[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2455 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2455

                     To improve air cargo security.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 12, 2003

   Mr. Markey (for himself, Mr. Shays, Mr. Langevin, Mr. Thompson of 
 Mississippi, Mr. Frank of Massachusetts, Mr. Andrews, Mrs. Lowey, and 
Mr. Etheridge) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
                     To improve air cargo 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 ``Universal Screening of Air Cargo 
Act''.

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

    Section 44901 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by redesignating subsections ``(g)'' and ``(h)'' as 
        subsections ``(h)'' and ``(i)'', respectively; and
            (2) by inserting after subsection (f) the following:
    ``(g) Air Cargo on Passenger Aircraft.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Under Secretary of Border and 
        Transportation Security of the Department of Homeland Security 
        shall establish systems to screen or inspect to ensure the 
        security of all cargo that is to be transported in passenger 
        aircraft operated by an air carrier or foreign air carrier in 
        air transportation or intrastate air transportation. Such 
        systems shall use equipment, technology, and personnel to 
        screen and inspect cargo that meet the same standards 
        established to screen passenger baggage.
            ``(2) Implementation plan.--The Under Secretary shall--
                    ``(A) develop an implementation plan to carry out 
                paragraph (1); and
                    ``(B) establish a fee schedule for shippers to 
                cover costs associated with carrying out paragraph (1) 
                that is similar to the security service fee imposed on 
                passengers under section 44940.
            ``(3) Research and development of new technologies.--The 
        Under Secretary shall monitor and evaluate the research and 
        development of effective cargo screening technologies.''.

SEC. 3. AIR CARGO SHIPPING.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 449 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 44922. Regular inspections of air cargo shipping facilities
    ``The Under Secretary of Border and Transportation Security of the 
Department of Homeland 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 arrangements with the civil aviation 
authorities, or other appropriate officials, of foreign countries to 
ensure that inspections are conducted on a regular basis at shipping 
facilities for cargo transported in air transportation to the United 
States.''.
    (b) Additional Inspectors.--The Under Secretary of Border and 
Transportation Security of the Department of Homeland Security may 
increase the number of inspectors as necessary to implement the 
requirements of title 49, United States Code, as amended by this Act.
    (c) Conforming Amendment.--The chapter analysis for chapter 449 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``44922. Regular inspections of air cargo shipping facilities.''.

SEC. 4. TRAINING PROGRAM FOR CARGO HANDLERS.

    The Under Secretary of Border and Transportation Security of the 
Department of Homeland Security shall establish a training and 
evaluation program for any persons that handle air cargo to ensure that 
the cargo is properly handled and safeguarded from security breaches.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    This Act and the amendments made this Act shall take effect on 
November 27, 2003 (Thanksgiving Day), or 180 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, whichever is later.
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