[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 5794 Introduced in House (IH)]
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114th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 5794
To make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary
of Homeland Security relating to public transportation security, and
for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 14, 2016
Mr. Lipinski (for himself, Mrs. Comstock, Ms. Norton, Mrs. Napolitano,
and Mr. Dent) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Homeland Security
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To make certain improvements in the laws administered by the Secretary
of Homeland Security relating to public transportation security, and
for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Securing America's Facilities,
Equipment and Rail: Taking Responsibility for American National
Security in Transit Act'' or the ``SAFER TRANSIT Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress makes the following findings:
(1) Nationwide, Americans rely on 6,800 public
transportation systems for their daily commute. Every weekday,
public transportation riders take 35,000,000 trips. Public
transportation significantly improves quality of life, saving
Americans who live in areas served by public transportation
systems nearly 865,000,000 hours in travel time annually.
(2) Increasingly, public transportation is becoming a
target of terrorist activity.
(3) In 2004, terrorists simultaneously detonated explosives
concealed inside backpacks on Madrid's commuter train system,
killing 191 and injuring nearly 2,000.
(4) In 2005, four suicide bombers attacked London's public
transportation system, killing 52.
(5) In 2011, authorities discovered an improvised
explosives device near Amtrak and commuter train tracks. The
same year, German police found multiple firebombs alongside
high speed rail tracks and in tunnels leading into train
stations.
(6) On March 22, 2016, a coordinated terrorist attack
targeted both the Brussels Airport and a metro station in the
city killing 32 and injuring nearly 300 travelers.
(7) According to the Global Terrorism Database, there were
57 terror attacks on transportation from 2006 to 2014.
(8) To ensure the continued effectiveness of public
transportation, the Federal Government must balance transit
system security and accessibility.
(9) The Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission
Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53), conferred to the Department of
Homeland Security the responsibility for assuring public
transportation security.
(10) A May 2016 report by the Inspector General of the
Department of Homeland Security found that the Transportation
Security Administration has limited regulatory oversight of
Amtrak's passenger security.
(11) A May 2016 report by the Government Accountability
Office recommended that the Federal Air Marshal Service
undertake a number of measures to ensure resources are
allocated according to risk assessments.
(12) Congress must provide the agencies and municipalities
with the necessary resources to combat terrorism, and continue
to conduct oversight of their effective use.
SEC. 3. RAIL SECURITY.
Not later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act,
the Secretary of Homeland Security, in coordination with the Office of
Management and Budget, shall submit to Congress a report on the plan of
the Secretary to expedite the implementation of the requirements of
subtitle B of title XV of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11
Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53; 6 U.S.C. 1161 et seq.) to--
(1) assign rail carriers to high-risk tiers; and
(2) establish a rail security training program.
SEC. 4. VISIBLE INTERMODAL PREVENTION AND RESPONSE TEAMS.
(a) Authorization of Appropriations.--Section 1303(b) of the
Implementing Recommendations of the
9/11 Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53; 6 U.S.C. 1112) is
amended by striking ``fiscal years 2007 through 2011'' and inserting
``fiscal years 2016 through 2020''.
(b) Surface Transportation Security Inspectors.--Section 1304(j) of
the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007
(Public Law 110-53; 6 U.S.C. 1113) is amended by striking ``this
section'' and all that follows and inserting ``this section such sums
as may be necessary for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2020.''.
SEC. 5. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SECURITY RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT.
Section 1409(h) of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11
Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53; 6 U.S.C. 1138) is amended by
striking ``to make grants'' and all that follows and inserting ``to
carry out this section such sums as may be necessary for each of fiscal
years 2016 through 2020.''.
SEC. 6. RAILROAD SECURITY.
Section 1513(i)(1) of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11
Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53; 6 U.S.C. 1163) is amended by
striking ``Out of funds'' and all that follows and inserting: ``There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
section such sums as necessary for fiscal years 2016 through 2020.''.
SEC. 7. OVER-THE-ROAD BUS SECURITY ASSISTANCE.
Section 1532(k)(1) of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11
Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53; 6 U.S.C. 1182) is amended by
striking ``From amounts'' and all that follows and inserting ``There
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this
section such sums as necessary for fiscal years 2016 through 2020.''.
SEC. 8. PUBLIC TRANSIT SECURITY POLICE TRAINING PROGRAM.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall develop a
program, to be known as the ``Local Transit Security Instructor
Training Program'', which shall be carried out at the Federal Law
Enforcement Training Centers.
(b) Contents.--The program developed under subsection (a) shall be
an intensive training program designed to--
(1) cover the comprehensive tactical subject matters
pertaining to the unique nature of public transit operational
environments and threats;
(2) provide high-quality training and instill the
knowledge, skills, and aptitudes needed for the highest
proficiency in transit security; and
(3) leverage the existing skills of trainee officers by
emphasizing leadership, teach backs, and adult learning as well
as the traditional technical skills needed by field training
officers.
(c) Availability.--The Secretary shall make such program available
to law enforcement agencies that are eligible for the Homeland Security
Grant Program under section 2002 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002
(6 U.S.C. 603) and have jurisdiction over a geographic area where a
public transit system operates rail or bus service.
SEC. 9. EFFECTIVENESS OF FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL PROGRAM.
The Secretary of Homeland Security shall take such steps as may be
necessary to ensure that the Federal Air Marshal Service (hereinafter
in this section referred to as the ``FAMS'') uses its resources to
cover the highest-risk flights. In carrying out this section, the
Secretary shall--
(1) consider risk when determining how to divide the
international flight coverage resources of the FAMS among
international destinations, incorporate risk into the method of
the FAMS for initially setting its annual target numbers of
average daily international and domestic flights;
(2) conduct and document a risk assessment to further
support the domestic resource allocation decisions of the FAMS,
including the identification of high-priority geographic areas;
(3) in conducting such risk assessment, evaluate the threat
environment with regard to each of the different modes of
transportation supported by the FAMS to inform resource
allocation decisions, including the identification of high-
priority modes of transportation;
(4) document the rationale for the selection of
international destinations by FAMS for air marshal deployment
and the proportion of flights to cover at each destination;
(5) adopt a consistent name and definition for the
performance measure referred to as the TSA coverage score that
accurately reflects its calculation method and composite
nature; and
(6) report the performance results for each of the
subcategories that comprise the TSA coverage score to FAMS and
TSA leadership.
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