34 AUGUST 2018 • FOGHORN NEWSWIRE TWIC Reader Rule Effective Date Postponed The effective date for implementation of the electronic reader rule for TWICs (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) has been pushed off into the future. It was scheduled to go into effect onAugust 23, 2018, but in July Congress passed the TWIC Accountability Act (H.R. 5729), and the President signed it into law on August 2 (Public Law 115-230). The TWIC Accountability Act restricts the Department of Homeland Security from implementing any rule requiring the use of biometric readers for TWICs until after submission to Congress of the results of an assessment of the effectiveness of the transportation security card program.   This assessment has been contracted out to the RAND Corporation. PVA anticipates that the required report will not be delivered to Congress until the summer of 2019 at least.  When it was finalized, the TWIC reader rule exempted nearly all vessels operated by PVA members and most of their facilities as well. However, it does require TWIC readers at a facility that receives a passenger vessel with a capacity for more than 1,000 passengers. Approximately two dozen facilities of PVA members are covered. The effect of Public Law 115-230 is to supersede the scheduled August 23 implementation date for the TWIC reader rule.  PVA supported this legislation. n SBA, CONTINUED ON PAGE 35 SBA Now Accepting 2019 National Small Business Week Awards Nominations  The majority of PVA’s membership is comprised of small businesses, which is why the U.S. Small Business Administration may be an important resource of many PVA members. If this is case for your operation, consider being recognized by this organiza- tion. The U.S. Small Business Administration is now accepting nominations for its 2019 National Small Business Week Awards, including the annual Small Business Person of the Year. Since 1963, National Small Business Week has recognized the outstand- ing achievements of America’s small busi- nesses for their contributions to their local communities, and to our nation’s economy. “This is a great opportunity to recognize those small businesses that have con- tributed significantly to their local com- munities, developed creative products or