[Congressional Bills 114th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3773 Introduced in House (IH)]

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114th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3773

To amend title 49, United States Code, relating to the authority of the 
  Secretary of Transportation under the public transportation safety 
                                program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 20, 2015

Ms. Norton (for herself, Ms. Edwards, and Mrs. Comstock) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 49, United States Code, relating to the authority of the 
  Secretary of Transportation under the public transportation safety 
                                program.

    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 ``Protect Riders of Metrorail Public 
Transportation Act of 2015''.

SEC. 2. FEDERAL SAFETY MANAGEMENT.

    Section 5329(f) of title 49, United States Code, is amended to read 
as follows:
    ``(f) Authority of Secretary.--
            ``(1) In general.--In carrying out this section, the 
        Secretary may--
                    ``(A) conduct inspections, investigations, audits, 
                examinations, and testing of the equipment, facilities, 
                rolling stock, and operations of the public 
                transportation system of a recipient;
                    ``(B) make reports and issue directives with 
                respect to the safety of the public transportation 
                system of a recipient;
                    ``(C) in conjunction with an accident investigation 
                or an investigation into a pattern or practice of 
                conduct that negatively affects public safety, issue a 
                subpoena to, and take the deposition of, any employee 
                of a recipient or a State safety oversight agency, if--
                            ``(i) before the issuance of the subpoena, 
                        the Secretary requests a determination by the 
                        Attorney General of the United States as to 
                        whether the subpoena will interfere with an 
                        ongoing criminal investigation; and
                            ``(ii) the Attorney General--
                                    ``(I) determines that the subpoena 
                                will not interfere with an ongoing 
                                criminal investigation; or
                                    ``(II) fails to make a 
                                determination under clause (i) before 
                                the date that is 30 days after the date 
                                on which the Secretary makes a request 
                                under subparagraph (A);
                    ``(D) require the production of documents by, and 
                prescribe recordkeeping and reporting requirements for, 
                a recipient or a State safety oversight agency;
                    ``(E) investigate public transportation accidents 
                and incidents and provide guidance to recipients 
                regarding prevention of accidents and incidents;
                    ``(F) at reasonable times and in a reasonable 
                manner, enter and inspect equipment, facilities, 
                rolling stock, operations, and relevant records of the 
                public transportation system of a recipient; and
                    ``(G) issue rules to carry out this section.
            ``(2) Additional authority.--
                    ``(A) If the Secretary finds that a State safety 
                oversight agency that oversees a rail fixed guideway 
                system operating in more than 2 States has become 
                incapable of providing adequate safety oversight of 
                such system, the Secretary may administer State safety 
                oversight activities for such rail fixed guideway 
                system until the States develop a State safety 
                oversight program certified by the Secretary in 
                accordance with subsection (e) of this section.
                    ``(B) To carry out administrative and oversight 
                activities authorized by this paragraph, the Secretary 
                may use--
                            ``(i) grant funds apportioned to an 
                        eligible State under subsection (e)(6) to 
                        develop or carry out a State safety oversight 
                        program; and
                            ``(ii) grant funds apportioned to an 
                        eligible State under subsection (e)(6) that 
                        have not been obligated within the 
                        administrative period of availability.''.
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