WASHINGTON, — Workers who access U.S. ports will be the first to undergo enhanced background security checks under Homeland Security’s previously announced biometric-based Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).

DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff made the announcement this week that the department will start off by conducting name-based background checks on nearly 400,000 port workers within the U.S.

Thousands of workers at the L.A. port underwent
TWIC checks under a pilot last year

Though biometric information will not be collected during this phase, it will be a key piece of identity verification for TWIC later on.

The preliminary name checks will be completed by this summer and will initially be required for longshoremen and maritime employees of facility owners and operators.

Ultimately, though, Transportation Security Administration officials intend to extend TWIC to workers in all modes of transportation, which could encompass as many as 6 million people. All individuals who access “safety-sensitive” locations — including airports, railroads, energy facilities, and trucking companies — will require a TWIC card in order to be eligible for unescorted access to secure areas.

“It is fundamental that individuals who pose a security threat do not gain access to our nation’s ports,” said Secretary Chertoff. “The name-based checks will provide an immediate security boost while we simultaneously complete the work to implement a secure national transportation worker credential.”

TSA laid the foundation for the establishment of the universal credential through a technology evaluation and prototype test. During the prototype test of the credential last year, TSA issued more than 4,000 TWICs to workers at 26 sites in six states.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance has been urging US officials to access the FAST card as a substitute for TWIC because much of the background security checks for both credentials are redundant. Over the past couple years, the U.S. has shown signs it would be interested in adopting such a proposal, but has still not made a final decision.