I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2455
To improve air cargo security. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 12, 2003
Mr. MARKEY (for himself, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. LANGEVIN, Mr. THOMPSON of Mis-
sissippi, Mr. FRANK of Massachusetts, Mr. ANDREWS, Mrs. LOWEY, and 
Mr. ETHERIDGE) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To improve air cargo security.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Universal Screening 
of Air Cargo Act’’. 
SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF CARGO CARRIED ABOARD PAS-
SENGER AIRCRAFT. 
Section 44901 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended—
(1) by redesignating subsections ‘‘(g)’’ and 
‘‘(h)’’ as subsections ‘‘(h)’’ and ‘‘(i)’’, respectively; 
and 
(2) by inserting after subsection (f) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(g) AIR CARGO ON PASSENGER AIRCRAFT.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Under Secretary of 
Border and Transportation Security of the Depart-
ment of Homeland Security shall establish systems 
to screen or inspect to ensure the security of all 
cargo that is to be transported in passenger aircraft 
operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in 
air transportation or intrastate air transportation. 
Such systems shall use equipment, technology, and 
personnel to screen and inspect cargo that meet the 
same standards established to screen passenger bag-
gage. 
‘‘(2) IMPLEMENTATION PLAN.—The Under Sec-
retary shall—
‘‘(A) develop an implementation plan to 
carry out paragraph (1); and 
‘‘(B) establish a fee schedule for shippers 
to cover costs associated with carrying out 
paragraph (1) that is similar to the security
service fee imposed on passengers under section 
44940. 
‘‘(3) RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NEW 
TECHNOLOGIES.—The Under Secretary shall mon-
itor and evaluate the research and development of 
effective cargo screening technologies.’’. 
SEC. 3. AIR CARGO SHIPPING. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 449 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘§ 44922. Regular inspections of air cargo shipping 
facilities 
‘‘The Under Secretary of Border and Transportation 
Security of the Department of Homeland Security shall 
establish a system for the regular inspection of shipping 
facilities for shipments of cargo transported in air trans-
portation or intrastate air transportation to ensure that 
appropriate security controls, systems, and protocols are 
observed, and shall enter into arrangements with the civil 
aviation authorities, or other appropriate officials, of for-
eign countries to ensure that inspections are conducted on 
a regular basis at shipping facilities for cargo transported 
in air transportation to the United States.’’. 
(b) ADDITIONAL INSPECTORS.—The Under Secretary 
of Border and Transportation Security of the Department
of Homeland Security may increase the number of inspec-
tors as necessary to implement the requirements of title 
49, United States Code, as amended by this Act. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—The chapter anal-
ysis for chapter 449 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
‘‘44922. Regular inspections of air cargo shipping facilities.’’.
SEC. 4. TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CARGO HANDLERS. 
The Under Secretary of Border and Transportation 
Security of the Department of Homeland Security shall 
establish a training and evaluation program for any per-
sons that handle air cargo to ensure that the cargo is 
properly handled and safeguarded from security breaches. 
SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE. 
This Act and the amendments made this Act shall 
take effect on November 27, 2003 (Thanksgiving Day), 
or 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, which-
ever is later.
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