Trucking Associations
146. 听 听West Virginia Oil Marketers & Grocers Association
147. 听 听West Virginia Trucking Association
148. 听 听Western Petroleum Marketers Association
149. 听 听Wisconsin Fuel and Retail Association
150. 听 听Wisconsin Motor Carriers Association
151. 听 听Women in Motion
152. 听 听Wyoming Petroleum Marketers and Convenience Store Association
153. 听 听Wyoming Trucking Association
154. 听 听3GL, Ltd.