Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004

Bill: 108-s-2453
Sponsor: Sen. Shelby, Richard C. [R-AL]
Introduced: 2004-05-20 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Animals
Armed Forces and National Security
Biological warfare
Bombs
Capital investments
Chemical warfare
Congress
Congressional oversight
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Customer service
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Transportation
Dogs
EBB Terrorism
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic surveillance
Emergency Management
Employee training
Evacuation of civilians
Explosives
Federal aid to research
Federal aid to transportation
Government Operations and Politics
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Hours of labor
Housing and Community Development
Infrastructure
International Affairs
Labor and Employment
Law enforcement officers
Mass rapid transit
Motor buses
Navigation satellites
Nuclear terrorism
Police
Research and development
Research grants
Salaries
Science, Technology, Communications
Security measures
Technological innovations
Technology assessment
Telecommunication systems
Terrorism
Transportation planning
Transportation research
Transportation safety
Tunnels

Summary:
action_date: 2004-05-20
text: 
Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to enter into a memorandum of understanding with the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to define and clarify the respective public transportation security roles and responsibilities of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Requires DOT's Federal Transit Administration to submit all public transportation security assessments to DHS and the Secretary to review and augment such assessments. 
 
Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish security improvement priorities and to update them annually; (2) conduct assessments of all transit agencies considered to be at greatest risk of a terrorist attack, of local bus-only public transportation systems, and of selected rural transportation systems; and (3) use information collected to establish the process for developing security guidelines.
 
Directs the Secretary to award grants directly to public transportation agencies for allowable capital security improvements (including tunnel and perimeter protection systems and surveillance and communications equipment); and (2) operational security improvements (including security training for transit employees, drills, public awareness campaigns, and canine patrols for chemical, biological, or explosives detection).
 
Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that DOT receives appropriate and timely notification of all credible terrorist threats against U.S. public transportation assets; and (2) award grants for research, development, and demonstration of technologies and methods to reduce and deter terrorist threats or mitigate damages resulting from such attacks. Requires DHS to fund the reasonable costs of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center for Public Transportation.

action_date: 2004-05-20
text: 

(This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.)

 
Public Transportation Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 - (Sec. 3) Directs the Secretary of Transportation to enter into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to define and clarify the respective public transportation security roles and responsibilities of the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Requires DOT's Federal Transit Administration to submit all public transportation security assessments to DHS and the Secretary of Homeland Security to review and augment such assessments. 
 
(Sec. 4) Requires the Secretary to: (1) establish security improvement priorities and to update them annually; (2) conduct assessments of all transit agencies considered to be at greatest risk of a terrorist attack, of local bus-only public transportation systems, and of selected rural transportation systems; and (3) use information collected to establish the process for developing security guidelines.
 
(Sec. 5) Directs the Secretary to award grants directly to public transportation agencies for allowable capital security improvements (including tunnel and perimeter protection systems, and surveillance and communications equipment); and (2) operational security improvements (including security training for transit employees, drills, public awareness campaigns, and canine patrols for chemical, biological, or explosives detection). Requires grantees that have used grant funds for purposes other than for grant purposes to return any amount so used to the Treasury.
 
(Sec. 6) Directs the Secretary to: (1) ensure that DOT receives appropriate and timely notification of all credible terrorist threats against U.S. public transportation assets; and (2) award grants for research, development, and demonstration of technologies and methods to reduce and deter terrorist threats or mitigate damages resulting from such attacks. Requires DHS to fund the reasonable costs of an Information Sharing and Analysis Center for Public Transportation. Directs the Secretary to require public transportation agencies that have been determined to be at significant risk of terrorist attack to participate in the ISAC. Encourages other public transportation agencies to participate in the ISAC, without charge of a fee.
 
(Sec. 8) Directs the Secretary to report: (1) to specified congressional committees on the implementation of this Act and on the state of public transportation security in the United States; and (2) to the governor of each State in which a transit agency that has received a grant is operating on the amount of the grant and its use.
 
(Sec. 9) Authorizes appropriations for FY 2005 for: (1) the Capital Security Assistance Program; (2) the Operational Security Assistance Program; (3) intelligence; and (4) research.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-05-20
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 521.
action_date: 2004-05-20
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Shelby. Without written report.
action_date: 2004-05-20
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Original measure reported to Senate by Senator Shelby. Without written report.
action_date: 2004-05-20
text: Introduced in Senate
action_date: 2004-05-06
text: Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs ordered to be reported an original measure.