6 U.S.C. § 1119
Voluntary use of credentialing
(a) In general
An applicable individual who is subject to credentialing or a background investigation may satisfy that requirement by obtaining a valid transportation security card.
(b) Issuance of cards
The Secretary of Homeland Security—
(1)
shall expand the transportation security card program, consistent with section 70105 of title 46 , to allow an applicable individual who is subject to credentialing or a background investigation to apply for a transportation security card; and
(2)
may charge reasonable fees, in accordance with section 469(a) of this title , for providing the necessary credentialing and background investigation.
(c) Vetting
The Administrator shall develop and implement a plan to utilize, in addition to any background check required for initial issue, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Rap Back Service and other vetting tools as appropriate, including the No-Fly and Selectee lists, to get immediate notification of any criminal activity relating to any person with a valid transportation security card.
(d) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Applicable individual who is subject to credentialing or a background investigation
The term “applicable individual who is subject to credentialing or a background investigation” means only an individual who—
(A)
because of employment is regulated by the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Transportation, or Coast Guard and is required to have a background records check to obtain a hazardous materials endorsement on a commercial driver’s license issued by a State under section 5103a of title 49 ; or
(B)
is required to have a credential and background records check under section 622(d)(2) of this title at a facility with activities that are regulated by the Transportation Security Administration, Department of Transportation, or Coast Guard.
(2) Valid transportation security card
The term “valid transportation security card” means a transportation security card that is—
(A)
issued under section 70105 of title 46 ;
(B)
not expired;
(C)
shows no signs of tampering; and
(D)
bears 2 a photograph of the individual representing such card.
( Pub. L. 115–254, div. K, title I, § 1977 , Oct. 5, 2018 , 132 Stat. 3617 .)