Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 1313) to amend the Implementing Recommendations of the 9/11 Commission Act of 2007 to clarify certain allowable uses of funds for public transportation security assistance grants and establish periods of performance for such grants, and for other purposes, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days to revise and extend their remarks and to include extraneous material on this measure.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1313, the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act.

Securing our Nation's transit systems is critical to keeping our country safe. Transportation systems are vital to the economic and social lives of everyday people all around the country. The emergence of so-called ``lone wolf'' domestic terrorists pose a threat to these critical systems and the people that use them.

In response to this and other threats to our surface transportation systems, Congress established the Transportation Security Grant Program to help State and local authorities enhance the security of their systems. By all accounts, the Transportation Security Grant Program is making a difference.

However, increasingly, we have heard that some of the aspects of this program need refinement for it to live up to its full potential. Specifically, the Committee on Homeland Security has received testimony from grant recipients that the period of performance is too short, especially when they are trying to undertake long-term security projects.

H.R. 1313 addresses these concerns and makes the program more flexible by lengthening the period of performance for these grants. With flexibility in mind, the bill also allows for the funding in this program to be used for backfilling officers to allow for security training.

Finally, it mandates a report by the Government Accountability Office on the Transportation Security Grant Program, including recommendations to improve the grant program. These commonsense fixes will increase the efficacy of the Transportation Security Grant Program to help bolster preparedness and response within our transportation systems.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my House colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I have no more speakers, and I am prepared to close after the gentleman from Pennsylvania closes.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, today, the Transportation Security Grant Program is a meaningful tool to help communities improve the safety of our surface infrastructure, but, as discussed, there are areas where it could be improved. H.R. 1313 seeks to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Congressman King for his bipartisan work on this legislation.

Before I yield back, I would like to note that this legislation is identical to a measure that the House approved last Congress by a voice vote on January 31, 2017.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 1313, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Joyce for yielding.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of my legislation, H.R. 1313, the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act.

The Transit Security Grant Program provides needed funds to transit agencies to protect critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism. With billions of riders using surface transportation annually, and limited security screening, it should come as no surprise that surface transportation has been, and continues to be, a terror target.

We have witnessed multiple attacks overseas: the bombings of commuter trains in Madrid, the metro station bombing in Brussels, the bombing of the tube in London.

In New York, we saw, in 2019, there was an attempted liquid explosive attack, which, if successful, would have killed many, many hundreds.

And then, soon after that, there was a planned attack against the Long Island Railroad, in my own district, carried out by Bryant Neal Vinas, who was then in Afghanistan plotting the attack.

And more recently and much closer to home, we witnessed the 2017 New York Port Authority bombing, which the Speaker is well aware of, involving our city.

With the continual calls from ISIS and other extremist groups for lone-wolf attacks to target crowded areas, we must ensure the first responders and transit agencies have the tools needed to secure our transit systems.

Based on previous work done by the subcommittee under the leadership of my good friend Congressman Dan Donovan, we learned of the challenges associated with the fluctuating period of performance for Transit Security Grant Program projects, especially for completing vital large- scale capital security projects.

The Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act addresses this challenge by codifying the period of performance for this grant program at 36 months for the majority of eligible projects. It also extends the period of performance for large-scale projects to 55 months. This ensures that these major projects can be successfully completed in the allotted time.

Transit security grant program awards can be used to provide personnel with essential security training. However, recipients of these awards are not currently permitted to use the grant program funds to pay for backfilling personnel attending such training, which may, in turn, inhibit some transit agencies from sending their staff to vital security training.

H.R. 1313 will permit Transit Security Grant Program funds to be used for this purpose, consistent with other homeland security grant programs.

Given the evolving threat landscape, it is imperative that the Transit Security Grant Program provide flexible solutions for grant recipients. It is of the utmost importance that transit agencies have the ability to enhance the protection of these soft targets and crowded places to keep everyday commuters safe.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my staff, particularly, Diana Bergwin, for their hard work.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all Members to join in supporting H.R. 1313.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 1313, the Transit Security Grant Program Flexibility Act.

The Transit Security Grant Program directly supports transportation infrastructure security activities by providing funds to owners and operators of transit systems. Whether they be bus systems, ferries, or passenger rail, this grant program aims to protect and increase the resilience of critical surface transportation infrastructure and the traveling public from acts of terrorism.

H.R. 1313 codifies the performance period for use of grant funds and allows additional time for large-scale capital security projects. This bill also allows grant recipients to use their awards to pay for the cost of backfilling personnel attending necessary security training.

This important legislation, introduced by my colleague on the Homeland Security Committee, Congressman Pete King, will further assist in keeping our communities safe against the threat of terrorism.

Mr. Speaker, I support this legislation, and I urge my colleagues to join me in doing so.

Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield 5 minutes to the gentleman from New York (Mr. King).

Mr. Speaker, I urge adoption of this bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I move that the House do now adjourn.

The motion was agreed to; accordingly (at 9 o'clock and 10 minutes p.m.), under its previous order, the House adjourned until tomorrow, Wednesday, May 15, 2019, at 10 a.m. for morning-hour debate.