(WASHINGTON) — The U.S. Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register that it proposes to further delay the effective date for certain facilities affected by the final rule titled “Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) — Reader Requirements,” published in the Federal Register on Aug. 23, 2016.
The current effective date for the final rule is May 8, 2023. The Coast Guard proposes delaying the effective date for: facilities that handle certain dangerous cargoes in bulk, but do not transfer those cargoes to or from a vessel; facilities that handle certain dangerous cargoes in bulk, and do transfer those cargoes to or from a vessel; and facilities that receive vessels carrying certain dangerous cargoes in bulk, but do not, during that vessel-to-facility interface, transfer those bulk cargoes to or from those vessels.
Specifically, the Coast Guard proposes to delay the effective date for these facilities for three years from the original delay expiration date of May 8, 2023 to May 8, 2026, but invites comments as well on possibly extending the delay through as late as May 8, 2029. This delay will give the Coast Guard time to further analyze the potential effectiveness of the reader requirement in general as well as at these facilities.
The Coast Guard views public participation as essential to effective rulemaking, and will consider all comments and material received during the comment period. Comments can help shape the outcome of this rulemaking. If you submit a comment, include the docket number for this rulemaking, indicate the specific section of this document to which each comment applies, and provide a reason for each suggestion or recommendation.
You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-2022-0052 using the Federal Decision Making Portal at http://www.regulations.gov.
Comments and related material must be received by the Coast Guard on or before Jan. 5, 2023.
– Coast Guard Maritime Commons
