ATA Calls on Congress to Streamline Transport Credentials
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American Trucking Associations and more than 150 supply chain organizations are urging Congress to pass a bill aimed at reducing inefficiencies in the credentialing system for frontline transportation workers.
The Transportation Security Screening Modernization Act — set for markup by the House Homeland Security Committee this week — seeks to simplify the credentialing process for essential transportation workers. The proposed legislation would address what ATA describes as redundant fees and background checks that workers currently face when obtaining the necessary credentials for their jobs.
ATA President Chris Spear stressed the significance of this legislation for workers in sectors such as trucking, rail, energy and agriculture.
“There is no more effective way to thank truck drivers than by taking action to make their difficult jobs a little easier,” Spear said. This bill, he added, “reforms the outdated, inefficient and costly bureaucratic system that forces essential workers to pay duplicative fees and undergo duplicative background checks to obtain the credentials they need to do their jobs.”
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Reps. Garret Graves (R-La.), Adam Smith (D-Wash.), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Michael Guest (R-Miss.), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) and Dina Titus (D-Nev.) introduced the bill, which has garnered broad bipartisan support. It also has backing from stakeholders across the supply chain, including logistics providers, organized labor and other industries.
At the heart of the legislation is the proposal to consolidate programs managed by the Transportation Security Administration, such as the Transportation Worker Identification Credential and the Hazardous Materials Endorsement. Under current regulations, workers must undergo separate background checks and pay fees for each credentialing program. The bill would allow a single background check to apply across multiple programs, reducing the need for repetitive screenings and payments.
The proposed reforms are based on long-standing recommendations from the Government Accountability Office, which first flagged the inefficiencies in 2007. These recommendations were reaffirmed in a 2020 report by the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center. Despite these findings, efforts to address the duplicative requirements have been limited.
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ATA’s advocacy has included meetings with key lawmakers, including Homeland Security Committee Chair Green and ranking member Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.). These discussions culminated in the committee scheduling a hearing on the bill for Sept. 25.
In the Senate, the legislation has already made progress, with the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation, led by Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), voting to advance the measure. The focus now shifts to the House as supporters work to advance the bill through Congress.
