April 26, 2023

Today, Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA) reintroduced the “Base Access Privileges Improvement Act,” legislation to streamline the process for SWACCA members, construction contractors, and others to gain access to work on Defense Department facilities across the country. SWACCA worked with Rep. Garamendi’s staff last year to develop the original iteration of the bill, which was unanimously adopted as an amendment to the Fiscal Year 2023 National Defense Authorization Act.

The “Base Access Privileges Improvement Act” addresses the mandatory background check and credentialing standards applicable to federal contractors and their employees and is intended to replace base-specific access policies with national standards set by the Defense Department. These national standards would set forth minimum criteria for personnel vetting and determining the fitness of individuals for unescorted access to military installations. SWACCA provided significant input during the drafting of the legislation, which also provides screening standards that are appropriate for the type of installation involved and standardized protocols for determining the fitness of an individual to enter an installation and for verifying their identity. It also requires the Defense Department to consider whether an individual holds a valid federally-recognized access credential with more rigorous vetting—such as a TWIC or SIDA badge—for purposes of granting expedited access to military facilities.

SWACCA applauds Rep. Garamendi for his continued leadership on this important legislation, and we look forward to working with him to see it enacted into law.

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