The TWIC Final Reader Rule was issued by the U.S. Coast Guard on August 23, 2016. It requires certain Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA)-regulated facilities, which have been determined to present a higher risk of a Transportation Security Incident (TSI), to conduct electronic Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) inspections. This is an update from the 2013 Reader Rule. The effective date of the Final Reader Rule will likely be in 2021.
In order to determine those MTSA-regulated facilities which present a heightened risk of a TSI, the Coast Guard conducted a risk-based analysis and determined facilities that handle Certain Dangerous Cargo (CDC). Facilities that receive vessels certified to carry more than 1,000 passengers must comply with the TWIC Final Rule requirements. Convergint Technologies designs, implements, and services integrated electronic security systems that adhere to these regulatory mandates.
Certain Dangerous Cargo (CDC)
- Explosive materials
- Oxidizing materials or blasting agents for which a permit is required
- Highway route controlled quantity radioactive material or Fissile Class III shipments of fissile radioactive material
- Any of the following when carried in bulk: Acetaldehyde, Ammonia (Anhydrous), Butadiene, Butane, Butene, Butylene Oxide, Chlorine, Ethane, Ethylene, Ethylene Oxide, Methane, Methyl Acetylene (Propadiene Mixture, Stabilized), Methyl Bromide, Methyl Chloride, Phosphorous, Propane Propylene, Sulfur Dioxide, Vinyl Chloride
Required Components for Compliance
- Card Authentication – The TWIC must be authenticated using the card authentication private key stored in the TWIC.
- Card Validity Check – The TWIC must be checked against TSA’s list of cancelled TWICs to ensure that the TWIC has not expired.
- Identity Verification – The biometric template stored on the TWIC (i.e., fingerprint) must be matched to the TWIC holder’s scanned fingerprint.
Convergint TWIC Solution Offering
Convergint can provide strategic planning, consulting, assessment, design, integration, and professional and maintenance services to ensure ongoing TWIC regulatory compliance.