Rail Security Act of 2005

Bill: 109-s-1379
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2005-07-11 in the Senate
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Administrative procedure
Airline passenger traffic
Ambulances
Animals
Armed Forces and National Security
Auditing
Aviation agreements
Biological warfare
Boundaries
Bridges
Canada
Capital investments
Chemical warfare
Chemicals
Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
Computer security measures
Congress
Congressional hearings
Congressional investigations
Congressional reporting requirements
Crime and Law Enforcement
Damages
Department of Homeland Security
Department of Transportation
Directories
Discrimination in employment
Dismissal of employees
District of Columbia
Dogs
Drainage
East Asia
Economic impact statements
Economics and Public Finance
Electronic surveillance
Emergency Management
Emergency communication systems
Employee training
Environmental Protection
Europe
European Union
Evidence (Law)
Explosives
Families
Family services
Federal aid to transportation
Federal employees
Fire fighters
Fire prevention
Freight
Government Operations and Politics
Government corporations
Government publicity
Grievance procedures
Identification devices
Infrastructure
International Affairs
Japan
Labor and Employment
Latin America
Law
Liability (Law)
Lighting
Maryland
Mexico
National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
New York City
Nuclear terrorism
Photography
Planning
Police
Punitive damages
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
Right of privacy
Risk
Sabotage
Science, Technology, Communications
Security measures
Standards
Steel
Technological innovations
Telephone
Terrorism
Traffic accidents and safety
Transportation of hazardous substances
Transportation planning
Transportation research
Treaties
Tunnels
Water Resources Development
Whistle blowing

Summary:
action_date: 2005-07-11
text: 
Rail Security Act of 2005 - Directs the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security to complete, and make prioritized recommendations regarding, a vulnerability assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation for identification of: (1) critical assets and infrastructures and the 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. 
 
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, member nations of 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 cargo 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 appropriations for certain fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to Amtrak tunnels on the Northeast Corridor.
 
Amends federal transportation law to direct Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Secretary of Transportation 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. 
 
Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve freight and intercity passenger rail security.
 
Directs the Federal Railroad Administration to prescribe 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.
 
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to study and report to Congress on the impact of blocked highway-railroad grade crossings on the ability of first responders to perform their duties in the event of a terrorist attack.
 
Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons providing information about perceived security threats. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2005-07-11
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7992-7996)
action_date: 2005-07-11
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7992)
action_date: 2005-07-11
text: Introduced in Senate