Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-5132
Sponsor: Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-13]
Introduced: 2004-09-23 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Airline passenger traffic
Animals
Armed Forces and National Security
Auditing
Aviation agreements
Biological warfare
Boundaries
Bridges
Canada
Capital investments
Chemical warfare
Chemicals
Computer security measures
Congress
Congressional hearings
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Criminal justice information
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Transportation
Directories
District of Columbia
Dogs
Drainage
EBB Terrorism
East Asia
Economic impact statements
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic surveillance
Emergency Management
Emergency communication systems
Employee training
Environmental Protection
Europe
European Union
Evacuation of civilians
Explosives
Families
Family services
Federal aid to research
Federal aid to transportation
Federal employees
Fire fighters
Fire prevention
Freight
Geographic information systems
Government Operations and Politics
Government corporations
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Helicopters
Hostages
Hours of labor
Identification devices
Infrastructure
International Affairs
Japan
Labor and Employment
Latin America
Law
Liability (Law)
Light rail transit
Lighting
Maryland
Mass rapid transit
Mexico
Motor buses
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
New York City
Nuclear terrorism
Photography
Planning
Police
Police training
Public service advertising
Radiation safety
Railroad commuting traffic
Railroad employees
Railroad engineering
Railroad equipment
Railroad freight operations
Railroad passenger traffic
Railroad safety
Railroad terminals
Railroads
Recruiting of employees
Rescue work
Research and development
Research grants
Right-of-way
Risk
Sabotage
Science, Technology, Communications
Security measures
Standards
Steel
Technological innovations
Technology assessment
Telephone
Terminals (Transportation)
Terrorism
Traffic accidents and safety
Transit police
Transportation of hazardous substances
Transportation planning
Transportation research
Transportation workers
Treaties
Tunnels
Water Resources Development

Summary:
action_date: 2004-09-23
text: 
Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2004 - Directs the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security to complete a vulnerability assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation for identification of: (1) critical assets and infrastructures and threats to them; (2) vulnerabilities specific to the transportation of hazardous materials via railroad; and (3) security weaknesses in passenger and cargo security, transportation infrastructure, protection systems, procedural policies, communications systems, employee training, emergency response planning, and any other area identified by the assessment. Requires the Under Secretary based on the assessment to develop specific prioritized recommendations for improving rail security.
 
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to review existing Department of Transportation (DOT) rail regulations to identify areas for revision to improve rail security.
 
Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the rail passenger transportation security programs in Japan, the European Union (EU), and other foreign countries in order to identify effective rail transportation security measures.
 
Directs the Under Secretary to: (1) analyze the cost and feasibility of requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and mail on passenger trains; and (2) conduct a pilot program of random security screening of passengers and baggage at a specified number of passenger rail stations served by Amtrak.
 
Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to Amtrak for fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to tunnels on the Northeast Corridor.
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to ensure that DOT receives timely notification, through the Information Sharing and Analysis Center for Public Transportation, of all credible terrorist threats against public transportation assets.
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to award research, development, and demonstration grants to public and private entities to reduce and deter terrorist threats against public transportation systems.
 
Amends Federal transportation law to direct Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents.
 
Authorizes the Under Secretary to make grants for certain system-wide Amtrak security upgrades and freight and hazardous materials transportation and passenger rail security upgrades. 
 
Directs the Federal Railroad Administration to set forth certain standards for welded rail and tank car safety improvements.
 
Requires the Under Secretary to report to specified congressional committees: (1) an assessment of the current system for preclearance and screening of rail and airline passengers and baggage, as well as freight railroad traffic, between the United States and Canada; and (2) information on progress toward finalizing a protocol with Canada on preclearance of rail passengers between the two countries.
 
Authorizes the Under Secretary to make operating grants and capital grants for mass transportation system security improvements.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-09-24
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1698)
action_date: 2004-09-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads.
action_date: 2004-09-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways, Transit and Pipelines.
action_date: 2004-09-23
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2004-09-23
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-09-23
text: Introduced in House