I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3270 
To improve the security of public transportation and rail systems in the 
United States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 13, 2005 
Ms. NORTON (for herself, Mr. MENENDEZ, Ms. PELOSI, Mr. HOYER, Mr. CLY-
BURN, Mr. GEORGE MILLER of California, Ms. DELAURO, Mr. SPRATT, 
Mr. THOMPSON
of Mississippi, Mr. OBERSTAR, Mr. DICKS, Mrs. 
CHRISTENSEN, Ms. MILLENDER-MCDONALD, and Ms. ZOE LOFGREN of 
California) 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 public transportation and rail 
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 
‘‘Secure Transit and Rail Across America and Invest in 
National Security Act of 2005’’ or the ‘‘Secure Trains 
Act’’.
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.— 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
TITLE I—NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY STRATEGY AND 
INTERAGENCY COOPERATION 
Sec. 101. National Transportation Security Strategy. 
Sec. 102. Interagency cooperation. 
Sec. 103. Definitions. 
TITLE II—PUBLIC TRANSIT SECURITY 
Sec. 201. Homeland security public transportation grants. 
Sec. 202. Training exercises. 
Sec. 203. Security best practices. 
Sec. 204. Public outreach. 
Sec. 205. National Transportation Security Centers. 
Sec. 206. Whistleblower protections. 
Sec. 207. Definitions. 
TITLE III—RAIL SECURITY 
Sec. 301. Freight and passenger rail security upgrades. 
Sec. 302. Fire and life-safety improvements. 
Sec. 303. Rail security research and development program. 
Sec. 304. Rail worker security training program. 
Sec. 305. Whistleblower protection. 
Sec. 306. Public outreach. 
Sec. 307. Passenger, baggage, and cargo screening. 
Sec. 308. Emergency responder training standards. 
Sec. 309. Information for first responders. 
Sec. 310. TSA personnel limitations. 
Sec. 311. Rail safety regulations. 
Sec. 312. Rail security. 
Sec. 313. Definitions. 
TITLE I—NATIONAL TRANSPOR-
TATION SECURITY STRATEGY 
AND 
INTERAGENCY 
CO-
OPERATION 
SEC. 101. NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY STRAT-
EGY. 
(a) DEADLINE.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall submit 
to the appropriate congressional committees the National
Strategy for Transportation Security required under sec-
tion 114(t) of title 49, United States Code. 
(b) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS.—In addition to the 
requirements of section 114(t) of such title, the Secretary 
shall develop a supplement to the National Strategy for 
Transportation Security. The supplement shall include the 
following: 
(1) Requirements for the Federal Government 
to provide increased security support during high or 
severe threat levels of alert. 
(2) Procedures for establishing and maintaining 
permanent and comprehensive consultative relations 
among the parties described in subsection (c). 
(3) A contingency plan to ensure the continued 
movement of freight and passengers in the event of 
an attack affecting the railroad or public transpor-
tation system, which shall contemplate— 
(A) the possibility of rerouting traffic due 
to the loss of critical infrastructure, such as a 
bridge, tunnel, yard, or station; and 
(B) methods of continuing railroad service 
in the Northeast Corridor in the event of a 
commercial power loss or a catastrophe affect-
ing a critical bridge, tunnel, yard, or station; 
and
(4) An identification of actions taken or 
planned by both public and private entities to ad-
dress security issues identified under paragraph (1) 
and an assessment of the effective integration of 
such actions. 
(c) CONSULTATION.—In developing the supplement 
under subsection (b) and recommendations under sub-
section (d), the Secretary shall work jointly with the Sec-
retary of Transportation and shall consult with appro-
priate public transportation entities and appropriate rail 
entities. 
(d) RECOMMENDATIONS.—The Secretary shall de-
velop prioritized recommendations for improving public 
transportation and railroad security, including rec-
ommendations for— 
(1) improving the security of public transpor-
tation and rail infrastructure to include subway plat-
forms, bus and ferry terminals, rail tunnels, rail 
bridges, rail switching and car storage areas, infor-
mation systems, and other areas identified as posing 
significant risks to public safety and the movement 
of interstate commerce, taking into account the im-
pact that any proposed security measure might have 
on the provision of public transportation or railroad 
service;
(2) deploying surveillance equipment; 
(3) deploying equipment to detect explosives 
and hazardous chemical, biological, and radioactive 
substances, and any appropriate countermeasures; 
(4) installing redundant and backup systems to 
ensure the continued operation of critical elements 
of the railroad system in the event of an attack or 
other incident, including disruption of commercial 
electric power or communications networks; 
(5) conducting public outreach campaigns on 
public transportation and passenger railroad sys-
tems; and 
(6) identifying the immediate and long-term 
costs of measures that may be required to address 
those risks. 
(e) REPORT.— 
(1) CONTENTS.—Not later than 60 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
shall transmit to the appropriate congressional com-
mittees a report containing the supplement devel-
oped under subsection (b) and recommendations de-
veloped under subsection (d), together with an esti-
mate of the cost to implement such recommenda-
tions.
(2) FORMAT.—The report may be submitted in 
a classified format if the Secretary determines that 
such action is necessary. 
(f) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary 
$10,000,000 for the purpose of carrying out this section. 
SEC. 102. INTERAGENCY COOPERATION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall work jointly 
with the Secretary of Transportation in carrying out the 
provisions of this Act. 
(b) MEMORANDUM.—Not later than 30 days after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary and the Sec-
retary of Transportation shall execute a memorandum of 
agreement governing the roles and responsibilities of the 
Department of Homeland Security and the Department 
of Transportation, respectively, in addressing public trans-
portation and rail security matters, including the process 
their departments will follow to carry this Act and pro-
mote communications, efficiency, and nonduplication of ef-
fort. 
SEC. 103. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title, the following definitions apply: 
(1) APPROPRIATE
CONGRESSIONAL
COMMIT-
TEES.—The term ‘‘appropriate congressional com-
mittees’’ means the Committee on Homeland Secu-