494 
(2) may determine when a VIPR team shall be deployed, as well as 
the duration of the deployment; 
(3) shall, prior to and during the deployment, consult with local se-
curity and law enforcement officials in the jurisdiction where the VIPR 
team is or will be deployed, to develop and agree upon the appropriate 
operational protocols and provide relevant information about the mis-
sion of the VIPR team, as appropriate; 
(4) shall, prior to and during the deployment, consult with all trans-
portation entities directly affected by the deployment of a VIPR team, 
as appropriate, including railroad carriers, air carriers, airport owners, 
over-the-road bus operators and terminal owners and operators, motor 
carriers, public transportation agencies, owners or operators of high-
ways, port operators and facility owners, vessel owners and operators, 
and pipeline operators; and 
(5) shall require, as appropriate based on risk, in the case of a VIPR 
team deployed to an airport, that the VIPR team conduct operations— 
(A) in the sterile area and any other areas to which only indi-
viduals issued security credentials have unrestricted access; and 
(B) in nonsterile areas. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section such sums as nec-
essary, including funds to develop not more than 60 VIPR teams, for fiscal 
years 2016 through 2018. 
§ 40313. Surface transportation security inspectors 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary, acting through the Administrator of 
the Transportation Security Administration, may train, employ, and utilize 
surface transportation security inspectors. 
(b) MISSION.—The Secretary shall use surface transportation security in-
spectors to assist surface transportation carriers, operators, owners, entities, 
and facilities to enhance their security against terrorist attack and other se-
curity threats and to assist the Secretary in enforcing applicable surface 
transportation security regulations and directives. 
(c) AUTHORITIES.—Surface transportation security inspectors employed 
under this section shall be authorized powers and delegated responsibilities 
that the Secretary determines appropriate, subject to subsection (e). 
(d) REQUIREMENTS.—The Secretary shall require that surface transpor-
tation security inspectors have relevant transportation experience and other 
security and inspection qualifications, as determined appropriate. 
(e) LIMITATIONS.— 
(1) INSPECTORS.—Surface transportation inspectors shall be prohib-
ited from issuing fines to public transportation agencies (as defined in 
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section 40501 of this title) for violations of the Department’s regula-
tions or orders except through the process described in paragraph (2). 
(2) CIVIL PENALTIES.—The Secretary shall be prohibited from as-
sessing civil penalties against public transportation agencies (as defined 
in section 40501 of this title) for violations of the Department’s regula-
tions or orders, except in accordance with the following: 
(A) In the case of a public transportation agency that is found 
to be in violation of a regulation or order issued by the Secretary, 
the Secretary shall seek correction of the violation through a writ-
ten notice to the public transportation agency and shall give the 
public transportation agency reasonable opportunity to correct the 
violation or propose an alternative means of compliance acceptable 
to the Secretary. 
(B) If the public transportation agency does not correct the vio-
lation or propose an alternative means of compliance acceptable to 
the Secretary within a reasonable time period that is specified in 
the written notice, the Secretary may take any action authorized 
in sections 11301 through 11316 of this title. 
(3) LIMITATION ON SECRETARY.—The Secretary shall not initiate 
civil enforcement actions for violations of administrative and procedural 
requirements pertaining to the application for, and expenditure of, 
funds awarded under transportation security grant programs under the 
Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 
(Public Law 110–53, 121 Stat. 266). 
(f) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that the mission of the 
surface transportation security inspectors is consistent with any relevant 
risk assessments required by the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/ 
11 Commission Act of 2007 (Public Law 110–53, 121 Stat. 266) or com-
pleted by the Department, the modal plans required under section 11314 
of this title, the Memorandum of Understanding between the Department 
and the Department of Transportation on Roles and Responsibilities, dated 
September 28, 2004, and all subsequent annexes to this Memorandum of 
Understanding, and other relevant documents setting forth the Depart-
ment’s transportation security strategy, as appropriate. 
(g) CONSULTATION.—The Secretary shall periodically consult with the 
surface transportation entities that are or may be inspected by the surface 
transportation security inspectors, including, as appropriate, railroad car-
riers, over-the-road bus operators and terminal owners and operators, motor 
carriers, public transportation agencies, owners or operators of highways, 
and pipeline operators on— 
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(1) the inspectors’ duties, responsibilities, authorities, and mission; 
and 
(2) strategies to improve transportation security and to ensure com-
pliance with transportation security requirements. 
§ 40314. Surface transportation security technology infor-
mation sharing 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) INFORMATION SHARING.—The Secretary, in consultation with 
the Secretary of Transportation, shall establish a program to provide 
appropriate information that the Department has gathered or devel-
oped on the performance, use, and testing of technologies that may be 
used to enhance railroad, public transportation, and surface transpor-
tation security to surface transportation entities, including railroad car-
riers, over-the-road bus operators and terminal owners and operators, 
motor carriers, public transportation agencies, owners or operators of 
highways, pipeline operators, and State, local, and tribal governments 
that provide security assistance to the entities. 
(2) DESIGNATION OF QUALIFIED ANTITERRORISM TECHNOLOGIES.— 
The Secretary shall include in the information provided in paragraph 
(1) whether the technology is designated as a qualified antiterrorism 
technology under subchapter IV of chapter 105 of this title, as appro-
priate. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of the program is to assist eligible grant re-
cipients under this subtitle and others, as appropriate, to purchase and use 
the best technology and equipment available to meet the security needs of 
the Nation’s surface transportation system. 
(c) COORDINATION.—The Secretary shall ensure that the program estab-
lished under this section makes use of and is consistent with other Depart-
ment technology testing, information sharing, evaluation, and standards-set-
ting programs, as appropriate. 
§ 40315. Transportation Security Administration personnel 
limitations 
Any statutory limitation on the number of employees in the Transpor-
tation Security Administration does not apply to employees carrying out this 
chapter, chapters 401, 405, and 407 of this title, and titles XII through 
XV of the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 
2007 (Public Law 110–53, 121 Stat. 381). 
§ 40316. National explosives detection canine team training 
program 
(a) DEFINITION OF EXPLOSIVES DETECTION CANINE TEAM.—In this 
section, the term ‘‘explosives detection canine team’’ means a canine and a 
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canine handler that are trained to detect explosives, radiological materials, 
chemical, nuclear or biological weapons, or other threats as defined by the 
Secretary. 
(b) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) INCREASED CAPACITY.—The Secretary shall— 
(A) begin to increase the number of explosives detection canine 
teams certified by the Transportation Security Administration for 
the purposes of transportation-related security by up to 200 ca-
nine teams annually by the end of 2010; and 
(B) encourage State, local, and tribal governments and private 
owners of high-risk transportation facilities to strengthen security 
through the use of highly trained explosives detection canine 
teams. 
(2) WAYS TO INCREASE NUMBER OF EXPLOSIVES DETECTION CA-
NINE TEAMS.—The Secretary shall increase the number of explosives 
detection canine teams by— 
(A) using the Transportation Security Administration’s Na-
tional Explosives Detection Canine Team Training Center, includ-
ing expanding and upgrading existing facilities, procuring and 
breeding additional canines, and increasing staffing and oversight 
commensurate with the increased training and deployment capa-
bilities; 
(B) partnering with other Federal, State, or local agencies, non-
profit organizations, universities, or the private sector to increase 
the training capacity for canine detection teams; 
(C) procuring explosives detection canines trained by nonprofit 
organizations, universities, or the private sector, provided they are 
trained in a manner consistent with the standards and require-
ments developed under subsection (c) or other criteria developed 
by the Secretary; or 
(D) a combination of subparagraphs (A), (B), and (C), as ap-
propriate. 
(c) STANDARDS FOR EXPLOSIVES DETECTION CANINE TEAMS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Based on the feasibility in meeting the ongoing 
demand for quality explosives detection canine teams, the Secretary 
shall establish criteria, including canine training curricula, performance 
standards, and other requirements approved by the Transportation Se-
curity Administration necessary to ensure that explosives detection ca-
nine teams trained by nonprofit organizations, universities, and private- 
sector entities are adequately trained and maintained. 
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