The legislation passed by the committee would extend the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Act program until 2018.
The House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 26 approved by a 33-16 vote, HR 908, the "Full Implementation of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Act." The legislation passed by the committee would extend the program — originally established in 2007 — until 2018. The Committee adopted two amendments sponsored by Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.). The first would extend the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) until 2018 (from 2017); the other would preclude the Department of Homeland Security from requiring an additional background security check for workers holding a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card. Both amendments are supported by industry. Security within the chemical sector remains an important state and federal issue in light of potential adverse effects that might arise from a terrorist attack at chemical manufacturing, storage, or transportation facilities. As a result of the passage of CFATs, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has jurisdiction over chemical sector security and has been steadily implementing CFATS since 2006. A similar proposal to extend the CFATS program an additional seven years, HR 901, sponsored by Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA) is pending before the House Homeland Security Committee. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee has not taken any action on S. 473, Continuing Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Security Act of 2011, which is sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Ranking Member for the Committee. S. 473 would provide for only a 3-year authorization of the current program. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment and Economy on May 4 approved the legislation by voice vote. On March 31, David C. Tabar, global director of safety for The Sherwin-Williams Company, testified on behalf of ACA before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment and Economy, concerning H.R. 908.
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The House Energy and Commerce Committee on May 26 approved by a 33-16 vote, HR 908, the "Full Implementation of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards Act." The legislation passed by the committee would extend the program — originally established in 2007 — until 2018. The Committee adopted two amendments sponsored by Rep. John Shimkus (R-Ill.). The first would extend the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) until 2018 (from 2017); the other would preclude the Department of Homeland Security from requiring an additional background security check for workers holding a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) card. Both amendments are supported by industry. Security within the chemical sector remains an important state and federal issue in light of potential adverse effects that might arise from a terrorist attack at chemical manufacturing, storage, or transportation facilities. As a result of the passage of CFATs, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has jurisdiction over chemical sector security and has been steadily implementing CFATS since 2006. A similar proposal to extend the CFATS program an additional seven years, HR 901, sponsored by Rep. Dan Lundgren (R-CA) is pending before the House Homeland Security Committee. The Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee has not taken any action on S. 473, Continuing Chemical Facilities Antiterrorism Security Act of 2011, which is sponsored by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME), Ranking Member for the Committee. S. 473 would provide for only a 3-year authorization of the current program. The House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment and Economy on May 4 approved the legislation by voice vote. On March 31, David C. Tabar, global director of safety for The Sherwin-Williams Company, testified on behalf of ACA before the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Subcommittee on Environment and Economy, concerning H.R. 908.
Read full at paint.org
