IIB 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2539 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JUNE 11, 2019 

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and 

Governmental Affairs 

AN ACT 

To require the Secretary of Homeland Security to prioritize 

the assignment of certain officers and intelligence analysts from the Transportation Security Administration 

and the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department of Homeland Security to locations with participating State, local, and regional fusion centers in jurisdictions with a high-risk surface transportation asset in 

order to enhance the security of such assets, including 

by improving timely sharing of classified information regarding terrorist and other threats, and for other purposes. 


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HR 2539 RFS

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 ‘‘Strengthening Local 

5 Transportation Security Capabilities Act of 2019’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTOR STAKE9 HOLDERS.—The term ‘‘public and private sector 

10 stakeholders’’ has the meaning given such term in 

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

12 (2) SURFACE TRANSPORTATION ASSET.—The 

13 term ‘‘surface transportation asset’’ includes facili14 ties, equipment, or systems used to provide transpor15 tation services by— 

16 (A) a public transportation agency (as 

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

18 Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 

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

20 6 U.S.C. 1131(5))); 

21 (B) a railroad carrier (as such term is de22 fined in section 20102(3) of title 49, United 

23 States Code); 

24 (C) an owner or operator of— 


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1 (i) an entity offering scheduled, fixed2 route transportation services by over-the3 road bus (as such term is defined in sec4 tion 1501(4) of the Implementing Rec5 ommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act 

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

7 1151(4))); or 

8 (ii) a bus terminal; or 

9 (D) other transportation facilities, equip10 ment, or systems, as determined by the Sec11 retary. 

12 SEC. 3. THREAT INFORMATION SHARING. 

13 (a) PRIORITIZATION.—The Secretary of Homeland 

14 Security shall prioritize the assignment of officers and in15 telligence analysts under section 210A of the Homeland 

16 Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 124h) from the Transpor17 tation Security Administration and, as appropriate, from 

18 the Office of Intelligence and Analysis of the Department 

19 of Homeland Security, to locations with participating 

20 State, local, and regional fusion centers in jurisdictions 

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

22 enhance the security of such assets, including by improv23 ing timely sharing of classified information regarding ter24 rorist and other threats. 


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1 (b) INTELLIGENCE PRODUCTS.—Officers and intel2 ligence analysts assigned to locations with participating 

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

4 shall participate in the generation and dissemination of 

5 transportation security intelligence products, with an em6 phasis on terrorist and other threats to surface transpor7 tation assets that— 

8 (1) assist State, local, and Tribal law enforce9 ment agencies in deploying their resources, including 

10 personnel, most efficiently to help detect, prevent, 

11 investigate, apprehend, and respond to terrorist and 

12 other threats; 

13 (2) promote more consistent and timely sharing 

14 of threat information among jurisdictions; and 

15 (3) enhance the Department of Homeland Secu16 rity’s situational awareness of such terrorist and 

17 other threats. 

18 (c) CLEARANCES.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu19 rity shall make available to appropriate owners and opera20 tors of surface transportation assets, and to any other per21 son that the Secretary determines appropriate to foster 

22 greater sharing of classified information relating to ter23 rorist and other threats to surface transportation assets, 

24 the process of application for security clearances under 

25 Executive Order No. 13549 (75 Fed. Reg. 162; relating 


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1 to a classified national security information program) or 

2 any successor Executive order. 

3 SEC. 4. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT SECURITY TRAINING. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Homeland Secu5 rity, in consultation with public and private sector stake6 holders, may develop, through the Federal Law Enforce7 ment Training Centers, a training program to enhance the 

8 protection, preparedness, and response capabilities of law 

9 enforcement agencies with respect to terrorist and other 

10 threats at a surface transportation asset. 

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

12 Security develops the training program described in sub13 section (a), such training program shall— 

14 (1) be informed by current information regard15 ing terrorist tactics; 

16 (2) include tactical instruction tailored to the 

17 diverse nature of the surface transportation asset 

18 operational environment; and 

19 (3) prioritize training officers from law enforce20 ment agencies that are eligible for or receive grants 

21 under sections 2003 or 2004 of the Homeland Secu22 rity Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 604 and 605) and offiVerDate Sep 11 2014 22:46 Jun 11, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2539.RFS H2539

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1 cers employed by railroad carriers that operate pas2 senger service, including interstate passenger service. 

Passed the House of Representatives June 10, 2019. 

Attest: CHERYL L. JOHNSON, 

Clerk. 


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