I

104TH CONGRESS

2D SESSION H. R. 2949

To strengthen Federal law with respect to the prohibitions against and penalties for acts which sabotage or otherwise threaten the safety of rail

transportation and mass transit.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

FEBRUARY 1, 1996

Ms. MOLINARI introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined by

the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To strengthen Federal law with respect to the prohibitions

against and penalties for acts which sabotage or otherwise threaten the safety of rail transportation and mass

transit.

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 ‘‘Railroad and Transit

5 Sabotage Prevention Act of 1995’’.
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1 SEC. 2. INTERFERENCE WITH RAILROAD SIGNAL SYSTEMS.

2 (a) PROHIBITION.—(1) Chapter 205 of title 49,

3 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the

4 following new section:

5 ‘‘§ 20506. Interference with signal systems

6 ‘‘It shall be unlawful for a person—

7 ‘‘(1) with intent to interfere with railroad trans8 portation in the United States, to cause to be dis9 played a signal or light at a place for in a manner

10 likely to be mistaken for a true light or signal used

11 in railroad transportation; or

12 ‘‘(2) to knowingly interfere with the operation

13 of a true light or signal used in railroad transpor14 tation.’’.

15 (2) The table of sections of chapter 205 of title 49,

16 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the

17 following item:

‘‘20506. Interference with signal systems.’’.

18 (b) PENALTIES.—(1) Subchapter II of chapter 213

19 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at

20 the end the following new section:

21 ‘‘§ 21312. Penalties for interference with signal sys22 tems

23 ‘‘The person who violates 20506 shall be fined under

24 title 18, imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.’’.
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1 (2) The table of sections of subchapter II of chapter

2 213 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding

3 at the end the following item:

‘‘21312. Penalties for interference with signal systems.’’.

4 SEC. 3. RAILROAD AND TRANSIT SABOTAGE.

5 Section 1992 of title 18, United States Code, is

6 amended—

7 (1) by inserting ‘‘or any mass transit oper8 ation’’ after ‘‘commerce by any railroad’’ in the first

9 paragraph;

10 (2) by inserting ‘‘or any mass transit oper11 ation’’ after ‘‘interstate or foreign commerce’’ both

12 places it appears in the second paragraph; and

13 (3) by striking ‘‘fined under this title’’ and all

14 that follows through ‘‘shall be subject also’’ and in15 serting in lieu thereof ‘‘subject’’.

16 SEC. 4. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION SABO17 TAGE.

18 (a) AMENDMENT.—Chapter 51 of title 49, United

19 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow20 ing new section:

21 ‘‘§ 5128. Transportation sabotage

22 ‘‘A person shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned

23 for not more than 20 years, or both, if the person willfully

24 causes to be released a hazardous material while such ma25 terial is in transportation. If the release of the hazardous
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1 material has resulted in the death of any person, whoever

2 is convicted of a violation under this section shall also be

3 subject to the death penalty or to imprisonment for life,

4 if the jury or the court, whichever is responsible for sen5 tencing, so directs or orders.’’.

6 (b) TABLE OF SECTIONS AMENDMENT.—The table of

7 sections of chapter 51 of title 49, United States Code, is

8 amended by adding at the end the following item:

‘‘5128. Transportation sabotage.’’.

9 SEC. 5. EXPLOSIVES OR DANGEROUS WEAPONS ABOARD

10 PASSENGER TRAINS.

11 (a) AMENDMENT.—Chapter 241 of title 49, United

12 States Code, is amended by adding at the end the follow13 ing new section:

14 ‘‘§ 24105. Explosives or dangerous weapons

15 ‘‘(a) PROHIBITION.—Whoever brings, carries, or pos16 sesses any firearm, or any dynamite or other explosive,

17 on board any passenger train or in any rail passenger ter18 minal facility, without previously obtaining the permission

19 of the owner of such train or facility, shall be fined under

20 title 18, or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.

21 ‘‘(b) EXCEPTIONS.—Subsection (a) shall not apply

22 to—

23 ‘‘(1) personnel of the armed forces of the Unit24 ed States;
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1 ‘‘(2) officers of the United States, or a State or

2 political subdivision thereof, while acting in the per3 formance of their duties; and

4 ‘‘(3) persons who are specifically authorized by

5 law to bring, carry, or possess such firearm or explo6 sive.’’.

7 (b) TABLE OF SECTIONS AMENDMENT.—The table of

8 sections of chapter 241 of title 49, United States Code,

9 is amended by adding at the end the following item:

‘‘24105. Explosives or dangerous weapons.’’.

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