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Hazardous Materials Endorsement Screening Gateway and Document Management System (HMESG DMS)

TSA implemented the Hazmat Threat Assessment Program to meet the requirements of the USA PATRIOT Act. Under the Act, a state may not issue a license to transport hazmat in commerce unless TSA determines that the driver does not pose a security risk warranting denial of the license. TSA developed its program to protect against the threat posed by terrorists transporting hazardous materials in commerce.

TSA requires commercial drivers who seek to apply for renewal or transfer of an HME on their state-issued Commercial Driver's License (CDL) to undergo a security threat assessment. This assessment includes a fingerprint-based FBI criminal history records check, an intelligence-related check and immigration status verification. This group is expected to exceed 2.7 million individuals per year.

InfoZen Expertise

InfoZen, as subcontractor to LexisNexis, designed and implemented a system to accept data from driver applicants, acquire criminal record search results, and automate an initial determination of driver acceptability.

The framework of this system is InfoZen's RapidAdjudicator^TM suite of web-based tools to track pertinent data as it progresses through the screening process. This risk management framework helps to rapidly turn around the design, implementation, training and deployment of other necessary risk screening applications.

The system's data aggregation consolidates the returned search results with the applicant data, mapping different data structures to a readily usable format. A natural language processor (NLP) pre-classifies applicants based on specified rules and text returned in criminal records and other sources. This enables straight-through processing that streamlines adjudication and pinpoints critical cases. Adjudicator responses continually refine the analysis.

Results

InfoZen has created an intuitive user interface that presents all of the information that adjudicators require to make an efficient and accurate determination with a comprehensive audit trail for every case.

The document management system enables timely delivery of approved communications to applicants regarding the status and determination of the case. It also allows for levels of internal document review and applicant response to materials and decisions. The system's reports allow ongoing evaluation of application processing.

InfoZen continues to manage this program and work with users to identify and implement system refinements.