I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1870 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize strengthening 

of local transportation security capabilities by assigning certain officers 

and intelligence analysts to State, local, and regional fusion centers 

in jurisdictions with a high-risk surface transportation asset and improving the timely sharing of information regarding threats of terrorism 

and other threats, including targeted violence, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 12, 2021 

Ms. BARRAGA ́N (for herself and Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security 

A BILL 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize 

strengthening of local transportation security capabilities 

by assigning certain officers and intelligence analysts 

to State, local, and regional fusion centers in jurisdictions with a high-risk surface transportation asset and 

improving the timely sharing of information regarding 

threats of terrorism and other threats, including targeted 

violence, and for other purposes. 

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


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthening Local 

3 Transportation Security Capabilities Act of 2021’’. 

4 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

5 In this Act: 

6 (1) DOMESTIC TERRORISM.—The term ‘‘domes7 tic terrorism’’ has the meaning given such term in 

8 section 2331 of title 18, United States Code. 

9 (2) INTERNATIONAL TERRORISM.—The term 

10 ‘‘international terrorism’’ has the meaning given 

11 such term in section 2331 of title 18, United States 

12 Code. 

13 (3) PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR STAKE14 HOLDERS.—The term ‘‘public and private sector 

15 stakeholders’’ has the meaning given such term in 

16 section 114(u)(1)(C) of title 49, United States Code. 

17 (4) SURFACE TRANSPORTATION ASSET.—The 

18 term ‘‘surface transportation asset’’ includes facili19 ties, equipment, or systems used to provide transpor20 tation services by— 

21 (A) a public transportation agency (as 

22 such term is defined in section 1402(5) of the 

23 Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 

24 Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110–53; 

25 6 U.S.C. 1131(5))); 


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1 (B) a railroad carrier (as such term is de2 fined in section 20102(3) of title 49, United 

3 States Code); 

4 (C) an owner or operator of— 

5 (i) an entity offering scheduled, fixed6 route transportation services by over-the7 road bus (as such term is defined in sec8 tion 1501(4) of the Implementing Rec9 ommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act 

10 of 2007 (Public Law 110–53; 6 U.S.C. 

11 1151(4))); or 

12 (ii) a bus terminal; or 

13 (D) other transportation facilities, equip14 ment, or systems, as determined by the Sec15 retary. 

16 (5) TARGETED VIOLENCE.—The term ‘‘targeted 

17 violence’’ means an incident of violence in which an 

18 attacker selected a particular target in order to in19 flict mass injury or death with no discernable polit20 ical or ideological motivation beyond mass injury or 

21 death. 

22 (6) TERRORISM.—The term ‘‘terrorism’’ means 

23 domestic terrorism and international terrorism. 


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1 SEC. 3. THREAT INFORMATION SHARING. 

2 (a) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary of Homeland 

3 Security shall prioritize the assignment of officers and in4 telligence analysts under section 210A of the Homeland 

5 Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h) from the Transpor6 tation Security Administration and, as appropriate, from 

7 the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department 

8 of Homeland Security, to locations with participating 

9 State, local, and regional fusion centers in jurisdictions 

10 with a high-risk surface transportation asset in order to 

11 enhance the security of such assets, including by improv12 ing timely sharing of information regarding threats of ter13 rorism and other threats, including targeted violence. 

14 (b) INTELLIGENCE PRODUCTS.—Officers and intel15 ligence analysts assigned to locations with participating 

16 State, local, and regional fusion centers under this section 

17 shall participate in the generation and dissemination of 

18 transportation security intelligence products, with an em19 phasis on such products that relate to threats of terrorism 

20 and other threats, including targeted violence, to surface 

21 transportation assets that— 

22 (1) assist State, local, and Tribal law enforce23 ment agencies in deploying their resources, including 

24 personnel, most efficiently to help detect, prevent, 

25 investigate, apprehend, and respond to such threats; 


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1 (2) promote more consistent and timely sharing 

2 with and among jurisdictions of threat information; 

3 and 

4 (3) enhance the Department of Homeland Secu5 rity’s situational awareness of such threats. 

6 (c) CLEARANCES.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu7 rity shall make available to appropriate owners and opera8 tors of surface transportation assets, and to any other per9 son that the Secretary determines appropriate to foster 

10 greater sharing of classified information relating to 

11 threats of terrorism and other threats, including targeted 

12 violence, to surface transportation assets, the process of 

13 application for security clearances under Executive Order 

14 No. 13549 (75 Fed. Reg. 162; relating to a classified na15 tional security information program) or any successor Ex16 ecutive order. 

17 SEC. 4. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TRAINING. 

18 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu19 rity, in consultation with public and private sector stake20 holders, may develop, through the Federal Law Enforce21 ment Training Centers, a training program to enhance the 

22 protection, preparedness, and response capabilities of law 

23 enforcement agencies with respect to threats of terrorism 

24 and other threats, including targeted violence, at a surface 

25 transportation asset. 


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1 (b) REQUIREMENTS.—If the Secretary of Homeland 

2 Security develops the training program described in sub3 section (a), such training program shall— 

4 (1) be informed by current information regard5 ing tactics used by terrorists and others engaging in 

6 targeted violence; 

7 (2) include tactical instruction tailored to the 

8 diverse nature of the surface transportation asset 

9 operational environment; and 

10 (3) prioritize training officers from law enforce11 ment agencies that are eligible for or receive grants 

12 under sections 2003 or 2004 of the Homeland Secu13 rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 604 and 605) and offi14 cers employed by railroad carriers that operate pas15 senger service, including interstate passenger service. 

Æ 


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