[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1550 Reported in Senate (RS)]
Calendar No. 200
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1550
To provide for rail safety and security.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
October 15, 2001
Mr. Hollings (for himself and Mr. McCain) introduced the following
bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce,
Science, and Transportation
October 17, 2001
Reported by Mr. Hollings, without amendment
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for rail safety and security.
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 ``Rail Security Act of 2001''.
SEC. 2. EMERGENCY AMTRAK ASSISTANCE.
(a) In General.--There are authorized to be appropriated to the
Secretary of Transportation for the use of Amtrak--
(1) $515,000,000 for systemwide security upgrades,
including the reimbursement of extraordinary security-related
costs determined by the Secretary to have been incurred by
Amtrak since September 11, 2001, and including the hiring and
training additional police officers, canine-assisted security
units, and surveillance equipment;
(2) $998,000,000 to be used to complete New York tunnel
life safety projects and rehabilitate tunnels in Washington,
D.C., and Baltimore, Maryland; and
(3) $254,000,000 to be used for increasing the
accessibility of Penn Station, New York City, for safety and
emergency response situations, renovations to the Thames and
Niantic Bridges in Connecticut, and improved safety of
operations through an advanced civil speed enforcement system
radio system in high-speed territory.
(b) Availability of Appropriated Funds.--Amounts appropriated
pursuant to subsection (a) shall remain available until expended.
(c) Plan Required.--The Secretary may not make amounts available to
Amtrak for obligation or expenditure under subsection (a)--
(1) for implementing systemwide security upgrades until
Amtrak has submitted to the Secretary, and the Secretary has
approved, a plan for such upgrades;
(2) for completing the tunnel life safety and
rehabilitation projects until Amtrak has submitted to the
Secretary, and the Secretary has approved, an engineering and
financial plan for such projects;
(3) for completing the projects described in subsection
(a)(3) until Amtrak has submitted to the Secretary and the
Secretary has approved, a plan for such projects; and
(4) Amtrak has submitted to the Secretary such additional
information as the Secretary may require in order to ensure
full accountability for the obligation or expenditure of
amounts made available to Amtrak for the purpose for which the
funds are provided.
(d) 50-Percent To Be Spent Outside the Northeast Corridor.--The
Secretary shall ensure that up to 50 percent of the amounts
appropriated pursuant to subsection (a)(1) is obligated or expended for
projects outside the Northeast Corridor.
(e) Assessments by DOT Inspector General.--
(1) Initial assessment.--Within 60 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Inspector General of the Department
of Transportation shall transmit to the Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of
Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
a report--
(A) identifying any overlap between capital
projects for which funds are provided under such
funding documents, procedures, or arrangements and
capital projects included in Amtrak's 20-year capital
plan; and
(B) indicating any adjustments that need to be made
in that plan to exclude projects for which funds are
appropriated pursuant to subsection (a).
(2) Overlap review.--The Inspector General shall, as part
of the Department's annual assessment of Amtrak's financial
status and capital funding requirements review the obligation
and expenditure of funds under each such funding document,
procedure, or arrangement to ensure that the expenditure and
obligation of those funds are consistent with the purposes for
which they are provided under this Act.
(f) Coordination With Existing Law.--Amounts made available to
Amtrak under this section shall not be considered to be Federal
assistance for purposes of part C of subtitle V of title 49, United
States Code.
SEC. 3. RAIL SECURITY.
(a) Secretary of Transportation.--Section 20103(a) of title 49,
United States Code, is amended by striking ``safety'' and inserting
``safety, including the security of railroad operations,''.
(b) Rail Police Officers.--Section 28101 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended by striking ``the rail carrier'' each place it appears
and inserting ``any rail carrier''.
(c) Review of Rail Regulations.--Within 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation
with the Federal Railroad Administration's Rail Safety Advisory
Committee, shall review existing rail regulations of the Department of
Transportation for the purpose of identifying areas in which those
regulations need to be revised to improve rail safety and security.
SEC. 4. RAIL TRANSPORTATION SECURITY RISK ASSESSMENT.
(a) In General.--
(1) In general.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
assess the security risks associated with rail transportation
and develop prioritized recommendations for--
(A) improving the security of rail tunnels, rail
bridges, rail switching areas, and other areas
identified by the Secretary as posing significant rail-
related risks to public safety and the movement of
interstate commerce, taking into account the impact
that any proposed security measure might have on the
provision of rail service; and
(B) dealing with the immediate and long-term
economic impact of measures that may be required to
address those risks.
(2) Existing private and public sector efforts.--The
assessment shall include a review of any actions already taken
to address identified security issues by both public and
private entities.
(b) Consultation; Use of Existing Resources.--In carrying out the
assessment required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall--
(1) consult with rail management, rail labor, and public
safety officials (including officials responsible for
responding to emergencies); and
(2) utilize, to the maximum extent feasible, the resources
and assistance of--
(A) the Federal Railroad Administration's Rail
Safety Advisory Committee; and
(B) the Transportation Research Board of the
National Academy of Sciences.
(c) Report.--
(1) Contents.--Within 180 days after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the Senate
Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the
House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure a report, without compromising national
security, containing--
(A) the assessment and prioritized recommendations
required by subsection (a); and
(B) any proposals the Secretary deems appropriate
for providing Federal financial, technological, or
research and development assistance to railroads to
assist the railroads in reducing the likelihood,
severity, and consequences of deliberate acts of crime
or terrorism toward rail employees, rail passengers,
rail shipments, or rail property.
(2) Format.--The Secretary may submit the report in both
classified and redacted formats if the Secretary determines
that such action is appropriate or necessary.
Calendar No. 200
107th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 1550
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for rail safety and security.
_______________________________________________________________________
October 17, 2001
Reported without amendment