To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for the installation of chemical and biological detection devices in the enclosed passenger boarding stations of each heavy rail transit system in the United States.

June 3, 2003

Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to provide for the installation of chemical and biological detection devices in the enclosed passenger boarding stations of each heavy rail transit system in the United States.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Commuter Safety Act of 2003'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Subway systems in the United States are not adequately protected from the possibility of chemical or biological attacks.

(2) Millions of United States citizens use these subway systems every day to commute to work or otherwise navigate throughout the Nation's cities.

(3) The United States Government is responsible for ensuring that its citizens are protected from the threat of terrorism.

SEC. 3. INSTALLATION OF CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DETECTION DEVICES IN SUBWAY STATIONS.

(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF PROGRAM- The Secretary of Homeland Security shall establish a program to provide for the installation of chemical and biological detection devices in the enclosed passenger boarding stations of each heavy rail transit system in the United States, including each station constructed after the date of enactment of this Act.

(b) GRANTS- In carrying out the program, the Secretary may make grants to owners and operators of heavy rail transit systems for the installation of chemical and biological detection devices under the program.

(c) FEDERAL SHARE- The Federal share of the cost of activities carried out under the program shall be 70 percent.

(d) DEFINITIONS- In this section, the following definitions apply:

(1) ENCLOSED PASSENGER BOARDING STATION- The term `enclosed passenger boarding station' means any passenger boarding station that is located underground or above ground in an enclosed facility.

(2) HEAVY RAIL TRANSIT SYSTEM- The term `heavy rail transit system' means a transit system that operates high-speed, passenger rail cars singly or in trains of 2 or more cars on fixed rails in separate rights-of-way from which all other vehicular and foot traffic are excluded.

(e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS- There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this section.

END