TSA Postpones Fingerprinting For Hazmat Drivers
The Transportation Security Administration backed off its schedule for fingerprinting hazardous materials drivers. States were supposed to begin fingerprinting in April, or apply for an extension until the end of the year. Now TSA has decided to give all states until Jan. 31, 2005, to put their systems in place.
Fingerprints are part of an overall plan to improve security in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Ultimately, all drivers who have a hazmat endorsement on their Commercial Driver's License will have to clear a background check by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies, as well as the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
The agency decided to delay the fingerprint requirement because most states are not ready to begin, said TSA spokesperson Andrea Fuentes. The states that are ready to begin will run pilot projects this year, in preparation for the new deadline.
Meanwhile, TSA is checking the names of some 3.5 million drivers with hazmat endorsements against the FBI and INS data bases. That process will be finished by the end of the year, Fuentes said.
If the background check reveals that a driver is a security threat or has been convicted of a serious felony — for example, treason or sedition, robbery, rape, bribery or the unlawful possession of firearms or controlled substances — within the past seven years, he will not be allowed to haul hazmats. There is an appeal process, in which a driver can correct the record if there has been a mistake.
In the event that a driver fails to clear the check, TSA will notify the driver's state motor vehicle agency, which will in turn notify the driver. Drivers who believe they may not get past the check should contact TSA — they may be eligible for a waiver.
—Oliver B. Patton, Washington Editor
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