TWIC Efficiency Act

Executive Summary

Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) cards are required by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) for employees entering secure areas of port facilities, such as certain cargo terminals, commercial ships, and warehouses. TWIC cards are critical for people with a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), which justice-impacted individuals often pursue to access lucrative careers.

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However, obtaining a TWIC card as a formerly incarcerated person presents a key barrier. Justice-impacted people receive a preliminary determination of ineligibility for one year after reentry, regardless of their offense. This means their application is automatically flagged and denied, even if they would meet the qualifications for approval otherwise.

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While applicants may appeal this decision – and the majority of appeals are approved – this process is opaque and complicated. This not only impacts justice-involved individuals, but compounds national labor shortages in high-demand professions.

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The Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) supports the bipartisan TWIC Efficiency (TWICE) Act (H.R.5109) as a strong first step to reducing this barrier to employment. The Act clarifies justice-involved individuals’ access to TWIC, assists them through the appeal process, and allows those in the justice system to apply for the credential before their release, thereby empowering equitable access to employment.

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Background

TWIC is a federal homeland-security program created in the aftermath of 9/11 that provides a personalized card to workers who require unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities. However, the application process for these mandatory credentials creates a significant roadblock for justice-impacted individuals seeking employment in maritime facilities in cities like Philadelphia, New York, New Orleans, Houston, and San Diego.

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While TWIC cards contribute to necessary national safety measures, broadly denying the credential to all individuals with criminal histories deters many qualified jobseekers from pursuing employment that requires a TWIC card and creates unnecessary administrative work for TSA who could otherwise be focused on identifying applicants with the few convictions that are actually ineligible for a TWIC card.

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Although justice-impacted individuals are almost always eligible to apply for a card, they face several barriers that limit their ability to receive one, eliminating a key opportunity for employment in several high-demand sectors.

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The Challenge

The TSA’s TWIC application requires original documents that are difficult to access for the majority of justice-impacted people such as a passport or birth certificate, a certificate of completion of parole or probation, and a $125 application fee. People leaving incarceration often do not have the funds to afford the application fee in addition to the various fines and fees associated with leaving prison.

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Assuming someone who has been incarcerated meets all the requirements to obtain a TWIC card, they will still receive a preliminary rejection due to their background and must appeal or request a waiver from the federal program. This redress process is difficult and intimidating for many, requiring additional documents and lasting multiple months. Data collected from TSA shows that 62% of TWIC card applicants do not respond to redress notifications, even though the majority of those redress cases are approved by TSA.

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These delays increase instability and the risk of reincarceration despite strong motivation to work.

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Why Barrier Removal Is Essential To Reentry

Employment is one of the strongest predictors of successful reentry. When formerly incarcerated people work:

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• Recidivism rates decline by 22%¹
• Incarceration for new crime decreases by 25%²
• They have longer tenures and lower turnover rates than other populations³

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For people reentering society with limited support networks, SNAP often serves as the bridge that makes employment, housing, and family stability possible.

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The Solutions

The TWIC Efficiency (TWICE) Act

H.R.5109

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The TWICE Act aims to take an important first step in addressing these barriers by instructing the TSA to better support individuals at the federal, state, and local level in:

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• Pre-applying and preparing applications for the TWIC credential before release
• Navigating the appeal process of preliminary determinations after release

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This bill was introduced with bipartisan original co-sponsors: Representatives Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-LA) and Clay Higgins (R-LA).

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By The Numbers

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Conclusion

The barriers preventing justice-involved individuals from finding employment in TWIC-related sectors impact entire communities. Ultimately, this stops motivated, qualified employees from filling critical jobs.

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The cost of inaction is continued instability, reincarceration, and missed economic potential. The TWICE Act represents a commonsense reform that would allow individuals motivated to work to secure employment and economic independence. Policymakers should act now to remove unnecessary limitations to employment and ensure long-term success – for both employees and employers – by passing the TWICE Act.

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