Rail Security Act of 2007

Bill: 110-s-83
Sponsor: Sen. McCain, John [R-AZ]
Introduced: 2007-01-04 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: 2007-01-04
text: 
Rail Security Act of 2007 - Directs the Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to conduct a vulnerability assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation, and develop specific prioritized recommendations for improving rail security.
 
Directs the Assistant Secretary to conduct a study on requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and cargo on passenger trains.
 
 
Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to tunnels on the Northeast Corridor.
 
Directs Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents.
 
Authorizes the Assistant Secretary to award grants to Amtrak for certain system-wide Amtrak, freight, hazardous materials transportation, and passenger rail security upgrades.
 
Directs the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration to set forth certain standards for welded rail and tank car safety improvements.
 
Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons providing information about perceived security threats.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S91-92)
action_date: 2007-01-04
text: Introduced in Senate