S. 3094 would prohibit the U.S. Coast Guard from implementing a rule that, under current law, will take effect on August 23, 2018. The rule requires owners and operators of certain vessels and facilities regulated by the Coast Guard to conduct electronic inspections of workers’ biometric security credentials. S. 3094 would suspend implementation of the rule until 60 days after the Secretary of Homeland Security has reported to the Congress on the efficacy of such credentials for enhancing security.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 3094 would not significantly affect the federal budget. Delaying implementation of the affected rule would not alter the timing or magnitude of cash flows related to federally issued credentials nor would it significantly affect the Coast Guard’s administrative costs, which are subject to appropriation. The Department of Homeland Security is already required to complete an assessment related to the effectiveness of credentials issued to transportation workers.
Enacting S. 3094 would not affect direct spending or revenues; therefore, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply.
CBO estimates that enacting S. 3094 would not increase net direct spending or on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2029.
S. 3094 contains no intergovernmental or private-sector mandates as defined in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act.
On June 28, 2018, CBO transmitted a cost estimate for H.R. 5729, the Transportation Worker Identification Credential Accountability Act of 2018, as ordered reported by the House Committee on Homeland Security on June 6, 2018. The two bills are similar, and the CBO’s estimated costs are the same for both bills.
