[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2668 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2668

To ensure the safety and security of passenger air transportation cargo 
                   and all-cargo air transportation.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 21, 2002

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To ensure the safety and security of passenger air transportation cargo 
                   and all-cargo air transportation.

    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 ``Air Cargo Security Act''.

SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF CARGO CARRIED ABOUT PASSENGER AIRCRAFT.

    Section 44901(f) of title 49, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows:
    ``(f) Cargo.--The Under Secretary of Transportation for Security 
shall establish a system to screen, inspect, or otherwise ensure the 
security of all cargo that is to be transported in--
            ``(1) passenger aircraft operated by an air carrier or 
        foreign air carrier in air transportation or intrastate air 
        transportation; or
            ``(2) all-cargo aircraft in air transportation and 
        intrastrate air transportation.''.

SEC. 3. MEASURES TO INCREASE THE SAFETY AND SECURITY OF AIR CARGO.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 449 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 44921. Air cargo security measures
    ``(a) Inspection of Cargo Carried Aboard Passenger Flights.--The 
Under Secretary of Transportation for Security shall ensure that--
            ``(1) there is a system established capable of providing an 
        unbroken, objective, verifiable record of custody of cargo to 
        be transported in air transportation or intrastate air 
        transportation and that each person having custody of the cargo 
        from the time it leaves the initial shipper until it is loaded 
        aboard the aircraft is known and properly certified; and
            ``(2) there is a comprehensive system of certification for 
        shippers and providers of cargo transportation services that 
        includes the assignment of a unique encrypted identifier that 
        must be presented to an air carrier or foreign air carrier 
        providing air transportation or intrastate air transportation 
        before cargo may be accepted for shipment in air transportation 
        or intrastate air transportation.
    ``(b) Regular Inspections of Shipping Facilities.--The Under 
Secretary of Transportation for Security shall establish a system for 
the regular inspection of shipping facilities for shipments of cargo 
transported in air transportation or intrastate air transportation to 
ensure that appropriate security controls, systems, and protocols are 
observed, and shall enter into such arrangements with the civil 
aviation authorities, or other appropriate officials, of foreign 
countries to ensure that such inspections are conducted on a regular 
basis at shipping facilities for cargo transported in air 
transportation to the United States.''.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--The chapter analysis for chapter 449 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``44921. Air cargo security measures''.

SEC. 4. PERSONNEL AND EQUIPMENT.

    There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Transportation such sums as may be necessary to provide the Under 
Secretary of Transportation for Security sufficient personnel and 
equipment to carry out section 44921 of title 49, United States Code.
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