PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Secretary, after talking with the TSA Administrator, can give grants to Amtrak to pay for security upgrades. Grants can be used to protect underwater and underground assets, to protect high‑risk parts of the system, to fund counterterrorism and security training, to provide visible and unpredictable deterrence, and to run emergency preparedness drills. Examples of eligible projects include securing major tunnel access and tunnel integrity in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington, DC; improving security for trains and stations; getting or connecting to an approved watchlist system; buying train tracking and communications that work with federal, state, local, and tribal agencies; hiring and training police and canine units for full‑time security work; paying for security awareness and preparedness training and exercises; improving passenger, employee, and contractor ID systems; and upgrading Amtrak computer and cybersecurity systems. Grants must fund projects in a systemwide security plan that the Secretary approves under section 1162. Within 5 business days after awarding a grant, the Secretary must send the money to the Secretary of Transportation to be paid to Amtrak. The Secretary must also make sure locations outside the Northeast Corridor get a fair share of the money, while still meeting the highest security needs based on risk assessments. Funding available is $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2008, $150,000,000 for fiscal year 2009, $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2010, and $175,000,000 for fiscal year 2011 from amounts appropriated under section 114(w) of title 49. These amounts remain available until spent.

Title 6, §1164

Domestic Security, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)In general

(1)Grants

Subject to subsection (b), the Secretary, in consultation with the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration, is authorized to make grants to Amtrak in accordance with the provisions of this section.

(2)General purposes

The Secretary may make such grants for the purposes of— (A)

(B)protecting high-risk and high-consequence assets identified through systemwide risk assessments;

(C)providing counterterrorism or security training;

(D)providing both visible and unpredictable deterrence; and

(E)conducting emergency preparedness drills and exercises.

(3)Specific projects

The Secretary shall make such grants—

(A)to secure major tunnel access points and ensure tunnel integrity in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington, DC;

(B)to secure Amtrak trains;

(C)to secure Amtrak stations;

(D)to obtain a watchlist identification system approved by the Secretary, or to connect to the National Terrorism Screening Center watchlist;

(E)to obtain train tracking and interoperable communications systems that are coordinated with Federal, State, and local agencies and tribal governments to the maximum extent possible;

(F)to hire, train, and employ police and security officers, including canine units, assigned to full-time security or counterterrorism duties related to railroad transportation;

(G)for operating and capital costs associated with security awareness, preparedness, and response training, including training under section 1167 of this title, and training developed by universities, institutions of higher education, and nonprofit employee labor organizations, for railroad employees, including frontline employees;

(H)for live or simulated exercises, including exercises described in section 1166 of this title;

(I)for improvements to passenger verification systems;

(J)for improvements to employee and contractor verification systems, including identity verification technology; or

(K)for improvements to the security of Amtrak computer systems, including cybersecurity assessments and programs.

(b)Conditions

The Secretary shall award grants to Amtrak under this section for projects contained in a systemwide security plan approved by the Secretary developed pursuant to section 1162 of this title. Not later than 5 business days after awarding a grant to Amtrak under this section, the Secretary shall transfer the grant funds to the Secretary of Transportation to be disbursed to Amtrak.

(c)Equitable geographic allocation

The Secretary shall ensure that, subject to meeting the highest security needs on Amtrak’s entire system and consistent with the risk assessment required under section 1161 of this title and Amtrak’s vulnerability assessment and security plan developed under section 1162 of this title, stations and facilities located outside of the Northeast Corridor receive an equitable share of the security funds authorized by this section.

(d)Availability of funds

(1)In general

Out of funds appropriated pursuant to section 114(w) of title 49, there shall be made available to the Secretary and the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration to carry out this section— (A)

(B)$150,000,000 for fiscal year 2009;

(C)$175,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; and

(D)$175,000,000 for fiscal year 2011.

(2)Availability of appropriated funds

Amounts appropriated pursuant to paragraph (1) shall remain available until expended.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

References in Text

section 114(w) of title 49, referred to in subsec. (d)(1), was redesignated section 114(v) of title 49 by Pub. L. 115–254, div. K, § 1904(b)(1)(I), Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3545.

Amendments

2018—Subsec. (a)(3)(D). Pub. L. 115–254, § 1973(b)(1), inserted “, or to connect to the National Terrorism Screening Center watchlist” after “Secretary”. Subsec. (a)(3)(I) to (K). Pub. L. 115–254, § 1973(b)(2)–(4), added subpars. (I) to (K).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Passenger Rail Vetting Pub. L. 115–254, div. K, title I, § 1974, Oct. 5, 2018, 132 Stat. 3615, provided that: “(a) In General.—Not later than 180 days after the date on which the Amtrak Board of Directors submits a request to the Administrator [of the Transportation Security Administration], the Administrator shall issue a decision on the use by Amtrak of the Transportation Security Administration’s Secure Flight Program or a similar passenger vetting system to enhance passenger rail security. “(b) Considerations.—In making a decision under subsection (a), the Administrator shall—“(1) consider the technological, privacy, operational, and security impacts of such a decision; and “(2) describe such impacts in any strategic plan developed under subsection (c). “(c) Strategic Plan.—If the Administrator decides to grant the request by Amtrak under subsection (a), the decision shall include a strategic plan for working with rail stakeholders to enhance passenger rail security by—“(1) vetting passengers using terrorist watch lists maintained by the Federal Government or a similar passenger vetting system maintained by the Transportation Security Administration; and “(2) where applicable and in consultation with the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, assessing whether the vetting process should be integrated into preclearance operations established under section 813 of the Trade Facilitation and Trade

Enforcement

Act of 2015 (19 U.S.C. 4432). “(d) Notices.—The Administrator shall notify the appropriate committees of Congress [Committees on Commerce, Science and Transportation and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate and Committee on Homeland Security of the House of Representatives] of any decision made under subsection (a) and the details of the strategic plan under subsection (c). “(e) Rule of

Construction

.—Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit the Administrator’s authority to set the access to, or terms and conditions of using, the Secure Flight Program or a similar passenger vetting system.”

§1164 Systemwide Amtrak Security Upgrades