A bill to improve air cargo security.

Summary: Air Cargo Security Act - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a system for the screening and inspecting of all cargo transported in domestic and foreign all-cargo aircraft, including in intrastate air transportation, to ensure the security of such aircraft. Requires such systems to meet minimum standards that ensure equipment, technology, procedures, or personnel used for screening cargo provide a level of security commensurate with the security level for screening passenger checked baggage.

Directs the Secretary to: (1) establish a system for regularly screening and inspecting shipments of cargo transported in air transportation, including intrastate air transportation, at shipping facilities to ensure that appropriate security controls, systems, and protocols are observed; and (2) enter into arrangements with civil aviation authorities of foreign countries to ensure the regular screening and inspecting at shipping facilities in such countries of such cargo transported by air to the United States.

Authorizes the Secretary to increase the number of air cargo inspectors to carry out such screenings and inspections.

Directs the Secretary to establish a training and evaluation program for all individuals who handle air cargo to ensure that such cargo is properly handled and safeguarded from security breaches.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Air Cargo Security Act''.

SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF CARGO CARRIED ABOARD ALL-CARGO AIRCRAFT.

    Section 44901(f) of title 49, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
    ``(f) Air Cargo on All-Cargo Aircraft.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        establish a system for screening and inspecting all cargo 
        transported in all-cargo aircraft operated by an air carrier or 
        foreign air carrier in air transportation or intrastate air 
        transportation to ensure the security of such aircraft.
            ``(2) Minimum standards.--The system referred to in 
        paragraph (1) shall require that equipment, technology, 
        procedures, personnel, and other methods approved by the 
        Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration 
        that are used for screening cargo transported in all-cargo 
        aircraft provide a level of security commensurate with the 
        level of security provided for screening passenger checked 
        baggage, in accordance with the implementation schedule set 
        forth in paragraph (3).
            ``(3) Implementation schedule.--The Secretary shall ensure 
        that--
                    ``(A) beginning not later than 18 months after the 
                date of the enactment of the Air Cargo Security Act, at 
                least 50 percent of the cargo described in paragraph 
                (1) is screened in accordance with the inspection 
                system established under this subsection; and
                    ``(B) beginning not later than 3 years after the 
                date of the enactment of such Act, 100 percent of such 
                cargo is screened in accordance with such system.
            ``(4) Research and development of new technologies.--The 
        Secretary shall monitor and evaluate the research and 
        development of effective cargo screening technologies.''.

SEC. 3. AIR CARGO SHIPPING.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 449 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 44927. Regular inspections of air cargo shipping facilities
    ``(a) Regular Inspections.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
of the enactment of the Air Cargo Security Act, the Secretary of 
Homeland Security--
            ``(1) shall establish a system for regularly screening and 
        inspecting shipments of cargo transported in air transportation 
        or intrastate air transportation at shipping facilities to 
        ensure that appropriate security controls, systems, and 
        protocols are observed; and
            ``(2) in consultation with the Secretary of State, shall 
        enter into arrangements with civil aviation authorities, or 
        other appropriate officials, of foreign countries to ensure the 
        regular screening and inspection of cargo to be transported in 
        air transportation to the United States at shipping facilities 
        in such countries.
    ``(b) Defined Term.--In this section, the term `screening' means 
using the air cargo inspection procedures required under section 
44901(f).
    ``(c) Reports.--Not later than 210 days after the date of the 
enactment of the Air Cargo Security Act, and annually thereafter, the 
Secretary of Homeland Security shall submit a report to Congress that 
describes--
            ``(1) the number of shipping facilities that have been 
        inspected in accordance with subsection (a)(1);
            ``(2) the number of such facilities that are not in 
        compliance with required security controls, systems, and 
        protocols;
            ``(3) the specific consequences imposed upon each facility 
        that the Secretary determined was not in compliance with the 
        system established under subsection (a)(1); and
            ``(4) the countries with which the Secretary has entered 
        into arrangements to ensure regular screenings and inspections 
        of cargo transported in air transportation to the United 
        States.''.
    (b) Additional Inspectors.--The Secretary may increase the number 
of air cargo inspectors to the extent necessary to carry out the 
screenings and inspections required by sections 44901(f) and 44927 of 
title 49, United States Code, as added by this Act.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--The chapter analysis for chapter 449 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``44927. Regular inspections of air cargo shipping facilities.''.

SEC. 4. TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CARGO HANDLERS.

    Section 44935 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsection (i) (as added by section 
        3(b) of the Airport Security Improvement Act of 2000 (Public 
        Law 106-528; 114 Stat. 2520), and redesignated by section 
        111(a)(1) of the Aviation and Transportation Security Act 
        (Public Law 107-71; 115 Stat. 616)), as subsection (k); and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(l) Training Program for Cargo Handlers.--The Secretary of 
Homeland Security shall establish a training and evaluation program for 
all individuals that handle air cargo to ensure that such cargo is 
properly handled and safeguarded from security breaches.''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the amendments made by 
this Act shall take effect on the date that is 180 days after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.