[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 10]
[Senate]
[Pages 14640-14641]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                        PETITIONS AND MEMORIALS

  The following petition or memorial was laid before the Senate and was 
referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:

       POM-112 A resolution adopted by the General Assembly of the 
     State of New Jersey urging the President of the United States 
     and the United States Congress to enact the ``Surface 
     Transportation and Maritime Security Act'', to the Committee 
     on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

[[Page 14641]]



                      Assembly Resolution No. 195

       Whereas, The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) 
     is responsible for transportation security in the United 
     States, including air, rail, transit, maritime, and highway 
     travel; and
       Whereas, While considerable resources have been allocated 
     to air travel security following the events of September 11, 
     2001, Congressional oversight and independent audits have 
     raised concern about the TSA's approach to protecting rail. 
     transit, maritime, and highway travelers; and
       Whereas, In response to these concerns and with bipartisan 
     support, Senator Thune introduced a bill to enact the 
     ``Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Act,''; and
       Whereas, In order to improve surface transportation and 
     maritime security, the bill requites the TSA to assess the 
     risk of terrorist attacks on surface transportation 
     facilities such as rail stations; and
       Whereas, The risk assessment is to include consideration of 
     (1) appropriate intelligence; (2) security breaches and 
     attacks at domestic and international transportation 
     facilities, (3) the vulnerabilities associated with specific 
     modes of transportation; (4) current and prospective 
     allocation of agency and stakeholder resources to mitigate 
     threats, (5) the systems and practices designed to mitigate 
     the identified vulnerabilities; and (6) the vetting and 
     security training of frontline employees in surface 
     transportation and maritime systems, as well as individuals 
     with access to sensitive or secure areas of transportation 
     networks; and
       Whereas, Additionally, the bill directs the TSA to 
     implement a risk-based security model for protecting surface 
     transportation facilities and provides grant funding for the 
     use of increased passenger manifest data to better identify 
     rail passengers in an emergency; and
       Whereas, With its many miles of highways and railways, busy 
     ports, and geographic location on the eastern seaboard, New 
     Jersey is particularly vulnerable to threats to the 
     transportation network; and
       Whereas, On September 18, 2016 a backpack containing 
     explosive devices was discovered outside of the train station 
     in Elizabeth, New Jersey and this incident may be linked to 
     the placement of explosive devices in Seaside Park, New 
     Jersey and New York City; and
       Whereas, Securing the nation's surface transportation and 
     maritime security is of utmost importance and urgency to the 
     residents of this State and nation: Now, therefore, be it
       Resolved by the General Assembly of the State of New 
     Jersey:
       1. This House respectfully urges the President and the 
     Congress of the United States to enact the ``Surface 
     Transportation and Maritime Security Act.''
       2. Copies of this resolution, as filed with the Secretary 
     of State, shall be transmitted by the Clerk of the General 
     Assembly to the President and Vice President of the United 
     States, the Majority and Minority Leader of the United States 
     Senate, the Speaker and the Minority Leader of the United 
     States House of Representatives, every sponsor of the 
     ``Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Act,'' and 
     every member of Congress from New Jersey.

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