(d) 2-YEAR UPDATES.—The Secretary of Transpor-
tation, in consultation with the Secretary of Homeland Se-
curity, shall update the assessment and recommendations 
every 2 years and transmit a report, which may be sub-
mitted in both classified and redacted formats, to the 
Committees named in subsection (c)(1), containing the up-
dated assessment and recommendations. 
(e) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Transportation $5,000,000 for fiscal year 2005 for the 
purpose of carrying out this section. 
SEC. 3. MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT. 
Not later than 60 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation and the Sec-
retary of Homeland Security shall execute a memorandum 
of agreement governing the roles and responsibilities of 
the Department of Transportation and the Department of 
Homeland Security, respectively, in addressing railroad 
transportation security matters, including the processes 
the departments will follow to promote communications, 
efficiency, and nonduplication of effort. 
SEC. 4. STUDY OF FOREIGN RAIL TRANSPORT SECURITY 
PROGRAMS. 
(a) REQUIREMENT FOR STUDY.—Not later than one 
year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comp-
troller General shall complete a study of the rail passenger 
transportation security programs that are carried out for 
rail transportation systems in Japan, member nations of 
the European Union, and other foreign countries. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the study shall be to 
identify effective rail transportation security measures 
that are in use in foreign rail transportation systems, in-
cluding innovative measures and screening procedures de-
termined effective. 
(c) REPORT.—The Comptroller General shall submit 
a report on the results of the study to the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and 
the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of 
the House of Representatives. The report shall include the 
Comptroller General’s assessment regarding whether it is 
feasible to implement within the United States any of the 
same or similar security measures that are determined ef-
fective under the study. 
SEC. 5. RAIL POLICE OFFICERS. 
Section 28101 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by striking ‘‘the rail carrier’’ each place it ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘any rail carrier’’. 
SEC. 6. REVIEW OF RAIL REGULATIONS. 
The Inspector General of the Department of Trans-
portation shall review existing rail regulations of the De-
partment of Transportation for the purpose of identifying 
areas in which those regulations need to be revised to im-
prove rail security. The Inspector General shall consult, 
as the Inspector General considers appropriate, with offi-
cials of the Department of Homeland Security and other 
Federal officials. Not later than 1 year after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Inspector General shall trans-
mit to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Trans-
portation of the Senate and the Committee on Transpor-
tation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives 
a report on the review under this section, including rec-
ommendations for changes to the regulations reviewed and 
any legislative changes required to improve railroad secu-
rity. 
SEC. 7. FREIGHT AND PASSENGER RAIL SECURITY IM-
PROVEMENT PROGRAM. 
(a) SECURITY IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.—The Sec-
retary of Transportation is authorized to make grants to 
railroad carriers, nonprofit employee organizations that 
represent railroad workers or emergency responders, ship-
pers of hazardous materials by rail, owners of rail cars 
used in the transportation of hazardous materials, univer-
sities, colleges, and research centers, and State and local 
governments, for full or partial reimbursement of costs in-
curred in the conduct of activities to prevent or respond
to acts of terrorism, sabotage, or other railroad security 
threats, including—
(1) perimeter protection systems, including ac-
cess control, installation of better lighting, fencing, 
and barricades at railroad facilities; 
(2) structural modification or replacement of 
rail cars transporting high hazard materials to im-
prove their resistance to acts of terrorism; 
(3) technologies for reduction of tank car vul-
nerability; 
(4) security improvements to passenger railroad 
stations, trains, and infrastructure; 
(5) tunnel protection systems; 
(6) passenger and employee evacuation tech-
nologies; 
(7) inspection technologies, including verified 
visual inspection technologies using hand-held read-
ers and discs; 
(8) security and redundancy for critical commu-
nications, computer, and train control systems essen-
tial for secure railroad operations or to continue rail-
road operations after an attack impacting railroad 
operations; 
(9) train tracking and interoperable commu-
nications systems;