[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1501 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1501

To strengthen Federal law with respect to the prohibitions against and 
 penalties for acts which sabotage or otherwise threaten the safety of 
                 rail transportation and mass transit.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 30, 1997

 Ms. Molinari introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the 
Committee on the Judiciary, for a period to be subsequently determined 
 by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as 
        fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To strengthen Federal law with respect to the prohibitions against and 
 penalties for acts which sabotage or otherwise threaten the safety of 
                 rail transportation and mass transit.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Railroad and Transit Sabotage 
Prevention Act of 1997''.

SEC. 2. INTERFERENCE WITH RAILROAD SIGNAL SYSTEMS.

    (a) Prohibition.--(1) Chapter 205 of title 49, United States Code, 
is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 20506. Interference with signal systems
    ``It shall be unlawful for a person--
            ``(1) with intent to interfere with railroad transportation 
        in the United States, to cause to be displayed a signal or 
        light at a place for in a manner likely to be mistaken for a 
        true light or signal used in railroad transportation; or
            ``(2) to knowingly interfere with the operation of a true 
        light or signal used in railroad transportation.''.
    (2) The table of sections of chapter 205 of title 49, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following item:

``20506. Interference with signal systems.''.
    (b) Penalties.--(1) Subchapter II of chapter 213 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
section:
``Sec. 21312. Penalties for interference with signal systems
    ``The person who violates 20506 shall be fined under title 18, 
imprisoned for not more than 20 years, or both.''.
    (2) The table of sections of subchapter II of chapter 213 of title 
49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following 
item:

``21312. Penalties for interference with signal systems.''.

SEC. 3. RAILROAD AND TRANSIT SABOTAGE.

    Section 1992 of title 18, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by inserting ``or any mass transit operation'' after 
        ``commerce by any railroad'' in the first paragraph;
            (2) by inserting ``or any mass transit operation'' after 
        ``interstate or foreign commerce'' both places it appears in 
        the second paragraph; and
            (3) by striking ``fined under this title'' and all that 
        follows through ``shall be subject also'' and inserting in lieu 
        thereof ``subject''.

SEC. 4. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS TRANSPORTATION SABOTAGE.

    (a) Amendment.--Chapter 51 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 5128. Transportation sabotage
    ``A person shall be fined under title 18, imprisoned for not more 
than 20 years, or both, if the person willfully causes to be released a 
hazardous material while such material is in transportation. If the 
release of the hazardous material has resulted in the death of any 
person, whoever is convicted of a violation under this section shall 
also be subject to the death penalty or to imprisonment for life, if 
the jury or the court, whichever is responsible for sentencing, so 
directs or orders.''.
    (b) Table of Sections Amendment.--The table of sections of chapter 
51 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following item:

``5128. Transportation sabotage.''.

SEC. 5. EXPLOSIVES OR DANGEROUS WEAPONS ABOARD PASSENGER TRAINS.

    (a) Amendment.--Chapter 241 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 24105. Explosives or dangerous weapons
    ``(a) Prohibition.--Whoever brings, carries, or possesses any 
firearm, or any dynamite or other explosive, on board any passenger 
train or in any rail passenger terminal facility, without previously 
obtaining the permission of the owner of such train or facility, shall 
be fined under title 18, or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both.
    ``(b) Exceptions.--Subsection (a) shall not apply to--
            ``(1) personnel of the armed forces of the United States;
            ``(2) officers of the United States, or a State or 
        political subdivision thereof, while acting in the performance 
        of their duties; and
            ``(3) persons who are specifically authorized by law to 
        bring, carry, or possess such firearm or explosive.''.
    (b) Table of Sections Amendment.--The table of sections of chapter 
241 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 
the following item:

``24105. Explosives or dangerous weapons.''.
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