[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 170 (Wednesday, September 29, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H5536-H5538]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                            DARREN DRAKE ACT

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the 
rules and pass the bill (H.R. 4089) to direct the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to develop and disseminate best practices for rental companies 
and dealers to report suspicious behavior to law enforcement agencies 
at the point of sale of a covered rental vehicle to prevent and 
mitigate acts of terrorism using motor vehicles, and for other 
purposes, as amended.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                               H.R. 4089

       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 ``Darren Drake Act''.

     SEC. 2. BEST PRACTICES RELATED TO CERTAIN INFORMATION 
                   COLLECTED BY RENTAL COMPANIES AND DEALERS.

       (a) Development and Dissemination.--
       (1) In general.--Not later than one year after the date of 
     the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security 
     shall develop and disseminate best practices for rental 
     companies and dealers to report suspicious behavior to law 
     enforcement agencies at the point of sale of a covered rental 
     vehicle.
       (2) Consultation; updates.--The Secretary shall develop 
     and, as necessary, update the best practices described in 
     paragraph (1) after consultation with Federal, State, local, 
     and Tribal law enforcement agencies and relevant 
     transportation security stakeholders.
       (3) Guidance on suspicious behavior.--The Secretary shall 
     include, in the best practices developed under paragraph (1), 
     guidance on defining and identifying suspicious behavior in a 
     manner that protects civil rights and civil liberties.
       (b) Report to Congress.--Not later than one year after the 
     date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland 
     Security shall submit to Congress a report on the 
     implementation of this section, including an assessment of--
       (1) the impact of the best practices described in 
     subsection (a) on efforts to protect the United States 
     against terrorist attacks; and
       (2) ways to improve and expand cooperation and engagement 
     between--
       (A) the Department of Homeland Security;
       (B) Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement 
     agencies; and
       (C) rental companies, dealers, and other relevant rental 
     industry stakeholders.
       (c) Definitions.--In this section:
       (1) The terms ``dealer'' and ``rental company'' have the 
     meanings given those terms in section 30102 of title 49, 
     United States Code.
       (2) The term ``covered rental vehicle'' means a motor 
     vehicle that--
       (A) is rented without a driver for an initial term of less 
     than 4 months; and
       (B) is part of a motor vehicle fleet of 35 or more motor 
     vehicles that are used for rental purposes by a rental 
     company.

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from

[[Page H5537]]

Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) and the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. 
Guest) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson).


                             General Leave

  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent 
that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and 
extend their remarks and include extraneous material on this measure.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Mississippi?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time 
as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4089, the Darren Drake 
Act.
  This month the Nation observed the 20th anniversary of the September 
11th attacks. Next month we mark the fourth anniversary of the 
deadliest terrorist attack to be carried out in New York City since the 
9/11 attacks.
  In that attack, a lone wolf, inspired by ISIS, rammed a rented truck 
into pedestrians and cyclists who were out enjoying a sunny Halloween 
afternoon on a pathway that ran along the Hudson River.
  That attack took the lives of 8 people and injured 11 others. One of 
the victims of the attack was Darren Drake, a 32-year-old bicyclist and 
the namesake for this important legislation.
  While it is not within our power to bring back Darren Drake or the 
seven other victims of this tragedy, we do have the ability to learn 
from this event to better address the threats of vehicle-based attacks.
  H.R. 4089, introduced by my colleague from New Jersey (Mr. 
Gottheimer), seeks to ensure that rental vehicle facilities, like the 
one where Darren Drake's killer rented a truck, are better equipped to 
prevent vehicle-based attacks.
  Specifically, the Darren Drake Act requires the Department of 
Homeland Security to develop best practices for vehicle rental 
companies and dealers to report suspicious behavior in a manner that 
protects civil rights and civil liberties.
  The bill directs DHS to consult and share best practices with State 
and local partners and rental companies to help strengthen 
communication and relationships to guard against vehicle-based attacks.
  H.R. 4089 is a commonsense measure that acknowledges that vehicle 
rental companies are important partners in efforts to prevent vehicle-
based terrorist attacks and provide them with the tools to identify 
suspicious behavior and notify authorities.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Darren Drake Act and reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4089, the Darren Drake 
Act.
  In the wake of the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, it is critical 
that we remain vigilant to threats posed by terrorists and extremist 
organizations.
  Over the past two decades, terrorists have carried out multiple 
vehicle-ramming attacks in North America and Western Europe.
  Al-Qaida and ISIS have promoted these type of attacks for years, 
including in Inspire, the online magazine of al-Qaida, and Rumiya, 
ISIS's magazine.
  ISIS has called upon its followers to conduct vehicle-ramming attacks 
by buying, renting, stealing, or borrowing trucks and targeting large 
outdoor events, crowded pedestrian streets, outdoor markets, and 
rallies.
  This legislation requires the Department of Homeland Security to 
develop and disseminate best practices for rental companies and dealers 
to report suspicious behavior to law enforcement agencies at the point 
of sale of a covered rental vehicle to prevent and mitigate acts of 
terrorism using these motor vehicles.
  This represents an important tool for addressing extremist threats--
the ability of government and the private sector to work together to 
mitigate terrorism risk.
  I urge Members to join me in supporting H.R. 4089, and I reserve the 
balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the 
gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Gottheimer), the sponsor of this bill.
  Mr. GOTTHEIMER. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 4089, 
the Darren Drake Act, bipartisan legislation I introduced in the 
Committee on Homeland Security with my Republican colleague and co-
chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, the gentleman from Pennsylvania 
(Mr. Fitzpatrick), to help prevent terrorist vehicle attacks and to 
protect Americans nationwide.
  This legislation is named in memory of a constituent from my 
district, Darren Drake from New Milford, New Jersey, who was one of 
those tragically killed in the terrorist attack in Lower Manhattan on 
October 31, 2017, when an ISIS-inspired terrorist drove a rented pickup 
truck into cyclists and runners for one mile along the West Side 
Highway, killing eight.
  The bill takes critical steps to stop these weapons of terror and 
help prevent terrorist truck attacks by requiring the Department of 
Homeland Security to develop and disseminate best practices for vehicle 
rental companies and dealers to report suspicious behavior to law 
enforcement.
  These best practices will be developed and updated in consultation 
with State and local law enforcement as well as industry experts.
  This crucial legislation will provide rental companies and car 
dealers with the vital information they need to flag and stop potential 
terrorist threats in their tracks. We can take no chances when it comes 
to terrorism, which is why this bill will help ensure all rental 
companies report suspicious behavior at every point of sale. No 
excuses. We simply cannot afford any excuses when it comes to a 
question of life or death.
  The bill will also require the Secretary of Homeland Security to 
report to Congress regarding the implementation of these best practices 
and other ways they are helping improve coordination between the 
Department and rental vehicle providers.

  This commonsense, bipartisan bill is aimed at stopping ISIS-inspired, 
lone wolf, and domestic terrorists from easily trucks and other 
vehicles to wreak havoc and cause mass destruction and health. It is an 
important addition to our arsenal as we work to eradicate threats of 
terror across our Nation.
  I want to thank Darren's parents, Jimmy and Barbara Drake, who have 
become dear friends, for working with me on this effort. I thank them 
for their leadership. We will continue working to ensure this measure 
becomes law, in Darren's memory and honor, to help prevent future 
attacks and save lives. It is the least we can do.
  Madam Speaker, I strongly urge all my colleagues to support this 
commonsense, bipartisan legislation to help our Nation fully combat 
terror wherever it rears its ugly head.
  Mr. GUEST. Madam Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I urge 
Members to support this bill. I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. THOMPSON of Mississippi. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the 
balance of my time to close.
  Madam Speaker, from the 2016 Bastille Day truck attack in France to 
the 2017 deadly car ramming in Charlottesville to the 2017 attack that 
took the lives of Darren Drake and seven others, we have seen the use 
of vehicles to carry out terrorist attacks become disturbingly common.
  Our Nation faces a complex and evolving threat landscape. But the 
threat of vehicle-ramming attacks is not going away.
  As long as would-be terrorists seek to use rental vehicles as weapons 
of terror, we must provide rental dealers with the ability to do their 
part.
  I urge my colleagues to support the Darren Drake Act, and I yield 
back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Mississippi (Mr. Thompson) that the House suspend the 
rules and pass the bill, H.R. 4089, as amended.
  The question was taken.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds 
being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
  Mr. POSEY. Madam Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to section 3(s) of House Resolution 
8, the yeas and nays are ordered.
  Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion 
are postponed.

[[Page H5538]]

  

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