110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1401
AN ACT 
To improve the security of railroads, public transportation, 
and over-the-road buses in the United States, and for 
other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2007’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows:
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
Sec. 3. No preemption of State law. 
TITLE I—RAIL AND PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SECURITY 
Sec. 101. National strategy for rail and public transportation security. 
Sec. 102. Assignment of providers of covered transportation to risk-based tiers. 
Sec. 103. Rail and public transportation assessments and plans. 
Sec. 104. Information sharing plan. 
Sec. 105. Rail security assistance. 
Sec. 106. Public transportation security assistance. 
Sec. 107. Over-the-road bus security assistance. 
Sec. 108. Fire and life safety improvements. 
Sec. 109. Security training program. 
Sec. 110. Security exercises. 
Sec. 111. Security research and development. 
Sec. 112. Whistleblower protections. 
Sec. 113. Increase in surface transportation security inspectors. 
Sec. 114. National domestic preparedness consortium. 
Sec. 115. Authorization of Visible Intermodal Protection Response Teams. 
Sec. 116. National Transportation Security Center of Excellence. 
Sec. 117. TSA personnel limitations. 
Sec. 118. Homeland security grants. 
Sec. 119. Threat assessment screening. 
Sec. 120. Background checks for covered individuals. 
Sec. 121. Task force on disqualifying crimes. 
Sec. 122. Penalties. 
Sec. 123. School bus transportation security. 
Sec. 124. Enhanced security measures for shipments of security sensitive mate-
rials. 
Sec. 125. Technology standards and clearinghouse to improve security of cov-
ered transportation. 
Sec. 126. Rail tank car security testing. 
Sec. 127. Rail radiological and nuclear detection. 
Sec. 128. Requirement to provide preference to qualified anti-terrorism tech-
nologies. 
Sec. 129. Promoting liability protections for providers of covered transportation 
and related technologies. 
Sec. 130. International rail security program. 
Sec. 131. Terrorist watchlist and immigration status review at high-risk trans-
portation sites. 
Sec. 132. Review of grant-making efficiency. 
Sec. 133. Roles of the Department of Homeland Security and the Department 
of Transportation.
Sec. 134. Assessment and report. 
Sec. 135. Study of foreign rail security practices. 
Sec. 136. Alternative material sources. 
Sec. 137. Immunity for reporting suspicious activities and mitigating terrorist 
threats relating to transportation security. 
TITLE II—SECURE TRANSPORTATION THROUGH INCREASED USE 
OF CANINE DETECTION TEAMS 
Sec. 201. Increasing the number of canine detection teams for transportation 
security. 
Sec. 202. National explosives detection canine team program increase. 
Sec. 203. Transportation security administration breeding program increase.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act, the following definitions apply: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ has the meaning that term has in section 
2 of the Homeland Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 
101) and includes the Committees on Homeland Se-
curity and Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
House of Representatives and the Committees on 
Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs and 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Sen-
ate. 
(2) APPROPRIATE STAKEHOLDERS.—The term 
‘‘appropriate stakeholders’’ means—
(A) providers of covered transportation; 
(B) organizations representing providers of 
covered transportation;
(C) nonprofit employee labor organizations 
representing railroad, public transportation, or 
over-the-road bus workers; 
(D) shippers of hazardous material; 
(E) manufacturers of railroad cars, public 
transportation cars and buses, and over-the-
road buses; 
(F) State departments of transportation, 
regional agencies, and metropolitan planning 
organizations; 
(G) public safety officials; 
(H) law enforcement and fire service offi-
cials; and 
(I) other relevant persons. 
(3) COVERED
TRANSPORTATION.—The term 
‘‘covered transportation’’ means transportation pro-
vided by a railroad carrier, a provider of public 
transportation, or an over-the-road bus. 
(4) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 
means the Department of Homeland Security. 
(5) DESIGNATED RECIPIENT.—The term ‘‘des-
ignated recipient’’ has the meaning that the term 
has in section 5307(a) of title 49, United States 
Code.
(6) 
PROVIDER
OF
COVERED
TRANSPOR-
TATION.—The term ‘‘provider of covered transpor-
tation’’ means—
(A) with respect to transportation provided 
by a railroad carrier, the railroad carrier; 
(B) with respect to public transportation, 
the designated recipient; and 
(C) with respect to transportation provided 
by an over-the-road bus, the private operator. 
(7) OVER-THE-ROAD BUS.—The term ‘‘over-the-
road bus’’ means a bus characterized by an elevated 
passenger deck located over a baggage compartment. 
(8) 
PUBLIC
TRANSPORTATION.—The 
term 
‘‘public transportation’’ has the meaning that term 
has in section 5302(a) of title 49, United States 
Code. 
(9) RAILROAD.—The term ‘‘railroad’’ has the 
meaning that term has in section 20102 of title 49, 
United States Code. 
(10) RAILROAD CARRIER.—The term ‘‘railroad 
carrier’’ has the meaning that term has in section 
20102 of title 49, United States Code. 
(11) 
SECRETARY.—The 
term 
‘‘Secretary’’ 
means the Secretary of Homeland Security.