§1992 Terrorist Attacks and Other Violence Against Railroad Carriers and Against Mass Transportation Systems on Land, on Water, or Through the Air

Summary

Makes it a crime, in certain situations, to damage, disable, or attack trains, other rail vehicles, mass transit vehicles, or the places and systems that keep them running. The law covers ten kinds of acts, such as wrecking or derailing trains, setting fires, putting germs, toxins, explosives, or other dangerous substances or devices on or near trains or transit vehicles, releasing hazardous materials nearby, damaging tunnels, bridges, tracks, stations, garages, or other rail or transit property in a way that could derail or disable equipment, knocking out signals or dispatch systems, attacking or disabling operators or crew, spying or collecting information to plan attacks, giving false reports about attacks, and trying, threatening, or planning any of these acts. The crime is treated more seriously if the vehicle had passengers or employees, if it carried high-level radioactive waste or spent nuclear fuel, or if it carried hazardous material that was required to be placarded under subpart F of part 172 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations and is listed as class number 3, 4, 5, 6.1, or 8 with packing group I or II, or class number 1, 2, or 7 under the hazardous materials table of section 172.101 of title 49. The rule applies when the act affects a mass transit provider or a railroad in interstate or foreign commerce, or when someone crosses state lines or moves materials across state lines to commit the act. The law also defines several words used above: biological agent — germs or toxins as defined elsewhere in law; dangerous weapon — anything that can cause death or serious harm (it even lists a pocket knife with a blade under 2½ inches and a box cutter); destructive device — defined elsewhere; destructive substance — explosives, flammable or corrosive materials, radioactive devices (except those used only for peaceful medical, industrial, research, or other peaceful purposes); hazardous material — as defined in title 49, chapter 51; high-level radioactive waste and spent nuclear fuel — as defined in the Nuclear Waste Policy Act; mass transportation — as defined in title 49, also including intercity bus, school bus, charter and sightseeing buses, and passenger vessels; on-track equipment — vehicles that run on rails or electromagnetic guideways; railroad on-track equipment — trains, locomotives, cars, and similar rail vehicles; railroad and railroad carrier — as defined in title 49; serious bodily injury and toxin — as defined elsewhere; State — as defined elsewhere; vehicle — any carriage used or able to be used for transport on land, water, or in the air.