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The Coast Guard announced in the Federal Register that it is amending its Risk Group A facility regulations so that their provisions to implement Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) electronic inspection requirements by May 8, 2023, is changed to May 8, 2026.
This will revise our regulations to conform with recently passed legislation. The James M. Inhofe National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2023 (Authorization Act) was enacted December 23, 2022. A provision within the Authorization Act directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to not implement TWIC reader regulations for certain facilities before May 8, 2026. This conforming amendment will have no substantive effect. Controlling statutory authority already nullifies the May 8, 2023, implementing dates in our regulations. We note there is a separate ongoing rulemaking to address whether the implementation date should remain May 8, 2026, or be moved to a later date. The Authorization Act was enacted after the Coast Guard published the proposed rule for that separate rulemaking.
This final rule is effective April 17, 2023.
The full notice is available on the Federal Register under docket number USCG-2023-0265.