[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 86 (Thursday, June 17, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7227-S7228]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. LEAHY (for himself, Mr. Hatch, Mr. Biden, Mr. DeWine, and 
        Mr. Schumer):
  S. 1235. A bill to amend part G of title I of the Omnibus Crime 
Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 to allow railroad police officers 
to attend the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy for law 
enforcement training; to the Committee on the Judiciary.


  national academy for law enforcement training attendance legislation

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce with Senators 
Hatch, Biden, DeWine, and Schumer, a bill to provide railroad police 
officers the opportunity to attend the Federal Bureau of 
Investigation's National Academy for law enforcement training in 
Quantico, Virginia.
  The FBI is currently authorized to offer the superior training 
available at the FBI's National Academy only to law enforcement 
personnel employed by state or local units of government. Police 
officers employed by railroads are not allowed to attend this Academy 
despite the fact that they work closely in numerous cases with Federal 
law enforcement agencies as well as State and local law enforcement. 
Providing railroad police with the opportunity to obtain the training 
offered at Quantico would improve inter-agency cooperation and prepare 
them to deal with the ever increasing sophistication of criminals who 
conduct their illegal acts either using the railroad or directed at the 
railroad or its passengers.
  Railroad police officers, unlike any other private police department, 
are commissioned under State law to enforce the laws of that State and 
any other State in which the railroad owns property. As a result of 
this broad law enforcement authority, railroad police officers are 
actively involved in numerous investigations and cases with the FBI and 
other law enforcement agencies.
  For example, Amtrak has a police officer assigned to the New York 
City Joint Task Force on Terrorism, which is made up of 140 members 
from such disparate agencies at the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the 
U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. 
This task force investigates domestic and foreign terrorist groups and 
responds to actual terrorist incidents in the Metropolitan New York 
area.
  Whenever a railroad derailment or accident occurs, often railroad 
police are among the first on the scene. For example, when a 12-car 
Amtrak train derailed in Arizona in October 1995, railroad police 
joined the FBI at the site of the incident to determine whether the 
incident was the result of an intentional criminal act of sabotage.
  Amtrak police officers have also assisted FBI agents in the 
investigation and interdiction of illegal drugs and weapons trafficking 
on transportation systems in the District of Columbia and elsewhere. In 
addition, using the railways is a popular means for illegal immigrants 
to gain entry to the United States. According to recent congressional 
testimony, in 1998 alone, 33,715 illegal aliens were found hiding on 
board Union Pacific railroad trains and subject to arrest by railroad 
police.
  With thousand of passengers traveling on our railways each year, 
making sure that railroad police officers have available to them the 
highest level of training is in the national interest. The officers 
that protect railroad passengers deserve the same opportunity to 
receive training at Quantico that their counterparts employed by State 
and local governments enjoy. Railroad police officers who attend the 
FBI National Academy in Quantico for training would be required to pay 
their own room, board and transportation.
  This legislation is supported by the FBI, the International 
Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Railroad Passenger 
Corporation.
  I urge prompt consideration of this legislation to provide railroad 
police officers with the opportunity to receive training from the FBI 
that would increase the safety of the American people. I ask unanimous 
consent that a copy of the bill and letters from the National Railroad 
Passenger Corporation's Chief of Police, Ernest R. Frazier, and 
Amtrak's President and CEO, George Warrington, be printed in the 
Record.
  There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in 
the Record, as follows:

                                S. 1235

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. INCLUSION OF RAILROAD POLICE OFFICERS IN FBI LAW 
                   ENFORCEMENT TRAINING.

       (a) In General.--Section 701(a) of part G of title I of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3771(a)) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) by striking ``State or unit of local government'' and 
     inserting ``State, unit of local government, or rail 
     carrier''; and
       (B) by inserting ``, including railroad police officers'' 
     before the semicolon; and (2) in paragraph (3)--
       (A) by striking ``State or unit of local government'' 
     inserting ``State, unit of local government, or rail 
     carrier'';
       (B) by inserting ``railroad police officer,'' after 
     ``deputies,'';
       (C) by striking ``State or such unit'' and inserting 
     ``State, unit of local government, or rail carrier''; and
       (D) by striking ``State or unit.'' and inserting ``State, 
     unit of local government, or rail carrier.''.
       (b) Rail Carrier Costs.--Section 701 of part G of title I 
     of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 
     U.S.C. 3771) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(d) Rail Carrier Costs.--No Federal funds may be used for 
     any travel, transportation, or subsistence expenses incurred 
     in connection with the participation of a railroad police 
     officer in a training program conducted under subsection 
     (a).''.
       (c) Definitions.--Section 701 of part G of title I of the 
     Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (42 U.S.C. 
     3771) is amended by adding at the end the following:
       ``(e) Definitions.--In this section--
       ``(1) the terms `rail carrier' and `railroad' have the 
     meanings given such terms in section 20102 of title 49, 
     United States Code; and
       ``(2) the term `railroad police officer' means a peace 
     officer who is commissioned in his or her State of legal 
     residence or State of primary employment and employed by a 
     rail carrier to enforce State laws for the protection of 
     railroad property, personnel, passengers, or cargo.''.
                                  ____

         National Railroad Passenger Corp., Police Department,
                                 Philadelphia, PA, March 29, 1999.
     Senator Patrick Leahy,
     Russell Senate Office Building,
     U.S. Senate, Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Leahy: I am very grateful that you have agreed 
     to support legislation which will allow railroad police 
     officers to attend the FBI Training Academy. Your recognition 
     of the importance of this bill speaks highly of your respect 
     for law enforcement.
       The FBI Training Academy offers training for upper and 
     middle-level law enforcement officers. The curriculum focuses 
     on leadership and management training. The completion of this 
     training allows the law enforcement professional to play a 
     significant role in developing a higher level of competency, 
     cooperation, and integrity within the law enforcement 
     community.
       Railroad police officers are sworn officers charged with 
     the responsibility of enforcing state and local laws in any 
     jurisdiction in which the rail carrier owns property. In 
     their efforts to provide quality law enforcement services to 
     our transportation systems, railroad police officers should 
     have access to the premier training that is currently offered 
     to other police agencies.
       Thank you again for your support of the legislation that 
     will provide FBI Training to railroad police officers. Please 
     do not hesitate to contact me on this issue, or any matter of 
     mutual concern.
           Sincerely,
     Ernest R. Frazier, Sr., Esq.
                                  ____



                            National Railroad Passenger Corp.,

                                    Washington, DC, April 6, 1999.
     Hon. Patrick Leahy,
     U.S. Senate,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Senator Leahy: I want to take this opportunity to 
     express my thanks for your

[[Page S7228]]

     support of the Amtrak Police by introducing legislation that 
     would allow railroad police officers to attend the Federal 
     Bureau of Investigation Training Academy.
       Amtrak relies on its well-trained officers to serve and 
     protect its customers, employees, trains and stations. It is 
     critical that they are afforded quality training 
     opportunities, such as what the FBI Academy offers, to 
     effectively carry out their duties. I am proud that Amtrak 
     has the privilege of working with this fine group of men and 
     women, and I wholeheartedly support any measure that would 
     enhance their job performance.
       Again, thank you for your support of passenger rail and the 
     dedicated law enforcement officers who help make safe travel 
     possible.
           Sincerely,
                                              George D. Warington,
                                                President and CEO.
                                 ______