House Readies to Pass Bill to Require CBP Report on Rail Crossings Risks
The House moved to pass legislation on Sept. 28 to require CBP to report on the number of high-risk rail shipments that annually enter the U.S., as well as the status of radiation detection at rail crossings. The legislation, HR-2786 (here), will be considered under suspended rules, said the office of House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., in a Sept. 25 memo. That legislative tactic indicates the bill's passage is nearly guaranteed. The bill, introduced by Reps. Candice Miller, R-Mich., and Filemon Vela, D-Texas, requires CBP to submit the report to Congress on the following:
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- The number of shipments entering the U.S. by rail annually that are determined to be high-risk by the Commissioner
- Specific details on the status of radiation detection units, by type, at each rail crossing on the northern and southern land borders as of such date of enactment
- An assessment of whether additional radiation detection equipment is necessary to ensure that all such high-risk cross-border rail shipments are examined with appropriate equipment.
- A plan for ensuring that all relevant CBP personnel receive adequate training and guidance on the proper use of CBP’s Automated Targeting System for such high-risk cross-border rail shipments, the use of appropriate radiation detection equipment for examination of such high-risk cross-border rail shipments, and requirements for recording examination results.
Should the legislation pass the House and Senate and garner President Barack Obama’s signature, CBP will have to submit the report within 180 days of enactment. The legislation also authorized the U.S. Comptroller General to audit CBP operations at rail crossings. Miller and Filemon introduced the bill in mid-June (see 1506150074).