[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3376 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 3376

      To require the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
      Administration to establish a pilot project to evaluate the 
  effectiveness of technologies to combat cargo theft, and for other 
                               purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            December 4, 2025

Mrs. Blackburn (for herself and Ms. Klobuchar) introduced the following 
 bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 
                      Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
      To require the Administrator of the Transportation Security 
      Administration to establish a pilot project to evaluate the 
  effectiveness of technologies to combat cargo theft, and for other 
                               purposes.

    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 ``Cargo Security Innovation Act''.

SEC. 2. PILOT PROJECT.

    (a) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Administrator.--The term ``Administrator'' means the 
        Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration.
            (2) Appropriate committees of congress.--The term 
        ``appropriate committees of Congress'' means--
                    (A) the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
                Transportation of the Senate; and
                    (B) the Committee on Transportation and 
                Infrastructure of the House of Representatives.
            (3) Eligible consortium.--The term ``eligible consortium'' 
        means a consortium--
                    (A) consisting of--
                            (i) one or more private entities engaged in 
                        transportation (as that term is defined in 
                        section 13102 of title 49, United States Code), 
                        such as--
                                    (I) owners or operators of an 
                                intermodal transportation hub or rail 
                                yard;
                                    (II) motor carriers (as that term 
                                is defined in section 13102 of title 
                                49, United States Code);
                                    (III) rail carriers (as that term 
                                is defined in section 10102 of title 
                                49, United States Code);
                                    (IV) water carriers (as that term 
                                is defined in section 13102 of title 
                                49, United States Code); and
                                    (V) air carriers (as that term is 
                                defined in section 40102 of title 49, 
                                United States Code);
                            (ii) rail police officers (within the 
                        meaning of section 28101 of title 49, United 
                        States Code), if applicable; and
                            (iii) at least 1 State or local law 
                        enforcement entity; and
                    (B) that, in the determination of the 
                Administrator--
                            (i) has the resources and expertise 
                        necessary--
                                    (I) to deploy advanced law 
                                enforcement or cargo security 
                                technologies at a pilot site; and
                                    (II) to evaluate the effectiveness 
                                of such a technology at combatting 
                                cargo theft; and
                            (ii) demonstrates capacity for interagency 
                        coordination and technology integration.
            (4) Foreign entity of concern.--The term ``foreign entity 
        of concern'' has the meaning given that term in section 40207 
        of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (42 U.S.C. 
        18741).
            (5) Intermodal transportation hub.--The term ``intermodal 
        transportation hub'' means an airport, land port, or seaport at 
        which cargo can be transferred between different modes of 
        transportation, including rail.
            (6) Pilot project.--The term ``pilot project'' means the 
        pilot project established under subsection (b).
            (7) Pilot site.--The term ``pilot site'' means an 
        intermodal transportation hub or rail yard designated as a 
        pilot site under subsection (c).
    (b) Establishment.--The Administrator, in consultation with the 
Secretary of Transportation, shall establish a pilot project to 
evaluate the effectiveness of advanced law enforcement and cargo 
security technologies at combatting cargo theft in transit and at and 
around intermodal transportation hubs and rail yards with elevated 
levels of cargo theft, including by providing grants to eligible 
consortia for the deployment and evaluation of those technologies.
    (c) Pilot Sites.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 1 year after the date of 
        the enactment of this Act, the Administrator shall designate up 
        to 6 intermodal transportation hubs or rail yards as pilot 
        sites for the deployment and evaluation of technologies under 
        the pilot project.
            (2) Pilot site diversity.--
                    (A) In general.--The Administrator shall ensure 
                geographic and operational diversity of pilot sites.
                    (B) Requirement.--The Administrator may designate 
                not more than 1 pilot site in any 1 State.
            (3) Prohibition on foreign technologies.--In carrying out 
        the pilot project, the Administrator may not deploy at any 
        pilot site technology produced by a foreign entity of concern.
    (d) Grants.--
            (1) In general.--Individuals and entities associated with a 
        pilot site may form an eligible consortium for purposes of 
        pursuing a grant under the pilot project for such pilot site.
            (2) Grant applications.--An eligible consortium desiring a 
        grant under the pilot project shall submit to the Administrator 
        an application at such time, in such manner, and containing 
        such information as the Administrator may require.
            (3) Use of funds.--An eligible consortium may use a grant 
        provided under the pilot project for--
                    (A) technology acquisition and deployment;
                    (B) personnel training and capacity building;
                    (C) interoperability with Federal data;
                    (D) oversight and technical evaluation; and
                    (E) such other activities as the Administrator 
                determines necessary.
    (e) Accountability.--An eligible consortium that receives a grant 
under the pilot project shall maintain such records as the 
Administrator may require to facilitate an effective audit relating to 
the receipt of the grant, the use of grant amounts, or outsourcing 
activities.
    (f) Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date on which 
technology is first deployed at a pilot site under the pilot project, 
the Administrator shall submit to the appropriate committees of 
Congress a report that includes--
            (1) a description of the technologies deployed at each 
        pilot site as of the date of submission of the report;
            (2) an evaluation of the effectiveness of those 
        technologies in reducing cargo theft;
            (3) a description of any outcomes or lessons learned from 
        the deployment and evaluation of those technologies;
            (4) a cost-benefit analysis for each of those technologies;
            (5) technology-related data generated under the pilot 
        project in a machine-readable format; and
            (6) recommendations for scaling or modifying the pilot 
        project.
    (g) Sunset.--For each pilot site, the pilot project shall terminate 
on the date that is 3 years after the initial deployment of technology 
at that pilot site under the pilot project.
    (h) GAO Evaluation.--Not later than 1 year after the pilot project 
is terminated at all pilot sites pursuant to subsection (g), the 
Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to the 
appropriate committees of Congress a report evaluating the 
effectiveness of the pilot project.
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