PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Sep 21, 2016
Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Act
This bill requires the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to assess, and implement a risk-based strategy to address, threats posed to surface transportation and maritime systems. The TSA shall establish the Surface Transportation and Maritime Security Advisory Committee to develop recommendations for improvements to surface transportation and maritime security.
In addition, the bill:
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
allows the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to expand the TSA's explosives-detection canine-team program;
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 processes to improve background checks and terrorism vetting;
requires DHS to commission an assessment of its transportation security card program and, if applicable, develop a corrective action plan;
with respect to transportation security card applications, establishes priority for members of the Armed Forces;
requires DHS to evaluate cargo-container scanning technologies; and
revises other provisions related to transportation security.
People & committees
Sen. Thune, John [R-SD] · R–SD
Legislative record
A procedural vote is different from passage. Passage in one chamber does not establish enactment. Explore the glossary.
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
AI Conversation Starters
Choose a perspective, copy a prompt, and paste it into your preferred AI. Each prompt includes the bill version and available official source links, and asks for counterarguments as well as supporting evidence.
Analyze S.3379 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
Examine S.3379 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.
Examine S.3379 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.
Examine S.3379 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.