Source: http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section5103&num=0&edition=prelim
Timestamp: 2019-04-23 06:24:14+00:00

Document:
(a) Designating Material as Hazardous.-The Secretary shall designate material (including an explosive, radioactive material, infectious substance, flammable or combustible liquid, solid, or gas, toxic, oxidizing, or corrosive material, and compressed gas) or a group or class of material as hazardous when the Secretary determines that transporting the material in commerce in a particular amount and form may pose an unreasonable risk to health and safety or property.
(2) Period of waiver.-A waiver under this subsection may be issued for a period of not more than 60 days and may be renewed upon application to the Secretary only after notice and an opportunity for a hearing on the waiver. The Secretary shall immediately revoke the waiver if continuation of the waiver would not be consistent with the goals and objectives of this chapter.
(3) Statement of reasons.-The Secretary shall include in any order issued under this section the reasons for granting the waiver.
(d) Consultation.-When prescribing a security regulation or issuing a security order that affects the safety of the transportation of hazardous material, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall consult with the Secretary of Transportation.
(e) Biennial Report.-The Secretary of Transportation shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation a biennial report providing information on whether the Secretary has designated as hazardous materials for purposes of chapter 51 of such title all by-products of the methamphetamine-production process that are known by the Secretary to pose an unreasonable risk to health and safety or property when transported in commerce in a particular amount and form.
5103(a) 49 App.:1803. Jan. 3, 1975, Pub. L. 93–633, §104, 88 Stat. 2156 .
5103(b) 49 App.:1804(a) (1)–(3). Jan. 3, 1975, Pub. L. 93–633, §105(a)(1)–(3), 88 Stat. 2157 ; restated Nov. 16, 1990, Pub. L. 101–615, §4, 104 Stat. 3247 .
The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, referred to in subsec. (c)(1)(C), is Pub. L. 93–288, May 22, 1974, 88 Stat. 143 , which is classified principally to chapter 68 (§5121 et seq.) of Title 42, The Public Health and Welfare. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 5121 of Title 42 and Tables.
2015-Subsecs. (c) to (e). Pub. L. 114–94 added subsec. (c) and redesignated former subsecs. (c) and (d) as (d) and (e), respectively.
2006-Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 109–177 added subsec. (d).
2005-Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 109–59, §7126, substituted "Secretary shall designate" for "Secretary of Transportation shall designate".
2002-Subsec. (b)(1). Pub. L. 107–296, §1711(a)(1), substituted "transportation, including security," for "transportation" in introductory provisions.
1994-Subsec. (b)(1)(A)(iii). Pub. L. 103–311 substituted "a packaging or a" for "a package or".
"(a) In General.-Not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act [Dec. 4, 2015], the Comptroller General of the United States shall evaluate and transmit to the Secretary [of Transportation], the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives, and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, a report on the standards, metrics, and protocols that the Secretary uses to regulate the performance of persons approved to recommend hazard classifications pursuant to section 173.56(b) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations (commonly referred to as 'third-party labs').
"(c) Action Plan.-Not later than 180 days after receiving the report required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall make available to the public a plan describing any actions the Secretary will take to establish standards, metrics, and protocols based on the findings and recommendations in the report to ensure that persons approved to perform classification examinations required under section 173.56(b) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, can sufficiently perform such examinations in a manner that meets the hazardous materials regulations.
"(d) Regulations.-If the report required under subsection (a) recommends new regulations in order for the Secretary to have confidence in the accuracy of classification recommendations rendered by persons approved to perform classification examinations required under section 173.56(b) of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, the Secretary shall consider such recommendations, and if determined appropriate, issue regulations to address the recommendations not later than 18 months after the date of the publication of the plan under subsection (c)."
"(b) Report.-Not later than 18 months after the date of enactment of this Act [Oct. 16, 2008], the Secretary of Transportation shall transmit a report on the results of the study required by subsection (a) and any recommendations to further protect employees of a railroad carrier or of a contractor or subcontractor to a railroad carrier from unsafe exposure to radiation during the transportation of high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
"(c) Regulatory Authority.-The Secretary of Transportation may issue regulations that the Secretary determines appropriate, pursuant to the report required by subsection (b), to protect railroad employees from unsafe exposure to radiation during the transportation of radioactive materials."
Pub. L. 103–311, title I, §111, Aug. 26, 1994, 108 Stat. 1676 , provided that: "The Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a study of existing practices regarding the placement of cars on trains, with particular attention to the placement of cars that carry hazardous materials. In conducting the study, the Secretary shall consider whether such placement practices increase the risk of derailment, hazardous materials spills, or tank ruptures or have any other adverse effect on safety. The results of the study shall be submitted to Congress within 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 26, 1994]."
"(b) Expiration.-The regulation referred to in subsection (a) shall expire on the later of September 30, 1997, or the date on which funds are authorized to be appropriated to carry out chapter 51 of title 49, United States Code (relating to transportation of hazardous materials), for fiscal years beginning after September 30, 1997.
"(2) Completion.-The study shall be completed before March 1, 1997 and shall be transmitted to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee of the House of Representatives.
"(d) Secretarial Action.-By September 30, 1997, the Secretary shall issue final regulations to determine what standards should apply to fiber drum packaging with a removable head for transportation of liquid hazardous materials (with respect to those liquid hazardous materials transported by such drums pursuant to regulations in effect on September 30, 1991) after September 30, 1997. In issuing such regulations, the Secretary shall give full and substantial consideration to the results of the study conducted in subsection (c)."
"(a) Initiation of Rulemaking Proceeding.-Not later than the 60th day following the date of enactment of this Act [Aug. 26, 1994], the Secretary of Transportation shall initiate a rulemaking proceeding to determine whether the requirements of section 5103(b) of title 49, United States Code (relating to regulations for safe transportation), as they pertain to open head fiber drum packaging can be met for the domestic transportation of liquid hazardous materials (with respect to those classifications of liquid hazardous materials transported by such drums pursuant to regulations in effect on September 30, 1991) with standards other than the performance-oriented packaging standards adopted under docket number HM–181 contained in part 178 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations.
"(b) Issuance of Standards.-If the Secretary of Transportation determines, as a result of the rulemaking proceeding initiated under subsection (a), that a packaging standard other than the performance-oriented packaging standards referred to in subsection (a) will provide an equal or greater level of safety for the domestic transportation of liquid hazardous materials than would be provided if such performance-oriented packaging standards were in effect, the Secretary shall issue regulations which implement such other standard and which take effect before October 1, 1996.
"(c) Completion of Rulemaking Proceeding.-The rulemaking proceeding initiated under subsection (a) shall be completed before October 1, 1995.

References: §104
 §105
 §4
 §7126
 §1711
 §111