§1171 International railroad security program

Summary

The Secretary must create a system to find hidden people and illegal goods on trains, with the main goal of catching nuclear or radiological material coming into the United States by rail. In planning the system, the Secretary may work with the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office, Customs and Border Protection, and the TSA to put radiation detectors and nonintrusive scanners at rail border crossings, try to combine detection technologies, set up training and response plans for federal, state, and local staff, use other checking methods where scanners are not practical, aim to detect terrorists or weapons (including weapons of mass destruction) when possible, and take other needed steps. The Secretary must also look for extra data to better spot high‑risk rail cargo before it is imported, use data from the Department of Transportation, and analyze that information to pick shipments for inspection. A progress report must be sent to the appropriate congressional committees by September 30, 2008. Definitions: international supply chain — the full path goods take from origin to destination; radiation detection equipment — technology that finds or identifies nuclear or radiological material; inspection — the process Customs and Border Protection uses to check goods for duties, banned items, and legal compliance.