I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2455

To improve air cargo security. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JUNE 12, 2003

Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. ANDREWS, Mrs. LOWEY, and 

Mr. ETHERIDGE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL

To improve air cargo security.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Universal Screening 

5 of Air Cargo Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF CARGO CARRIED ABOARD PAS7 SENGER AIRCRAFT. 

8 Section 44901 of title 49, United States Code, is 

9 amended—
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1 (1) by redesignating subsections ‘‘(g)’’ and 

2 ‘‘(h)’’ as subsections ‘‘(h)’’ and ‘‘(i)’’, respectively; 

3 and 

4 (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol5 lowing: 

6 ‘‘(g) AIR CARGO ON PASSENGER AIRCRAFT.—

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of 

8 Border and Transportation Security of the Depart9 ment of Homeland Security shall establish systems 

10 to screen or inspect to ensure the security of all 

11 cargo that is to be transported in passenger aircraft 

12 operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in 

13 air transportation or intrastate air transportation. 

14 Such systems shall use equipment, technology, and 

15 personnel to screen and inspect cargo that meet the 

16 same standards established to screen passenger bag17 gage. 

18 ‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—The Under Sec19 retary shall—

20 ‘‘(A) develop an implementation plan to 

21 carry out paragraph (1); and 

22 ‘‘(B) establish a fee schedule for shippers 

23 to cover costs associated with carrying out 

24 paragraph (1) that is similar to the security 
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1 service fee imposed on passengers under section 

2 44940. 

3 ‘‘(3) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW

4 TECHNOLOGIES.—The Under Secretary shall mon5 itor and evaluate the research and development of 

6 effective cargo screening technologies.’’. 

7 SEC. 3. AIR CARGO SHIPPING. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 449 of 

9 title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

10 end the following: 

11 ‘‘§ 44922. Regular inspections of air cargo shipping 

12 facilities 

13 ‘‘The Under Secretary of Border and Transportation 

14 Security of the Department of Homeland Security shall 

15 establish a system for the regular inspection of shipping 

16 facilities for shipments of cargo transported in air trans17 portation or intrastate air transportation to ensure that 

18 appropriate security controls, systems, and protocols are 

19 observed, and shall enter into arrangements with the civil 

20 aviation authorities, or other appropriate officials, of for21 eign countries to ensure that inspections are conducted on 

22 a regular basis at shipping facilities for cargo transported 

23 in air transportation to the United States.’’. 

24 (b) ADDITIONAL INSPECTORS.—The Under Secretary 

25 of Border and Transportation Security of the Department 
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1 of Homeland Security may increase the number of inspec2 tors as necessary to implement the requirements of title 

3 49, United States Code, as amended by this Act. 

4 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The chapter anal5 ysis for chapter 449 of title 49, United States Code, is 

6 amended by adding at the end the following:

‘‘44922. Regular inspections of air cargo shipping facilities.’’.

7 SEC. 4. TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CARGO HANDLERS. 

8 The Under Secretary of Border and Transportation 

9 Security of the Department of Homeland Security shall 

10 establish a training and evaluation program for any per11 sons that handle air cargo to ensure that the cargo is 

12 properly handled and safeguarded from security breaches. 

13 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

14 This Act and the amendments made this Act shall 

15 take effect on November 27, 2003 (Thanksgiving Day), 

16 or 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, which17 ever is later.

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