S. 763: Surface and Maritime Transportation Security Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-03-29 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 251.

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Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-03-29 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 251. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

Surface and Maritime Transportation Security Act

Plain summary

Surface and Maritime Transportation Security Act This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to: (1) assess, and implement a risk-based security strategy to address, the vulnerabilities of and risks to surface transportation and maritime transportation systems; (2) develop a management oversight strategy that identifies the parties responsible for implementing the security strategy; and (3) submit a report that describes a risk-based budget and resource allocation plan for surface transportation sectors that reflects the security strategy. The TSA shall establish the Surface Transportation Security Advisory Committee to make recommendations pertaining to surface transportation security. In addition, the bill: directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand the TSA's explosives detection canine team program and to deploy next generation technologies to detect nuclear material, requires the Government Accountability Office to study specified matters related to surface transportation, expands the permissible uses of railroad security improvement grants, requires the TSA to issue a decision on the use of a passenger vetting system by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak), requires the TSA to establish a program to promote surface transportation security through the training of surface transportation operators and frontline employees, expands the transportation security card program to allow individuals subject to credentialing or a background check to apply for a transportation security card, and requires DHS to evaluate cargo-container scanning technologies. The bill authorizes appropriations for FY2018-FY2021 for DHS to award surface transportation preparedness grants, subject to specified certification requirements.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

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A “Nay” vote

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What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Surface and Maritime Transportation Security Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · 7 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 763, Surface and Maritime Transportation Security Act (2017-05-17)

Cosponsors on this site

Deb Fischer (R-NE), Cory A. Booker (D-NJ), Roger F. Wicker (R-MS), Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] reported raising $4.7 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (3)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s763.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>

Record fed-us-cong115-s763 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115