PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Secretary of Homeland Security must create a grant program to give money to public transit agencies for security upgrades. A transit agency can get a grant only if it has had a security check or made a security plan under section 1134. Grants can only pay for things in that check or that help carry out the plan. Grants can pay for capital work (for example, tunnel and perimeter protection, cameras, detection systems and trained dogs, communications like underground E911 access, fire and decontamination gear, evacuation changes, bomb‑resistant trash cans, and security work on stations or projects in design or construction) and for operating costs (for example, training and exercises, public awareness, canine patrols, plan development, overtime for extra security at big events, and some personnel costs). Operational pay for personnel assigned to security duties cannot exceed 10 percent of a grantee’s yearly grant. The Secretary sets application rules, picks recipients based only on risk, sets funding priorities, and must work with the Secretary of Transportation to decide how to distribute funds within 90 days after August 3, 2007 (DHS may transfer money to DOT for payment). Grants follow the terms of transit grants under section 5307 as of January 1, 2007. Recipients must report yearly, try to hire small or disadvantaged contractors where practical, return misspent funds, and follow State homeland security plans. Funds generally stay available at least 36 months, or 48 months for certain station or construction projects. Authorized funding: fiscal year 2007—such sums as needed; FY2008—$650,000,000 (no more than 50% for operations); FY2009—$750,000,000 (no more than 30% for operations); FY2010—$900,000,000 (no more than 20% for operations); FY2011—$1,100,000,000 (no more than 10% for operations). The Secretary can waive those operational limits for national security with a written notice to Congress. The Secretary must notify the relevant congressional committees 3 days before any grant award.

Title 6, §1135

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Security assistance program

(1)In general

The Secretary shall establish a program for making grants to eligible public transportation agencies for security improvements described in subsection (b).

(2)Eligibility

A public transportation agency is eligible for a grant under this section if the Secretary has performed a security assessment or the agency has developed a security plan under section 1134 of this title. Grant funds shall only be awarded for permissible uses under subsection (b) to—

(A)address items included in a security assessment; or

(B)further a security plan.

(b)Uses of funds

A recipient of a grant under subsection (a) shall use the grant funds for one or more of the following:

(1)Capital uses of funds, including—

(A)tunnel protection systems;

(B)perimeter protection systems, including access control, installation of improved lighting, fencing, and barricades;

(C)redundant critical operations control systems;

(D)chemical, biological, radiological, or explosive detection systems, including the acquisition of canines used for such detection;

(E)surveillance equipment;

(F)communications equipment, including mobile service equipment to provide access to wireless Enhanced 911 (E911) emergency services in an underground fixed guideway system;

(G)emergency response equipment, including personal protective equipment;

(H)fire suppression and decontamination equipment;

(I)global positioning or tracking and recovery equipment, and other automated-vehicle-locator-type system equipment;

(J)evacuation improvements;

(K)purchase and placement of bomb-resistant trash cans throughout public transportation facilities, including subway exits, entrances, and tunnels;

(L)capital costs associated with security awareness, security preparedness, and security response training, including training under section 1137 of this title and exercises under section 1136 of this title;

(M)security improvements for public transportation systems, including extensions thereto, in final design or under construction;

(N)security improvements for stations and other public transportation infrastructure, including stations and other public transportation infrastructure owned by State or local governments; and

(O)other capital security improvements determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(2)Operating uses of funds, including—

(A)security training and associated backfill, including training under section 1137 of this title and training developed by institutions of higher education and by nonprofit employee labor organizations, for public transportation employees, including frontline employees;

(B)live or simulated exercises under section 1136 of this title;

(C)public awareness campaigns for enhanced public transportation security;

(D)canine patrols for chemical, radiological, biological, or explosives detection;

(E)development of security plans under section 1134 of this title;

(F)overtime reimbursement including reimbursement of State, local, and tribal governments, for costs for enhanced security personnel during significant national and international public events;

(G)operational costs, including reimbursement of State, local, and tribal governments for costs for personnel assigned to full-time or part-time security or counterterrorism duties related to public transportation, provided that this expense totals no more than 10 percent of the total grant funds received by a public transportation agency in any 1 year; and

(H)other operational security costs determined appropriate by the Secretary, excluding routine, ongoing personnel costs, other than those set forth in this section.

(c)Department of Homeland Security responsibilities

In carrying out the responsibilities under subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

(1)determine the requirements for recipients of grants under this section, including application requirements;

(2)pursuant to subsection (a)(2), select the recipients of grants based solely on risk; and

(3)pursuant to subsection (b), establish the priorities for which grant funds may be used under this section.

(d)Distribution of grants

Not later than 90 days after August 3, 2007, the Secretary and the Secretary of Transportation shall determine the most effective and efficient way to distribute grant funds to the recipients of grants determined by the Secretary under subsection (a). Subject to the determination made by the Secretaries, the Secretary may transfer funds to the Secretary of Transportation for the purposes of disbursing funds to the grant recipient.

(e)Subject to certain terms and conditions

Except as otherwise specifically provided in this section, a grant provided under this section shall be subject to the terms and conditions applicable to a grant made under section 5307 of title 49, as in effect on January 1, 2007, and such other terms and conditions as are determined necessary by the Secretary.

(f)Limitation on uses of funds

Grants made under this section may not be used to make any State or local government cost-sharing contribution under any other Federal law.

(g)Annual reports

Each recipient of a grant under this section shall report annually to the Secretary on the use of the grant funds.

(h)Guidelines

Before distribution of funds to recipients of grants, the Secretary shall issue guidelines to ensure that, to the extent that recipients of grants under this section use contractors or subcontractors, such recipients shall use small, minority, women-owned, or disadvantaged business concerns as contractors or subcontractors to the extent practicable.

(i)Coordination with State homeland security plans

In establishing security improvement priorities under section 1134 of this title and in awarding grants for capital security improvements and operational security improvements under subsection (b), the Secretary shall act consistently with relevant State homeland security plans.

(j)Multistate transportation systems

In cases in which a public transportation system operates in more than one State, the Secretary shall give appropriate consideration to the risks of the entire system, including those portions of the States into which the system crosses, in establishing security improvement priorities under section 1134 of this title and in awarding grants for capital security improvements and operational security improvements under subsection (b).

(k)Congressional notification

Not later than 3 days before the award of any grant under this section, the Secretary shall notify simultaneously, the appropriate congressional committees of the intent to award such grant.

(l)Return of misspent grant funds

The Secretary shall establish a process to require the return of any misspent grant funds received under this section determined to have been spent for a purpose other than those specified in the grant award.

(m)Periods of performance

(1)In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), funds provided pursuant to a grant awarded under this section for a use specified in subsection (b) shall remain available for use by a grant recipient for a period of not fewer than 36 months.

(2)Exception

Funds provided pursuant to a grant awarded under this section for a use specified in subparagraph (M) or (N) of subsection (b)(1) shall remain available for use by a grant recipient for a period of not fewer than 48 months.

(n)Authorization of appropriations

(1)There are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to make grants under this section—

(A)such sums as are necessary for fiscal year 2007;

(B)$650,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, except that not more than 50 percent of such funds may be used for operational costs under subsection (b)(2);

(C)$750,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, except that not more than 30 percent of such funds may be used for operational costs under subsection (b)(2);

(D)$900,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, except that not more than 20 percent of such funds may be used for operational costs under subsection (b)(2); and

(E)$1,100,000,000 for fiscal year 2011, except that not more than 10 percent of such funds may be used for operational costs under subsection (b)(2).

(2)Period of availability.—

Sums appropriated to carry out this section shall remain available until expended.

(3)Waiver.—

The Secretary may waive the limitation on operational costs specified in subparagraphs (B) through (E) of paragraph (1) if the Secretary determines that such a waiver is required in the interest of national security, and if the Secretary provides a written justification to the appropriate congressional committees prior to any such action.

(4)Effective date.—

Funds provided for fiscal year 2007 transit security grants under Public Law 110–28 shall be allocated based on security assessments that are in existence as of August 3, 2007.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

Public Law 110–28, referred to in subsec. (n)(4), is Pub. L. 110–28, May 25, 2007, 121 Stat. 112, known as the U.S. Troop Readinesss, Veterans’ Care, Katrina Recovery, and Iraq Accountability Appropriations Act, 2007. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Tables.

Amendments

2021—Subsec. (b)(2)(A). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6420, inserted “and associated backfill” after “security training”. Subsecs. (m), (n). Pub. L. 117–81, § 6421, added subsec. (m) and redesignated former subsec. (m) as (n).

§1135 Public Transportation Security Assistance