I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1109 
To provide for the security and safety of rail and rail transit transportation 
systems, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 3, 2005 
Mr. LYNCH (for himself, Mrs. MALONEY, Mrs. MCCARTHY, Mr. OWENS, Mr. 
TIERNEY, Mr. MCDERMOTT, Mr. MCGOVERN, and Ms. LEE) introduced 
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Se-
curity, and in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide for the security and safety of rail and rail transit 
transportation systems, 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 Transit Security and Safety Act of 2005’’. 
(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Rail transportation security risk assessment.
Sec. 3. Federal Rail Security Managers. 
Sec. 4. Study of foreign rail transport security programs. 
Sec. 5. Fire and life-safety improvements. 
Sec. 6. Security assistance grants. 
Sec. 7. Rail security research and development. 
Sec. 8. Whistleblower protections for rail employees. 
Sec. 9. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. RAIL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY RISK ASSESS-
MENT. 
(a) IN GENERAL.— 
(1) VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT.—The Under 
Secretary for Border and Transportation Security of 
the Department of Homeland Security, in consulta-
tion with the Secretary of Transportation, shall com-
plete a vulnerability assessment of freight and pas-
senger rail transportation (encompassing railroad 
carriers, as that term is defined in section 20102(2) 
of title 49, United States Code). The assessment 
shall include— 
(A) identification and evaluation of critical 
assets and infrastructures; 
(B) identification of threats to those assets 
and infrastructures; 
(C) identification of vulnerabilities that are 
specific to the transportation of hazardous ma-
terials via railroad; and 
(D) identification of security weaknesses in 
passenger and cargo security, transportation in-
frastructure, protection systems, procedural
policies, communications systems, employee 
training, emergency response planning, and any 
other area identified by the assessment. 
(2) EXISTING
PRIVATE
AND
PUBLIC
SECTOR 
EFFORTS.—The assessment shall take into account 
actions taken or planned by both public and private 
entities to address identified security issues and as-
sess the effective integration of such actions. 
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS.—Based on the assess-
ment conducted under paragraph (1), the Under 
Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of 
Transportation, 
shall 
develop 
prioritized 
rec-
ommendations for improving rail security, including 
any recommendations the Under Secretary has for— 
(A) improving the security of rail tunnels, 
rail bridges, rail switching areas, other rail in-
frastructure and facilities, information systems, 
and other areas identified by the Under Sec-
retary as posing significant rail-related risks to 
public safety and the movement of interstate 
commerce, taking into account the impact that 
any proposed security measure might have on 
the provision of rail service; 
(B) deploying weapon detection equipment;