[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1148 Introduced in House (IH)]
108th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1148
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out activities to
assess and reduce the vulnerabilities of public transportation systems.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 6, 2003
Ms. Millender-McDonald (for herself and Mr. Ferguson) introduced the
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation
and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out activities to
assess and reduce the vulnerabilities of public transportation systems.
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 ``Public Transportation Systems
Vulnerability Assessment and Reduction Act of 2003''.
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act, the following definitions apply:
(1) Frontline transit employee.--The term ``frontline
transit employee'' means an employee of a mass transportation
agency who is a bus driver, transit operator, transit
maintenance employee, or community representative or is
otherwise employed in a position with direct interaction with
the public.
(2) Eligible transportation agency.--The term ``eligible
transportation agency'' means a designated recipient as defined
in section 5307(a) of title 49, United States Code, and any
other transportation agency designated by the Secretary.
(3) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary
of Homeland Security.
SEC. 3. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS.
(a) Assessment.--The Secretary, in consultation with the heads of
other appropriate Federal departments and agencies, shall--
(1) conduct a review of all government assessments
conducted after September 11, 2001, of terrorist-related
threats to all forms of public transportation, including public
gathering areas related to public transportation; and
(2) as necessary, conduct additional assessments of
vulnerabilities associated with any public transportation
system.
(b) Adequacy of Training.--In conducting the review and assessments
under subsection (a), the Secretary shall determine the percentage of
frontline transit employees who have received training in emergency
preparedness and response activities.
(c) Reports.--
(1) In general.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall transmit to the
President and Congress a report on the results of the review
and assessments conducted under this subsection (a), including
the Secretary's finding under subsection (b), and the
Secretary's recommendations for legislative and administrative
actions.
(2) Updates.--The Secretary shall update the report,
including the Secretary's finding under subsection (b),
annually for 2 years and transmit the updated reports to the
President and Congress.
SEC. 4. GRANTS FOR EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS AND RESPONSE TRAINING OF
FRONTLINE TRANSIT EMPLOYEES.
(a) In General.--The Secretary may make grants to eligible
transportation agencies for--
(1) the training of frontline transit employees in
emergency preparedness and response activities; and
(2) the acquisition of equipment and technologies, approved
by the Secretary, to assist in carrying out such training and
activities.
(b) Training Activities.--Training activities under subsection
(a)(1) may include the teaching of best practice methods, planning,
testing, drills, and the development of agency and regional emergency
preparedness and response programs.
(c) Applications.--To be eligible for a grant under this section,
an eligible transportation agency shall submit to the Secretary an
application at the time and containing the information that the
Secretary requires by regulation.
(d) Terms and Conditions.--A grant to an eligible transportation
agency in a fiscal year under this section shall be subject to the
following terms and conditions:
(1) Emergency management committee.--The agency shall
certify that the agency will establish a committee on emergency
preparedness and response training consisting of at least one
frontline transit employee representative and at least one
management employee representative. The committee shall be
composed of an equal number of frontline transit employee
representatives and management employee representatives.
Committee positions shall not be vacant for any period in the
fiscal year of more than 30 days.
(2) Report.--The agency shall agree to submit to the
Secretary before the last day of the fiscal year a report on
the use of the grant, including a statement of the number of
frontline transit employees receiving training under the grant.
(e) Allocation of Grant Amounts.--The Secretary shall allocate
amounts made available for grants under this section in a fiscal year
among eligible transportation agencies based on the needs of the
agencies for emergency preparedness and response training and
equipment. Not less than 10 percent of such amounts shall be allocated
to eligible transportation agencies in non-urban areas.
(f) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of activities
funded using amounts from a grant under this section may not exceed 90
percent.
(g) Regulations.--Not later than 6 months after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall issue final regulations to
carry out this section.
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this Act
$8,000,000 per fiscal year for each of fiscal years 2004, 2005, and
2006. Such amounts shall remain available until expended.
<all>