Public Transportation Systems Vulnerability Assessment and Reduction Act of 2005

Public Transportation Systems Vulnerability Assessment and Reduction Act of 2005 - Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security (Secretary) to: (1) review all government assessments conducted after September 11, 2001, of terrorist-related threats to all forms of public transportation, including related public gathering areas; (2) ensure that the assessments identify the critical assets of the system, including threats, and identify the extent to which backup systems ensure continued operation of the system in the event of an attack and the extent frontline transit employees have received training in security awareness, emergency preparedness, and response procedures; and (3) conduct, as necessary, additional assessments of vulnerabilities associated with any public transportation system.

Authorizes the Secretary to 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 approved equipment and technologies to assist in carrying them out. Requires allocation of grant amounts among eligible transportation agencies based on need for emergency preparedness and response training and equipment, earmarking at least ten percent of such amounts to eligible transportation agencies in non-urban areas.

[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1116 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1116

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 3, 2005

    Ms. Millender-McDonald introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security, and in addition to the 
  Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 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 2005''.

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 or rail operator, mechanic, customer 
        service representative, maintenance employee, or transit police 
        or security officer and other individuals designated by the 
        Secretary.
            (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. ADMINISTRATION OF DUTIES.

    All duties vested in the Secretary under this Act shall be carried 
out by the Secretary acting jointly with the Secretary of 
Transportation.

SEC. 4. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION SYSTEMS VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENTS.

    (a) Assessment.--The Secretary 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;
            (2) ensure that the assessment of each public 
        transportation system identifies--
                    (A) the critical assets of the system;
                    (B) threats to those assets;
                    (C) security weaknesses in the system and its 
                assets;
                    (D) redundant and backup systems required to ensure 
                the continued operation of critical elements of the 
                system in the event of an attack or other incident; and
                    (E) the extent to which frontline transit employees 
                have received training in security awareness and 
                emergency preparedness and response procedures; and
            (3) as necessary, conduct additional assessments of 
        vulnerabilities associated with any public transportation 
        system.
    (b) 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 recommendations for legislative and 
        administrative actions.
            (2) Updates.--The Secretary shall update the report 
        annually for 2 years and transmit the updated reports to the 
        President and Congress.

SEC. 5. 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) Other Requirements.--Except as otherwise specifically provided 
by this section, a grant under this section shall be subject to--
            (1) the terms and conditions that apply to grants made 
        under section 5307 of title 49, United States Code; and
            (2) other terms and conditions determined by the Secretary.
    (f) 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 nonurban areas.
    (g) Federal Share.--The Federal share of the cost of activities 
funded using amounts from a grant under this section may not exceed 90 
percent.
    (h) 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. 6. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

    There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Homeland 
Security to carry out this Act $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2006 through 2009. Such amounts shall remain available until expended.
                                 <all>