79–006 

115TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 2d Session 115–609 

VEHICULAR TERRORISM PREVENTION ACT OF 2017 

MARCH 19, 2018.—Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State 

of the Union and ordered to be printed 

Mr. MCCAUL, from the Committee on Homeland Security, 

submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany H.R. 4227] 

The Committee on Homeland Security, to whom was referred the 

bill (H.R. 4227) to require the Secretary of Homeland Security to 

examine what actions the Department of Homeland Security is undertaking to combat the threat of vehicular terrorism, and for other 

purposes, having considered the same, report favorably thereon 

with an amendment and recommend that the bill as amended do 

pass. 

CONTENTS 

Page 

Purpose and Summary ............................................................................................ 2 

Background and Need for Legislation .................................................................... 2 

Hearings ................................................................................................................... 3 

Committee Consideration ........................................................................................ 4 

Committee Votes ...................................................................................................... 4 

Committee Oversight Findings ............................................................................... 4 

New Budget Authority, Entitlement Authority, and Tax Expenditures ............. 4 

Congressional Budget Office Estimate ................................................................... 4 

Statement of General Performance Goals and Objectives .................................... 4 

Duplicative Federal Programs ................................................................................ 5 

Congressional Earmarks, Limited Tax Benefits, and Limited Tariff Benefits ... 5 

Federal Mandates Statement ................................................................................. 5 

Preemption Clarification ......................................................................................... 5 

Disclosure of Directed Rule Makings ..................................................................... 5 

Advisory Committee Statement .............................................................................. 5 

Applicability to Legislative Branch ........................................................................ 5 

Section-by-Section Analysis of the Legislation ...................................................... 6 

Changes in Existing Law Made by the Bill, as Reported ..................................... 6 

The amendment is as follows: 

Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the following: 

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2018’’. 


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1Site Intelligence Group Enterprise. ‘‘Pro-IS Group Calls for Vehicular Attacks with Trucks 

in Poster,’’ February 23, 2018. Accessed at: https://ent.siteintelgroup.com/Chatter/pro-is-groupcalls-for-vehicular-attacks-with-trucks-in-poster.html 

SEC. 2. STRATEGY ON VEHICULAR TERRORISM. 

(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than six months after the date of the enactment of 

this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall— 

(1) assess the activities the Department of Homeland Security is undertaking 

to support emergency response providers and the private sector to prevent, mitigate, and respond to the threat of vehicular terrorism; and 

(2) based on such assessment, develop and submit to the Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland 

Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate a strategy to improve the Department’s efforts to support the efforts of emergency response providers and 

the private sector to prevent, mitigate, and respond to such threat. 

(b) CONTENTS.—The strategy required under subsection (a) shall include the following: 

(1) An examination of the current threat of vehicular terrorism. 

(2) Methods to improve Department of Homeland Security information sharing activities with emergency response providers and the private sector regarding best practices to prevent, mitigate, and respond to the increasing threat of 

vehicular terrorism. 

(3) Training activities the Department can provide, including possible exercises, for emergency response providers to prevent and respond to the threat of 

vehicular terrorism. 

(4) Any additional activities the Secretary of Homeland Security recommends 

to prevent, mitigate, and respond to the threat of vehicular terrorism. 

(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

(1) EMERGENCY RESPONSE PROVIDERS.—The term ‘‘emergency response providers’’ has the meaning given such term in section 2(6) of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101(6)). 

(2) VEHICULAR TERRORISM.—The term ‘‘vehicular terrorism’’ means any action 

that utilizes automotive transportation to inflict violence and intimidation on 

individuals for a political purpose. 

PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

The bill directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to examine 

the threat of vehicular terrorism and develop a strategy to improve 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) support for the efforts of 

emergency responders and the private sector to prevent, mitigate 

and respond to such a threat. The strategy is required to include 

information sharing activities and training activities as well as any 

additional activities the Secretary recommends to improve the Department’s support for efforts of emergency response providers and 

the private sector to prevent, mitigate and respond to such a 

threat. 

BACKGROUND AND NEED FOR LEGISLATION

Terror groups have urged supporters to carry out attacks using 

any means necessary, including vehicle ramming. The second edition of Inspire magazine, a terrorist propaganda tool published by 

now-deceased U.S.-born al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) 

member Anwar al-Awlaki, included an article promoting the use of 

a large pickup trucks to target pedestrians. Supporters of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) have repeatedly promoted the 

use of unsophisticated terror attacks, including the use of vehicles. 

As recently as February 23, 2018, a pro-ISIS group published a 

poster promoting vehicle ramming attacks. The poster displays a 

truck and Arabic and English text stating ‘‘Hit Them with a Truck. 

Kill Them All.’’1


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Terrorists have heeded this direction and have carried out several vehicle-based attacks in the past several years. On the evening 

of July 14, 2016, a 19-ton cargo truck was deliberately driven into 

crowds of people celebrating Bastille Day on the Promenade des 

Anglais in Nice, France, resulting in the deaths of 86 people and 

the injury of 458 others. On March 22, 2017, a terrorist drove a car 

into pedestrians on the pavement along the south side of Westminster Bridge and Bridge Street, injuring more than 50 people, 

five of them fatally. On the afternoon of August 17, 2017, an individual drove a van into pedestrians on La Rambla in Barcelona, 

Spain, killing thirteen people and injuring at least 130 others. 

The radicalized individuals in the United States have also engaged in vehicle ramming attacks. On November 28, 2016, an individual inspired by ISIS drove his vehicle into a crowd of students 

on the Ohio State University campus, injuring 11 students. Most 

recently, on October 31, 2017, a person drove a rented pickup truck 

into cyclists and runners on the Hudson River Park’s bike path in 

New York City. The vehicle-ramming attack killed eight people and 

injured eleven others. A flag and a document indicating allegiance 

to ISIS were found in the truck. However, this terror tactic has not 

confined itself to one ideological group. On August 12, 2017, a self– 

proclaimed neo–Nazi drove his car into a crowd of individuals protesting the alt–right demonstrations held at a ‘‘Unite the Right’’ 

rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The vehicle ramming attack killed 

one persona and injured 35 others. 

The majority of prevention, mitigation and response activities related to vehicle attacks are carried out by first responders and the 

private sector. DHS has existing resources and programs that can 

be better utilized to prepare front line personnel in local communities to address this threat. This includes, guidance related to the 

use of existing grant programs, increased information sharing, promoting suspicious activity reporting, increasing available exercises 

and training programs, dedicated research and development targeting mitigation measures, and utilizing critical infrastructure 

protection programs for vehicle ramming prevention. 

H.R. 4227, the Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act would require 

the Secretary of Homeland Security to submit to Congress, a report 

detailing what actions DHS is undertaking to combat the threat of 

vehicular terrorism. The report must include an examination of the 

current threat level for vehicular terrorism; what DHS is currently 

doing to guard against vehicular terrorism; how the threat of vehicular terrorism may be mitigated; the extent to which DHS is doing 

any outreach or training with private sector partners in response 

to the threat of vehicular terrorism; and, any actions that Congress 

can take to help DHS mitigate this threat. 

HEARINGS

On November 30, 2017, the Committee held a hearing entitled 

‘‘World Wide Threats: Keeping America Secure in the New Age of 

Terror.’’ The Committee received testimony from Hon. Elaine C. 

Duke, Acting Secretary, Department of Homeland Security; Hon. 

Christopher A. Wray, Director, Federal Bureau of Investigation, 

U.S. Department of Justice; ,. Nicholas J. Rasmussen, Director, 

The National Counterterrorism Center, Office of the Director of National Intelligence; Mr. David B. Rausch, Chief of Police, City of 


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Knoxville, Tennessee, testifying on behalf of the International Association of Chiefs of Police; Rabbi Abraham Cooper, Associate Dean, 

Director Global Social Action Agenda, Simon Wiesenthal Center; 

and Mr. J. Richard Cohen, President, Southern Poverty Law Center. 

This hearing examined current threats to America including: 

Islamist terrorism, domestic terrorism, cyberattacks, aviation security and border security. The hearing focused on the federal government to counter these threats, as well as the steps congress has 

taken to support their efforts. 

COMMITTEE CONSIDERATION

The Committee met on March 7, 2018, to consider H.R. 4227, 

and ordered the measure to be reported to the House with a favorable recommendation, as amended, by unanimous consent. The 

Committee took the following actions: 

The following amendment was offered: 

An Amendment in the Nature of a Substitute offered by MR. DONOVAN (#1); was AGREED TO by voice vote. 

COMMITTEE VOTES

Clause 3(b) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House of Representatives requires the Committee to list the recorded votes on the motion to report legislation and amendments thereto. 

No recorded votes were requested during consideration of 

H.R. 4227. 

COMMITTEE OVERSIGHT FINDINGS

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(1) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, the Committee has held oversight hearings and 

made findings that are reflected in this report. 

NEW BUDGET AUTHORITY, ENTITLEMENT AUTHORITY, AND TAX

EXPENDITURES

In compliance with clause 3(c)(2) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the 

House of Representatives, the Committee finds that H.R. 4227, the 

Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2017, would result in no 

new or increased budget authority, entitlement authority, or tax 

expenditures or revenues. 

CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE ESTIMATE

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(3) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, a cost estimate provided by the Congressional 

Budget Office pursuant to section 402 of the Congressional Budget 

Act of 1974 was not made available to the Committee in time for 

the filing of this report. The Chairman of the Committee shall 

cause such estimate to be printed in the Congressional Record upon 

its receipt by the Committee. 

STATEMENT OF GENERAL PERFORMANCE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES

Pursuant to clause 3(c)(4) of Rule XIII of the Rules of the House 

of Representatives, H.R. 4227 contains the following general perVerDate Sep 11 2014 04:26 Mar 20, 2018 Jkt 079006 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6659 Sfmt 6602 E:\HR\OC\HR609.XXX HR609

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formance goals and objectives, including outcome related goals and 

objectives authorized. 

The goal of H.R. 4227 is for the Department of Homeland Security to develop a strategy to improve DHS support for efforts of 

emergency responders and the private sector to prevent, mitigate, 

and respond to the threat of vehicular terrorism. 

DUPLICATIVE FEDERAL PROGRAMS

Pursuant to clause 3(c) of Rule XIII, the Committee finds that 

H.R. 4227 does not contain any provision that establishes or reauthorizes a program known to be duplicative of another Federal program. 

CONGRESSIONAL EARMARKS, LIMITED TAX BENEFITS, AND LIMITED

TARIFF BENEFITS

In compliance with Rule XXI of the Rules of the House of Representatives, this bill, as reported, contains no congressional earmarks, limited tax benefits, or limited tariff benefits as defined in 

clause 9(e), 9(f), or 9(g) of the Rule XXI. 

FEDERAL MANDATES STATEMENT

An estimate of Federal mandates prepared by the Director of the 

Congressional Budget Office pursuant to section 423 of the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act was not made available to the Committee in time for the filing of this report. The Chairman of the 

Committee shall cause such estimate to be printed in the Congressional Record upon its receipt by the Committee. 

PREEMPTION CLARIFICATION

In compliance with section 423 of the Congressional Budget Act 

of 1974, requiring the report of any Committee on a bill or joint 

resolution to include a statement on the extent to which the bill or 

joint resolution is intended to preempt State, local, or Tribal law, 

the Committee finds that H.R. 4227 does not preempt any State, 

local, or Tribal law. 

DISCLOSURE OF DIRECTED RULE MAKINGS

The Committee estimates that H.R. 4227 would require no directed rule makings. 

ADVISORY COMMITTEE STATEMENT

No advisory committees within the meaning of section 5(b) of the 

Federal Advisory Committee Act were created by this legislation. 

APPLICABILITY TO LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

The Committee finds that the legislation does not relate to the 

terms and conditions of employment or access to public services or 

accommodations within the meaning of section 102(b)(3) of the Congressional Accountability Act. 


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SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS OF THE LEGISLATION

Section 1. Short Title. 

This section provides that this bill may be cited as the ‘‘Vehicular 

Terrorism Prevention Act of 2018’’. 

Sec. 2. Strategy on Vehicular Terrorism. 

This section directs the Secretary to examine the threat of vehicular terrorism and develop a strategy to improve DHS support for 

the efforts of emergency responders and the private sector to prevent, mitigate and respond to such a threat. The strategy is required to include information sharing activities and training activities as well as any additional activities the Secretary recommends 

to improve the Department’s support for efforts of emergency response providers and the private sector to prevent, mitigate and respond to such a threat. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW MADE BY THE BILL, AS REPORTED

As reported, H.R. 4227 makes no changes to existing law. 

Æ 


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