(a) In general
Not later than 90 days after August 3, 2007, the Secretary shall develop and issue detailed interim final regulations, and not later than 1 year after August 3, 2007, the Secretary shall develop and issue detailed final regulations, for a public transportation security training program to prepare public transportation employees, including frontline employees, for potential security threats and conditions.
(b) Consultation
The Secretary shall develop the interim final and final regulations under subsection (a) in consultation with—
(1) appropriate law enforcement, fire service, security, and terrorism experts;
(2) representatives of public transportation agencies; and
(3) nonprofit employee labor organizations representing public transportation employees or emergency response personnel.
(c) Program elements
The interim final and final regulations developed under subsection (a) shall require security training programs to include, at a minimum, elements to address the following:
(1) Determination of the seriousness of any occurrence or threat.
(2) Crew and passenger communication and coordination.
(3) Appropriate responses to defend oneself, including using nonlethal defense devices.
(4) Use of personal protective devices and other protective equipment.
(5) Evacuation procedures for passengers and employees, including individuals with disabilities and the elderly.
(6) Training related to behavioral and psychological understanding of, and responses to, terrorist incidents, including the ability to cope with hijacker behavior, and passenger responses.
(7) Live situational training exercises regarding various threat conditions, including tunnel evacuation procedures.
(8) Recognition and reporting of dangerous substances and suspicious packages, persons, and situations.
(9) Understanding security incident procedures, including procedures for communicating with governmental and nongovernmental emergency response providers and for on scene interaction with such emergency response providers.
(10) Operation and maintenance of security equipment and systems.
(11) Other security training activities that the Secretary deems appropriate.
(d) Required programs
(1) Development and submission to Secretary
Not later than 90 days after a public transportation agency meets the requirements under subsection (e), each such public transportation agency shall develop a security training program in accordance with the regulations developed under subsection (a) and submit the program to the Secretary for approval.
(2) Approval
Not later than 60 days after receiving a security training program proposal under this subsection, the Secretary shall approve the program or require the public transportation agency that developed the program to make any revisions to the program that the Secretary determines necessary for the program to meet the requirements of the regulations. A public transportation agency shall respond to the Secretary's comments within 30 days after receiving them.
(3) Training
Not later than 1 year after the Secretary approves a security training program proposal in accordance with this subsection, the public transportation agency that developed the program shall complete the training of all employees covered under the program.
(4) Updates of regulations and program revisions
The Secretary shall periodically review and update, as appropriate, the training regulations issued under subsection (a) to reflect new or changing security threats. Each public transportation agency shall revise its training program accordingly and provide additional training as necessary to its workers within a reasonable time after the regulations are updated.
(e) Applicability
A public transportation agency that receives a grant award under this subchapter shall be required to develop and implement a security training program pursuant to this section.
(f) Long-term training requirement
Any public transportation agency required to develop a security training program pursuant to this section shall provide routine and ongoing training for employees covered under the program, regardless of whether the public transportation agency receives subsequent grant awards.
(g) National Training Program
The Secretary shall ensure that the training program developed under subsection (a) is a component of the National Training Program established under section
748 of this title.
(h) Ferry exemption
This section shall not apply to any ferry system for which training is required to be conducted pursuant to section
70103 of title 46.
(i) Report
Not later than 2 years after the date of issuance of the final regulation, the Comptroller General shall review implementation of the training program, including interviewing a representative sample of public transportation agencies and employees, and report to the appropriate congressional committees, on the number of reviews conducted and the results. The Comptroller General may submit the report in both classified and redacted formats as necessary.