I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1269 
To improve the security of railroad, public transportation, and over-the- 
road bus systems in the United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 1, 2007 
Mr. OBERSTAR (for himself, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, and Mr. 
DEFAZIO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the Committee on 
Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To improve the security of railroad, public transportation, 
and over-the-road bus systems 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.— 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Definitions. 
Sec. 3. National strategy for rail and public transportation security. 
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Sec. 4. Assignment of providers of covered transportation to risk-based tiers. 
Sec. 5. Rail and public transportation assessments and plans. 
Sec. 6. Strategic information sharing plan. 
Sec. 7. Rail security assistance. 
Sec. 8. Public transportation security assistance. 
Sec. 9. Over-the-road bus security assistance. 
Sec. 10. Fire and life safety improvements. 
Sec. 11. Security training program. 
Sec. 12. Security exercises. 
Sec. 13. Security research and development. 
Sec. 14. Whistleblower protections. 
Sec. 15. Increase in surface transportation security inspectors. 
Sec. 16. National domestic preparedness consortium. 
Sec. 17. TSA personnel limitations. 
Sec. 18. Penalties. 
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; 
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(C) nonprofit employee labor organizations 
representing one or more of the following: rail-
road workers, public transportation workers, 
and over-the-road bus workers; 
(D) shippers of hazardous materials; 
(E) manufacturers of rail and transit cars; 
(F) State departments of transportation; 
(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, public transportation, 
and transportation provided by 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 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; 
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(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 
providing the transportation. 
(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. 
(12) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means any one 
of the 50 States, the District of Columbia, Puerto 
Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Is-
lands, Guam, and American Samoa. 
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(13) TERRORISM.—The term ‘‘terrorism’’ has 
the meaning that term has in section 2 of the Home-
land Security Act of 2002 (6 U.S.C. 101). 
(14) TRANSPORTATION.—The term ‘‘transpor-
tation’’, as used with respect to an over-the-road- 
bus, means the movement of passengers or property 
by the over-the-road-bus— 
(A) in the jurisdiction of the United States 
between a place in a State and a place outside 
the State (including a place outside the United 
States); or 
(B) in a State that affects trade, traffic, 
and transportation described in subparagraph 
(A). 
(15) UNITED
STATES.—The term ‘‘United 
States’’ means the 50 States, the District of Colum-
bia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana Islands, the 
Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any 
other territory or possession of the United States. 
SEC. 3. NATIONAL STRATEGY FOR RAIL AND PUBLIC 
TRANSPORTATION SECURITY. 
Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary, in coordination with the Sec-
retary of Transportation, shall develop and implement the 
modal plan for covered transportation as required by sec-
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tion 114(t)(1)(B) of title 49, United States Code. The 
modal plan shall be entitled the ‘‘National Strategy for 
Rail and Public Transportation Security’’ and shall in-
clude, at a minimum— 
(1) a description of the roles, responsibilities, 
and authorities of Federal, State, and local agencies, 
government sponsored entities, tribal governments, 
and appropriate stakeholders under the plan; 
(2) identification of, and a plan to address, 
gaps and unnecessary overlaps in the roles, respon-
sibilities, and authorities described in paragraph (1); 
(3) a methodology for how the Department will 
work with the entities described in paragraph (1), 
and make use of existing Federal expertise within 
the Department, the Department of Transportation, 
and other appropriate agencies; 
(4) a process for expediting security clearances 
to facilitate intelligence and information sharing 
with the entities described in paragraph (1); 
(5) a description of— 
(A) how the Department and the Depart-
ment of Transportation have reviewed terrorist 
attacks on covered transportation throughout 
the world in the last 25 years; 
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