Securing Public Areas of Transportation Facilities Act of 2018

Summary: Securing Public Areas of Transportation Facilities Act of 2018 (Sec. 3) This bill requires the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a working group to promote collaborative engagement between DHS and public and private sector stakeholders to develop non-binding recommendations for enhancing security in public areas of transportation facilities (including facilities that are surface transportation assets).  (Sec. 4) DHS shall: (1) inform owners and operators of surface transportation assets about the availability of technical assistance to help protect and enhance the resilience of public areas of such assets, (2) provide such assistance to requesting owners and operators of surface transportation assets, and (3) publish best practices for protecting and enhancing the resilience of public areas of transportation facilities. (Sec. 5) The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) shall submit to specified congressional committees a review of regulations, directives, policies, and procedures issued by the TSA regarding the transportation of a firearm and ammunition.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Securing Public Areas of 
Transportation Facilities Act of 2018''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

    In this Act:
            (1) Public and private sector stakeholders.--The term 
        ``public and private sector stakeholders'' has the meaning 
        given such term in section 114(u)(1)(C) of title 49, United 
        States Code.
            (2) Surface transportation asset.--The term ``surface 
        transportation asset'' includes facilities, equipment, or 
        systems used to provide transportation services by--
                    (A) a public transportation agency (as such term is 
                defined in section 1402(5) of the Implementing 
                Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 
                (Public Law 110-53; 6 U.S.C. 1131(5)));
                    (B) a railroad carrier (as such term is defined in 
                section 20102(3) of title 49, United States Code);
                    (C) an owner or operator of--
                            (i) an entity offering scheduled, fixed-
                        route transportation services by over-the road 
                        bus (as such term is defined in section 1501(4) 
                        of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 
                        Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110-53; 6 
                        U.S.C. 1151(4))); or
                            (ii) a bus terminal; or
                    (D) other transportation facilities, equipment, or 
                systems, as determined by the Secretary.

SEC. 3. PUBLIC AREA SECURITY WORKING GROUP.

    (a) Working Group.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
establish a working group to promote collaborative engagement between 
the Department of Homeland Security and public and private sector 
stakeholders to develop non-binding recommendations for enhancing 
security in public areas of transportation facilities (including 
facilities that are surface transportation assets), including 
recommendations regarding the following topics:
            (1) Information sharing and interoperable communication 
        capabilities among the Department of Homeland Security and 
        public and private stakeholders with respect to terrorist or 
        other threats.
            (2) Coordinated incident response procedures.
            (3) The prevention of terrorist attacks and other incidents 
        through strategic planning, security training, exercises and 
        drills, law enforcement patrols, worker vetting, and suspicious 
        activity reporting.
            (4) Infrastructure protection through effective 
        construction design barriers and installation of advanced 
        surveillance and other security technologies.
    (b) Annual Report.--Not later than 1 year after the establishment 
of the working group under subsection (a) and annually thereafter for 5 
years, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall report to the Committee 
on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate on the working 
group's organization, participation, activities, findings, and non-
binding recommendations for the immediately preceding 12-month period. 
The Secretary may publish a public version of such report that 
describes the working group's activities and such related matters as 
would be informative to the public, consistent with section 552(b) of 
title 5, United States Code.
    (c) Inapplicability of the Federal Advisory Committee Act.--The 
Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not apply to the 
working group established under subsection (a) or any subsidiary 
thereof.

SEC. 4. TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall--
            (1) inform owners and operators of surface transportation 
        assets about the availability of technical assistance, 
        including vulnerability assessment tools and cybersecurity 
        guidelines, to help protect and enhance the resilience of 
        public areas of such assets; and
            (2) subject to the availability of appropriations, provide 
        such technical assistance to requesting owners and operators of 
        surface transportation assets.
    (b) Best Practices.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall publish 
on the Department of Homeland Security's website and widely 
disseminate, as appropriate, best practices for protecting and 
enhancing the resilience of public areas of transportation facilities 
(including facilities that are surface transportation assets), 
including associated frameworks or templates for implementation. Such 
best practices shall be updated periodically.

SEC. 5. REVIEW.

    (a) Review.--Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment 
of this Act, the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration shall submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of 
the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, 
and Transportation of the Senate a report that includes a review of 
regulations, directives, policies, and procedures issued by the 
Administrator regarding the transportation of a firearm and ammunition, 
and, as appropriate, information on plans to modify any such 
regulation, directive, policy, or procedure based on such review.
    (b) Consultation.--In preparing the report required under 
subsection (a), the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
Administration shall consult with the Aviation Security Advisory 
Committee (established pursuant to section 44946 of title 49, United 
States Code) and appropriate public and private sector stakeholders.

            Passed the House of Representatives June 25, 2018.

            Attest:

                                                 KAREN L. HAAS,

                                                                 Clerk.