[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1728 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1728

              To provide for greater security at seaports.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           November 16, 2001

   Ms. Snowe introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
   referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
              To provide for greater security at seaports.

    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 ``Maritime Security Advancement Act''.

SEC. 2. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS.

    (a) Preference for Security Measures.--The Secretary of 
Transportation in awarding loan guarantees, grants, or other financial 
assistance for research and development shall give preference to 
research and development projects that are designed to--
            (1) increase the feasibility of--
                    (A) securing cargo;
                    (B) sealing containers; and
                    (C) making containers tamper proof;
            (2) improve technologies for content labeling; and
            (3) provide for innovations in the physical handling of 
        cargo to improve seaport security, reduce cargo theft, and 
        mitigate the threat of seaport-related terrorism.
    (b) Study and Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 6 months after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, and on an on-going basis thereafter, the 
        Secretary of Transportation shall conduct a study to identify 
        technologies that--
                    (A) provide the greatest security with respect to 
                the handling, labeling, sealing, and transportation of 
                cargo and cargo containers, including technologies that 
                provide for the capability of embedding information on 
                the contents of cargo containers in or on such 
                containers in a manner that would prevent tampering 
                with, or altering, the label during shipping; and
                    (B) provide for innovations in the physical 
                handling of cargo to improve seaport security, reduce 
                cargo theft, and mitigate the threat of seaport-related 
                terrorism.
            (2) Cargo theft.--The study described in paragraph (1) 
        shall include the types of data that are collected with respect 
        to cargo theft and an explanation of the data.
            (3) Report.--Not later than 3 months after concluding the 
        study described in paragraphs (1) and (2), the Secretary shall 
        submit to Congress a report on the findings of the study, 
        including a report on what policies are in place to reduce or 
        prevent cargo theft, and the relationship between cargo theft 
        and maritime-related terrorist threats, particularly with 
        respect to the transportation of hazardous materials. The 
        report shall also include an assessment of the feasibility of 
        requiring the employment of improved technologies and 
        procedures by companies involved in the shipment or importation 
        of cargo.
    (c) Regulations.--Not later than 1 year after the Secretary 
identifies new technologies and procedures under this section that can 
be reasonably implemented, the Secretary shall issue regulations 
requiring persons involved in the shipment of cargo within, or 
importation of cargo to, the United States to implement the 
technologies and procedures.
                                 <all>