Rail Security Act of 2005
Latest action · Jul 11, 2005 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7992-7996)
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedJul 11, 2005
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Rail Security Act of 2005 - Directs the Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Border and Transportation Security to complete, and make prioritized recommendations regarding, a vulnerability assessment of freight and passenger rail transportation for identification of: (1) critical assets and infrastructures and the threats to them; (2) vulnerabilities specific to the transportation of hazardous materials via railroad; and (3) security weaknesses in passenger and cargo security, transportation infrastructure, protection systems, procedural policies, communications systems, employee training, emergency response planning, and any other area.
Directs the Secretary of Transportation to review existing Department of Transportation (DOT) rail regulations to identify areas for revision to improve rail security.
Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the rail passenger transportation security programs in Japan, member nations of the European Union (EU), and other foreign countries in order to identify effective rail transportation security measures.
Directs the Under Secretary to: (1) analyze the cost and feasibility of requiring security screening for passengers, baggage, and cargo on passenger trains; and (2) conduct a pilot program of random security screening of passengers and baggage at a specified number of passenger rail stations served by Amtrak.
Authorizes appropriations for certain fire and life-safety improvements and infrastructure upgrades to Amtrak tunnels on the Northeast Corridor.
Amends federal transportation law to direct Amtrak to submit to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and the Secretary of Transportation a plan to address the needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents.
Authorizes the Under Secretary to make grants for certain system-wide Amtrak security upgrades and freight and hazardous materials transportation and passenger rail security upgrades.
Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve freight and intercity passenger rail security.
Directs the Federal Railroad Administration to prescribe standards for welded rail and tank car safety improvements.
Requires the Under Secretary to report to specified congressional committees: (1) an assessment of the current system for preclearance and screening of rail and airline passengers and baggage, as well as freight railroad traffic, between the United States and Canada; and (2) information on progress toward finalizing a protocol with Canada on preclearance of rail passengers between the two countries.
Directs the Secretary of Homeland Security to study and report to Congress on the impact of blocked highway-railroad grade crossings on the ability of first responders to perform their duties in the event of a terrorist attack.
Sets forth certain whistleblower protections for rail employees or other persons providing information about perceived security threats.
Cosponsors 1
Members who signed on, in the order they did. All signed on Jul 13, 2005.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-DE | Joseph R. Biden Jr. | Jul 13, 2005 |
Actions 3
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Jul 11, 2005Introduced in Senate
- Jul 11, 2005Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. (text of measure as introduced: CR S7992-7996)
- Jul 11, 2005Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7992)
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 153 | Rail and Public Transportation Security Act of 2005 | Related bill | Mar 9, 2005 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Transportation and Public Works.
- Administrative procedure
- Airline passenger traffic
- Ambulances
- Animals
- Armed Forces and National Security
- Auditing
- Aviation agreements
- Biological warfare
- Boundaries
- Bridges
- Canada
- Capital investments
- Chemical warfare
- Chemicals
- Civil Rights and Liberties, Minority Issues
- Computer security measures
- Congress
- Congressional hearings
- Congressional investigations
- Congressional reporting requirements
- Crime and Law Enforcement
- Damages
- Department of Homeland Security
- Department of Transportation
- Directories
- Discrimination in employment
- Dismissal of employees
- District of Columbia
- Dogs
- Drainage
- East Asia
- Economic impact statements
- Economics and Public Finance
- Electronic surveillance
- Emergency communication systems
- Emergency Management
- Employee training
- Environmental Protection
- Europe
- European Union
- Evidence (Law)
- Explosives
- Families
- Family services
- Federal aid to transportation
- Federal employees
- Fire fighters
- Fire prevention
- Freight
- Government corporations
- Government Operations and Politics
- Government publicity
- Grievance procedures
- Identification devices
- Infrastructure
- International Affairs
- Japan
- Labor and Employment
- Latin America
- Law
- Liability (Law)
- Lighting
- Maryland
- Mexico
- National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak)
- New York City
- Nuclear terrorism
- Photography
- Planning
- Police
- Punitive damages
- Radiation safety
- Railroad commuting traffic
- Railroad employees
- Railroad engineering
- Railroad equipment
- Railroad freight operations
- Railroad passenger traffic
- Railroad safety
- Railroad terminals
- Railroads
- Recruiting of employees
- Rescue work
- Research and development
- Right of privacy
- Risk
- Sabotage
- Science, Technology, Communications
- Security measures
- Standards
- Steel
- Technological innovations
- Telephone
- Terrorism
- Traffic accidents and safety
- Transportation and Public Works
- Transportation of hazardous substances
- Transportation planning
- Transportation research
- Treaties
- Tunnels
- Water Resources Development
- Whistle blowing
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.