[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2301 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2301

    To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for the 
   installation of chemical and biological detection devices in the 
enclosed passenger boarding stations of each heavy rail transit system 
                         in the United States.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 3, 2003

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

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
    To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for the 
   installation of chemical and biological detection devices in the 
enclosed passenger boarding stations of each heavy rail transit system 
                         in the United States.

    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 ``Commuter Safety Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Subway systems in the United States are not adequately 
        protected from the possibility of chemical or biological 
        attacks.
            (2) Millions of United States citizens use these subway 
        systems every day to commute to work or otherwise navigate 
        throughout the Nation's cities.
            (3) The United States Government is responsible for 
        ensuring that its citizens are protected from the threat of 
        terrorism.

SEC. 3. INSTALLATION OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DETECTION DEVICES IN 
              SUBWAY STATIONS.

    (a) Establishment of Program.--The Secretary of Homeland Security 
shall establish a program to provide for the installation of chemical 
and biological detection devices in the enclosed passenger boarding 
stations of each heavy rail transit system in the United States, 
including each station constructed after the date of enactment of this 
Act.
    (b) Grants.--In carrying out the program, the Secretary may make 
grants to owners and operators of heavy rail transit systems for the 
installation of chemical and biological detection devices under the 
program.
    (c) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of activities 
carried out under the program shall be 70 percent.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply:
            (1) Enclosed passenger boarding station.--The term 
        ``enclosed passenger boarding station'' means any passenger 
        boarding station that is located underground or above ground in 
        an enclosed facility.
            (2) Heavy rail transit system.--The term ``heavy rail 
        transit system'' means a transit system that operates high-
        speed, passenger rail cars singly or in trains of 2 or more 
        cars on fixed rails in separate rights-of-way from which all 
        other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded.
    (e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.
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