[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3562 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3562

To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize the Under Secretary 
    of Transportation for Security to establish a program to permit 
  Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers to be trained to 
 participate in the Federal air marshal program as volunteers, and for 
                            other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 20, 2001

 Mr. Ackerman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to authorize the Under Secretary 
    of Transportation for Security to establish a program to permit 
  Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers to be trained to 
 participate in the Federal air marshal program as volunteers, and for 
                            other purposes.

    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 ``Volunteer Sky Marshal Act of 2001''.

SEC. 2. INCLUSION OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS IN FEDERAL AIR MARSHAL 
              PROGRAM.

    Section 44917 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following:
    ``(d) Inclusion of Law Enforcement Officers.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Under Secretary may establish a 
        program to permit Federal, State, and local law enforcement 
        officers to be trained to participate in the Federal air 
        marshal program as volunteers.
            ``(2) Training and background checks.--Participants in the 
        volunteer program shall be subject to the same training and 
        background checks as marshals in the Federal air marshal 
        program.
            ``(3) Identification.--Each participant in the volunteer 
        program established under this subsection shall carry a card 
        issued by the Under Secretary identifying the participant as a 
        volunteer member of the Federal air marshal program.
            ``(4) Authority to carry weapons.--The Under Secretary may 
        permit a participant in the volunteer program to carry, on an 
        aircraft in which the participant is otherwise traveling, a 
        weapon of a type that the Under Secretary determines, by 
        regulation, is appropriate.
            ``(5) Special rules.--Under the volunteer program, the 
        Under Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) establish a schedule of flights for 
                participants in the program to serve as a Federal air 
                marshal on flights of air carriers in interstate air 
                transportation and intrastate air transportation and 
                notify such participant in advance of the participant's 
                schedule; and
                    ``(B) require an air carrier to provide--
                            ``(i) seating for a law enforcement officer 
                        participating in the program on any flight of 
                        the air carrier when such officer, is scheduled 
                        to serve and, is serving as an air marshal in 
                        the program without regard to the availability 
                        of seats and at no cost to the United States 
                        Government or the officer; and
                            ``(ii) in any case in which the air carrier 
                        has a frequent flyer program, mileage under 
                        such frequent flyer program, to the officer for 
                        such flight.''.
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