caldwell about the twic program. so you testified about the one visit pilot and now it's going to a nationwide mailing system. so how do you assess it's going and are you able to do this without concerns about fraud? so just can you give us a quick update. you know, obviously i appreciate the steps you've taken on this but just in terms of substance. then i would like to hear from mr. caldwell about how effective you think overall the twic program is in helping protect port security and what other -- gao has been quite critical in past reports about what we need to do to improve this program and its effectiveness. so that's really the issue i was hoping to get a little more insight on. >> we started the pilot for twic 1 visit last year in 2012-2013 in alaska and michigan. as we transitioned to our new technical system, we started the implementation nationwide, so we started implementing the one visit in may of this year, may 12th. so we planned to have a phased schedule to implement it across the nation and we should

-- of twic readers? >> we are currently working on the rule we put out a notice proposed rule making. we received about 2600 comments. we are working through the comments. we are going to make some adjustments to the rules and go through the process and hopefully sometime next year. then a two-year implementation date before the readers have to be in place. >> we're 2 1/2 years from the present plan of the coast guard? >> we're 2 1/2 years where readers will be required at certain port facilities. >> thank you. let me go back for a minute. miss mcclain, one of your statements in your opening statement was spending money in a cost effective way. if y'all don't have metrics on the effectiveness of grant money spent, how do you know it's cost ekt -- effective? >> senator, i think that the -- i appreciate the question. i think it's a little outside my lane. i would prefer to take the question back and get you an answer working with my colleague from fema on where we are in developing metrics or answering tha

caldwell about the twic program. so you testified about the one visit pilot and now it's going to a nationwide mailing system. so how do you assess it's going and are you able to do this without concerns about fraud? so just can you give us a quick update. you know obviously i appreciate the steps you've taken on this but just in terms of substance. then i would like to hear from mr. caldwell about how effective you think overall the twic program is in helping protect port security and what other -- gao has been quite critical in past reports about what we need to do to improve this program and its effectiveness. so that's really the issue i was hoping to get a little more insight on. >> we started the pilot for twic 1 visit last year in 2012-2013 in alaska and michigan. as we transitioned to our new technical system we started the implementation nationwide so we started implementing the one visit in may of this year, may 12th. so we planned to have a phased schedule to implement it across the nation and we should ha

caldwell about the twic program. so you testified about the one visit pilot and now it's going to a nationwide mailing system. so how do you assess it's going and are you able to do this without concerns about fraud? so just can you give us a quick update. you know, obviously i appreciate the steps you've taken on this but just in terms of substance. then i would like to hear from mr. caldwell about how effective you think overall the twic program is in helping protect port security and what other -- gao has been quite critical in past reports about what we need to do to improve this program and its effectiveness. so that's really the issue i was hoping to get a little more insight on. >> we started the pilot for twic 1 visit last year in 2012-2013 in alaska and michigan. as we transitioned to our new technical system, we started the implementation nationwide, so we started implementing the one visit in may of this year, may 12th. so we planned to have a phased schedule to implement it across the nation and we should

of twic readers? >> i put out a notice will make an immersive 2600,, so we're working through the soil make adjust to mitsuko reuther go through the process and hopefully be published sometime next year and there would be a two-year implementation debut for the readers have to be in place. >> so we are two and a half years away from the completion of what the present plan for the coast guard are? >> we are two inaccuracies away from the date the 19th pay readers will be required at certain facilities. >> thank you. >> let me go back for a minute. ms. mcaleenan, one of your statements in your opening statement was spending money in a cost effective way, if you all don't have a tricks on the effect of massive grant money that is that, how do you know it is cost effective? >> senator, i appreciate the question. i think it is a little out by matt lane. i would prefer to take a question back and get to enhance or working with my colleague from fema on where we are in developing metrics or answering that pa

is the twic system similar to the system? >> let me take that one, sir. >> yeah. >> right now the twic system works is that the contractor provides the enrollment equipment. then they connect to a system that eventually gets back to tsa. that system whether it's on the enrollment side, the data center side, up to the tsa side is built to federal standards. they go through accreditation, and certification. they go through auditing, they go through testing. it's not monitored within the dhs system. it's monitored through the tsa operation center. so everything from the contractor's data center -- >> you've answered my question. got it. all right. thank you. >> i would like to ask mr. caldwell to answer my earlier question. >> absolutely. >> the next question i'm going to ask of all of you is what do we need to do? what is the to do list on the committee and the congress? to make sure we're continuing to make progress. >> absolutely, mr. chairman. i ask of you and the committee is for a continued dialogue. i shared this with ran