TWIC rules snare Florida port card

TWIC rules snare Florida port card Final rules for federal Transportation Worker Identity Credentials issued last week by the Department of Homeland Security will likely mean that Florida will have to significantly revise plans for the Florida Uniform Port Access Credential (FUPAC).
   The TWIC rules specifically singled out the Florida port card, which has been in the process of being rolled out since July and probably would have been implemented in 2007.
   'Some officials from the State of Florida suggested that the Florida identification cards (currently in development) could be replaced with the TWICs as the Florida cards expire,' the DHS rules noted. 'State-issued identification cares will not be considered comparable to or interchangeable with TWIC, and therefore the commenter's (sic) suggestion cannot be accepted.'
   The interpretation is a surprise for Florida officials, who were previously singled out by federal officials for effectively providing a prototype of the TWIC. State officials have also worked closely with their federal counterparts throughout the development of the FUPAC program, making every effort to prevent a situation in which the state card would have to be scrapped when the federal credentials are finalized.
   The TWIC program was mandated by Congress in November 2002 and was originally scheduled for implementation on July 1, 2004. But the program has been slowed by both opposition to specific details and by technical problems.
   Florida officials recognized that the federal program was going to be delayed in 2004 and in 2005 the state legislature passed amended port security laws that included the guidelines for FUPAC.
   With a new governor and new legislature just coming into office this month, it is unclear exactly what will happen next with the Florida port cards.
   'It's up in the air at the moment,' commented Mike Rubin, vice president of the Florida Ports Council. 'The executive branch and the legislature are going to have to make some decision and provide some guidance.'
   He noted the state card could still be implemented, but that it would have to be revised to meet specific TWIC guidelines.
   The DHS has used 'a different threat assessment,' Rubin said, and the state card will have to ultimately adhere to the federal standards.