Bill > S3376

This bill, titled the "Cargo Security Innovation Act," directs the Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to establish a pilot project to test new technologies aimed at preventing cargo theft. The project will involve designating up to six intermodal transportation hubs or rail yards, which are locations where goods are transferred between different modes of transport like ships, trains, and trucks, as "pilot sites." These sites will be chosen based on having high rates of cargo theft and will be diverse geographically and operationally, with no more than one site per state. The TSA Administrator will award grants to "eligible consortia" – groups made up of transportation companies, rail police if applicable, and at least one state or local law enforcement agency – that have the necessary resources and expertise to deploy and evaluate these advanced security technologies. Importantly, the bill prohibits the use of technology from "foreign entities of concern," which are companies identified as posing a risk to national security or public safety. The pilot project will run for three years at each site, and the TSA Administrator will report to Congress on the effectiveness, costs, and lessons learned from the deployed technologies, with the Government Accountability Office (GAO) also conducting an independent evaluation after the project concludes.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/3376/all-info