Hazmat endorsement extension expected soon

The Transportation Security Administration is working toward issuing a 120-day waiver regarding Hazardous Materials Endorsements for commercial drivers, said Doug Morris, OOIDA’s director of security operations.

The waiver from TSA is expected to be consistent with FMCSA’s extensions for CDL and medical card renewals. The extension would be retroactive to March 1.

In addition, TSA is working in coordination with the U.S. Coast Guard on new guidance on the use of expired Transportation Worker Identification Cards if TSA is not able to conduct enrollments or encounters other problems. Current federal regulations permit unescorted access to secure areas of maritime facilities or vessels with an expired TWIC under special circumstances.

According to the regulations, “If an individual cannot present a TWIC because it has been lost, damaged, stolen, or expired, and the individual previously has been granted unescorted access to secure areas and is known to have had a TWIC, the individual may be granted unescorted access to secure areas for a period of no longer than 30 consecutive calendar days.”

TSA and the U.S. Coast Guard have been working together to determine if additional guidance for transportation workers is needed, Morris said.

On March 20, TSA issued a bulletin to transportation industry partners, saying it was working with federal, state and local authorities to develop contingency plans to mitigate possible impact to industry caused by state and federal shutdowns issued in response to COVID-19.

Morris is a member of TSA’s Transportation Advisory Committee.