Public transit

A bill (S. 2032) that would require the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to submit all public transit security assessments to the Homeland Security Department (DHS) has been approved by the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee. The Senate has agreed to consider the measure. Under the bill, DHS would review the assessments and use them as the basis for allocating funds for security assistance grants. After receiving the first assessments, DHS would be required to update them, conduct new ones for all public transportation agencies considered to be at greatest risk of a terrorist attack, and use them to develop public transportation security guidelines and design a security improvement strategy. Under the bill, each public transportation agency that receives a grant must identify a security improvements coordinator and develop a comprehensive plan for operating and maintaining the equipment purchased with grant money. S. 2032 would also establish grants for public or private entities to conduct research into technologies and methods to reduce and deter terrorist threats or mitigate damages resulting from terrorist attacks against public transit systems.