[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6410 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6410

                     To improve air cargo security.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 16, 2010

Mr. Markey of Massachusetts (for himself, Mrs. Lowey, Mrs. Maloney, and 
Mr. McGovern) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 ``Air Cargo Security Act''.

SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF CARGO CARRIED ABOARD ALL-CARGO 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 All-Cargo Aircraft.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        establish systems to inspect cargo to ensure the security of 
        all such cargo transported in all-cargo aircraft operated by an 
        air carrier or foreign air carrier in air transportation or 
        intrastate air transportation.
            ``(2) Minimum standards.--The systems referred to in 
        paragraph (1) shall require, at a minimum, that equipment, 
        technology, procedures, personnel or other methods approved by 
        the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
        Administration, are used to screen cargo carried on all-cargo 
        aircraft by such a carrier to provide a level of security 
        commensurate with the level of security for the screening of 
        passenger checked baggage in accordance to the implementation 
        schedule set forth in paragraph (3).
            ``(3) Implementation schedule.--The Secretary shall ensure 
        that--
                    ``(A) not later than 18 months after the date of 
                enactment of the Air Cargo Security Act, 50 percent of 
                cargo described in paragraph (1) is screened; and
                    ``(B) not later than 3 years after the date of 
                enactment of such Act, 100 percent of such cargo is 
                screened.
            ``(4) Research and development of new technologies.--The 
        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
    ``(a) Regular Inspections.--Not later than 30 days after the date 
of enactment of the Air Cargo Security Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
Security shall--
            ``(1) 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
            ``(2) 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) Screening Methods.--In this section, `screening' means using 
the methods of screening described in section 44901(g).
    ``(c) Reports.--Not later than 210 days after the date of enactment 
of the Air Cargo Security Act and each year thereafter, the Secretary 
shall transmit to Congress a report that states--
            ``(1) the number of shipping facilities that have been 
        inspected;
            ``(2) the number of facilities that are not in compliance 
        with appropriate security controls, systems, and protocols;
            ``(3) specific consequences imposed for a facility not in 
        compliance as determined by the Secretary; and
            ``(4) the number of arrangements entered into with civilian 
        authorities, other appropriate officials, of foreign countries 
        to ensure regular inspections are conducted for cargo 
        transported in air transportation to the United States.''.
    (b) Additional Inspectors.--The Secretary 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 Secretary 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.

    Except as otherwise provided, this Act and the amendments made in 
this Act shall take effect 180 days after the date of enactment of this 
Act.
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