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H.R. 4896: Protecting Railroad Operators, Travelers, Employees, and Communities with Transportation Security Act of 2004

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H.R. 4896: Protecting Railroad Operators, Travelers, Employees, and Communities with Transportation Security Act of 2004

108th Congress · introduced 2004-07-22 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2004-07-22 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Protecting Railroad Operators, Travelers, Employees, and Communities with Transportation Security Act of 2004

Plain summary

Protecting Railroad Operators, Travelers, Employees, and Communities with Transportation Security Act of 2004 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation to complete a vulnerability assessment of railroad transportation that includes identification of vulnerabilities specific to the transportation of hazardous materials by railroads and of security weaknesses in passenger and cargo security. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop prioritized recommendations for improving rail security. Directs the Comptroller General to study and report to specified congressional committees on the rail passenger transportation security programs carried out for rail transportation systems in Japan, member nations of the European Union, and other foreign countries. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to railroad carriers, nonprofit employee organizations that represent railroad workers or emergency responders, hazardous materials shippers, owners of rail cars used in the transportation of hazardous materials, universities, colleges, and research centers, and State and local governments for reimbursement of costs incurred to prevent or respond to acts of terrorism, sabotage, or other railroad security threats. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation to make grants to Amtrak for: (1) fire and life-safety improvements to the tunnels on the Northeast Corridor in New York, New York, Baltimore, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.; and (2) certain systemwide Amtrak security upgrades. Establishes a research and development (R&D) program to improve railroad security. Directs the Secretary of Transportation to develop and issue detailed guidance for a rail worker security training program to prepare front-line workers for potential threat conditions. Sets forth certain railroad employee whistleblower protection requirements. Amends Federal transportation law to require the Secretary of Transportation to develop and update a curriculum necessary to train public sector emergency response and preparedness teams, including standards for the training of persons responsible for responding to emergency situations during the removal and transportation of hazardous materials and high hazard materials. Prohibits a rail tank car containing hazardous materials from being transported or stored on rail tracks unless information identifying the tank car, the hazardous materials within such tank car, and response guidance is immediately available through Operation Respond Institute's technology or similar technology to local first responders in each location where the tank car may be located.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protecting Railroad Operators, Travelers, Employees, and Communities with Transportation Security Act of 2004

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Oberstar, James L. [D-MN-8] · 31 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Rick Larsen (D-WA), Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), James P. McGovern (D-MA), Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Betty McCollum (D-MN)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong108-hr4896 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong108 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong108