TWIC-Reader Requirements; Second Delay of Effective Date

<RULE> DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY <SUBAGY>Coast Guard</SUBAGY> <CFR>33 CFR Part 105</CFR> <DEPDOC>[Docket No. USCG-2022-0052]</DEPDOC> <RIN>RIN 1625-AC80</RIN> <SUBJECT>TWIC—Reader Requirements; Second Delay of Effective Date</SUBJECT> <HD SOURCE="HED">AGENCY:</HD> Coast Guard, DHS. <HD SOURCE="HED">ACTION:</HD> Final rule. <SUM> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUMMARY:</HD> The Coast Guard is further delaying the effective date for certain facilities affected by the final rule entitled “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)—Reader Requirements,” published in the <E T="04">Federal Register</E> on August 23, 2016. On March 9, 2020, the Coast Guard published a rule, delaying the implementation date to May 8, 2023. In December 2022, Congress statutorily extended the earliest implementation to no sooner than May 8, 2026. With this final rule, we are delaying the implementation date for certain facilities to May 8, 2029. This rule will not affect facilities receiving vessels certificated to carry more than 1,000 passengers. </SUM> <EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">DATES:</HD> This final rule is effective December 2, 2024. </EFFDATE> <HD SOURCE="HED">ADDRESSES:</HD> To view documents mentioned in this preamble as being available in the docket, go to <E T="03">www.regulations.gov,</E> type USCG-2022-0052 in the search box and click “Search.” Next, in the Document Type column, select “Supporting & Related Material.” <FURINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:</HD> For information about this document, or for technical inquiries, call or email Lieutenant Commander Jeffrey Bender, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-1114, email <E T="03">Jeffrey.M.Bender@uscg.mil.</E> For general information and press inquiries, contact Chief Warrant Officer Brittany Panetta, U.S. Coast Guard; telephone 202-372-4449 email <E T="03">Brittany.P.Panetta@uscg.mil.</E> </FURINF> <SUPLINF> <HD SOURCE="HED">SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:</HD> <HD SOURCE="HD1">Table of Contents for Preamble</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">I. Abbreviations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">II. Basis, Purpose, and Regulatory History</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">III. Background</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">IV. Discussion of Comments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">V. Discussion of the Rule To Delay the Effective Date</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-2">VI. Regulatory Analyses</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">A. Regulatory Planning and Review</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">B. Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">C. Assistance for Small Entities</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">D. Collection of Information</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">E. Federalism</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">F. Unfunded Mandates</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">G. Taking of Private Property</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">H. Civil Justice Reform</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">I. Protection of Children</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">J. Indian Tribal Governments</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">K. Energy Effects</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">L. Technical Standards</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP1-2">M. Environment</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">I. Abbreviations</HD> <EXTRACT> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">2006 NPRM “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Implementation in the Maritime Sector; Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License” notice of proposed rulemaking published May 22, 2006</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">2007 final rule “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Implementation in the Maritime Sector; Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License” final rule published January 25, 2007</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">2016 TWIC Reader final rule “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)-Reader Requirements” final rule published August 23, 2016</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">2020 TWIC Reader Delay final rule “TWIC-Reader Requirements; Delay of Effective Date” final rule published March 9, 2020</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">2022 Second Reader Delay NPRM “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)-Reader Requirements; Second Delay of Effective Date” notice of proposed rulemaking, published Dec. 6, 2022</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">2023 Authorization Act James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">2023 Conforming Amendment “Transportation Worker Identification Credential—Facility Reader Requirement; Conforming Amendment” final rule, conforming amendments published April 17, 2023</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">2023 TWIC Reader Delay rule “TWIC—Reader Requirements; Second Delay of Effective Date” final rule published October 31, 2024.</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">ANPRM Advance notice of proposed rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BEA U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">BLS Bureau of Labor Statistics</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CAP Corrective Action Plan</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CDC Certain dangerous cargoes</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">CFR Code of Federal Regulations</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">DHS Department of Homeland Security</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">FR Federal Register</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">GDP Gross Domestic Product</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">HSOAC Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MSRAM Maritime Security Risk Analysis Model</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">MTSA Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NIPA National Income and Product Accounts</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">NPRM Notice of proposed rulemaking</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">OMB Office of Management and Budget</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">PIN Personal identification number</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">Pre-CA Pre-Conforming Amendment</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">RA Regulatory Analysis</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">SAFE Port Act Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">§ Section </FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TSA Transportation Security Administration</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TSI Transportation security incident</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">TWIC Transportation Worker Identification Credential</FP> <FP SOURCE="FP-1">U.S.C. United States Code</FP> </EXTRACT> <HD SOURCE="HD1">II. Basis, Purpose, and Regulatory History</HD> Pursuant to the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA), <SU>1</SU> <FTREF/> and in accordance with the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act of 2006 (SAFE Port Act), <SU>2</SU> <FTREF/> the electronic inspection of Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWICs) is required inside secure areas on certain vessels and facilities in the United States. Specifically, the SAFE Port Act requires that the Secretary put into effect regulations that require the deployment of electronic transportation security card readers. <SU>3</SU> <FTREF/> To implement this requirement in an effective manner, the Coast Guard initiated a series of regulatory actions, updating its facility and vessel plan requirements based on 46 U.S.C. 70103, to implement electronic TWIC inspections at certain high-risk vessels and facilities regulated under MTSA. <SU>4</SU> <FTREF/> <FTNT> <SU>1</SU>  See Sec. 102 of Public Law 107-295 (November 25, 2002), codified as 46 United States Code (U.S.C.) 70105. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>2</SU>  See Sec. 104 of Public Law 109-347 (October 13, 2006). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>3</SU>  See 46 U.S.C. 70105(k)(3). </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>4</SU>  See Sec. 102 of Public Law 107-295 (November 25, 2002) (Maritime transportation security plans). </FTNT> On May 22, 2006, the Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) jointly published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) titled “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Implementation in the Maritime Sector; Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License” (“2006 NPRM”). <SU>5</SU> <FTREF/> After considering comments on the 2006 NPRM, the Coast Guard and TSA published the final rule on January 25, 2007, also titled “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) Implementation in the Maritime Sector; Hazardous Materials Endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License” (“2007 final rule”). <SU>6</SU> <FTREF/> The 2007 final rule mandated that all persons allowed unescorted access to secure areas in MTSA-regulated vessels and facilities were required to possess a TWIC card. The rule did not mandate that a TWIC card be read with an electronic reader. The card could be verified by visual inspection alone, without making use of the electronic security features built into the card. <FTNT> <SU>5</SU>  71 FR 29395. </FTNT> <FTNT> <SU>6</SU>  72 FR 3491. </FTNT> Although the 2006 NPRM proposed certain TWIC reader requirements, after reviewing the public comments, the Coast Guard and TSA decided not to include those proposed requirements in the 2007 final rule. Instead, we addressed them in a separate rulemaking, discussed below, and conducted a pilot program to address the feasibility of reader requirements before issuing another final rule. For a detailed discussion of the public comments to the 2006 NPRM, and our responses to them, please refer to the 2007 final rule. On March 27, 2009, the Coast Guard published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking (ANPRM) on the topic of TWIC reader requirements, “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)-Reader Requirements.”  <SU>7</SU> <FTREF/> The ANPRM discussed dividing vessels and facilities into three “risk groups”—Risk Group A for high-risk vessels and facilities, Risk Group B for medium-risk vessels and facilities, and Risk Group C for low-risk vessels and facilities. The ANPRM also considered different electronic inspection requirements for Risk Groups A and B, and no electronic inspection requirements for Risk Group C. <FTNT> <SU>7</SU>  74 FR 13360. </FTNT> On March 22, 2013, we published an NPRM, “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC)-Reader Requirements”  <SU>8</SU> <FTREF/> that proposed the three ris ━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━ Preview showing 10k of 97k characters. 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