Protecting Railroad Operators, Travelers, Employees, and Communities with Transportation Security Act of 2004

Bill: 108-hr-4896
Sponsor: Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8]
Introduced: 2004-07-22 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Animals
Armed Forces and National Security
Biological warfare
Bridges
Chemical warfare
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Civil actions and liability
Congress
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Conspiracy
Cost effectiveness
Crime and Law Enforcement
Data banks
Department of Transportation
Disciplining of employees
Discrimination in employment
Dismissal of employees
District of Columbia
Dogs
Drainage
EBB Terrorism
EEC countries
East Asia
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic surveillance
Emergency Management
Emergency communication systems
Emergency medicine
Employee training
Environmental Protection
Europe
European Union
Evacuation of civilians
Explosives
Federal aid to law enforcement
Federal aid to research
Federal aid to transportation
Fire fighters
Fire prevention
Fraud
Geographic information systems
Government Operations and Politics
Government corporations
Government paperwork
Government publicity
Governmental investigations
Health
Infrastructure
Inspectors general
International Affairs
International cooperation
Japan
Labor and Employment
Law
Law enforcement officers
Legislation
Lighting
Maryland
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
New York City
Nuclear terrorism
Obstruction of justice
Paramedical personnel
Police
Police training
Private police
Public service advertising
Railroad employees
Railroad engineering
Railroad equipment
Railroad freight operations
Railroad passenger traffic
Railroad safety
Railroad terminals
Railroads
Research and development
Research grants
Risk
Sabotage
Science, Technology, Communications
Security measures
Standards
Storage
Technological innovations
Terrorism
Transportation of hazardous substances
Transportation planning
Transportation research
Tunnels
Water Resources Development
Whistle blowing

Summary:
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: 
Protecting Railroad Operators, Travelers, Employees, and Communities with Transportation Security Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to complete a vulnerability assessment of railroad transportation that includes identification of vulnerabilities specific to the transportation of hazardous materials by railroads and of security weaknesses in passenger and cargo security. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop prioritized recommendations for improving rail security.
 
Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the rail passenger transportation security programs carried out for rail transportation systems in Japan, member nations of the European Union, and other foreign countries.
 

 
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to railroad carriers, nonprofit employee organizations that represent railroad workers or emergency responders, hazardous materials shippers, owners of rail cars used in the transportation of hazardous materials, universities, colleges, and research centers, and State and local governments for reimbursement of costs incurred to prevent or respond to acts of terrorism, sabotage, or other railroad security threats.
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for: (1) fire and life-safety improvements to the tunnels on the Northeast Corridor in New York, New York, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.; and (2) certain systemwide Amtrak security upgrades.
 
Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve railroad security. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop and issue detailed guidance for a rail worker security training program to prepare front-line workers for potential threat conditions.
 
Sets forth certain railroad employee whistleblower protection requirements.
 

 
Amends Federal transportation law to require the Secretary of Transportation to develop and update a curriculum necessary to train public sector emergency response and preparedness teams, including standards for the training of persons responsible for responding to emergency situations during the removal and transportation of hazardous materials and high hazard materials. Prohibits a rail tank car containing hazardous materials from being transported or stored on rail tracks unless information identifying the tank car, the hazardous materials within such tank car, and response guidance is immediately available through Operation Respond Institute's technology or similar technology to local first responders in each location where the tank car may be located.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2004-07-23
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E1496-1498)
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2004-07-22
text: Introduced in House