TSA Postpones Fingerprinting for HazMat Drivers
The Transportation Security Administration is postponing and changing its Interim Final Rule that had established standards, including fingerprinting, for those applying for, renewing, or transferring a hazardous materials endorsement for a Commercial Driver's License.
According to the TSA website, the agency will add a new definition and move the start of the fingerprint-based record check to April 1, 2004, from the original deadline of November 3, 2003. If a State is unable to collect this information by April 1, 2004, it must submit a request for extension to TSA on or before April 1, 2004.
The move comes as no surprise to most industry observers who doubted TSA could arrange in such a short time with states how to fingerprint the nation's more than 1 million hazmat endorsed CDL drivers.
TSA would not supply further details, and officials said more information will be posted in the Federal Register.