Contact:  Steve Hansen (Director of Communications)  (202) 225-7749
 Email: Steve.Hansen@mail.house.gov
     Justin Harclerode (Deputy Director of Communications)  (202) 226-8767
  Email: Justin.Harclerod@mail.house.gov

To:  National Desk/Transportation Reporter
October 22, 2002

        Washington, D.C. - U.S. Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska) today highlighted the numerous accomplishments of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee - legislation ranging from improving aviation and maritime security to increasing highway funding for all 50 states.

        “The 107th Congress will be remembered as one of the most extraordinary times in the history of our nation and the Congress,” Young said.  “As the new Congress began in January 2001, the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure was poised to solve the problems facing the country’s vast transportation infrastructure.  The problems which we faced were congestion on our roads, in the air, and on our waterways.  During the early months of the Congress, we focused on the need for capital investment in new and improved infrastructure.  We felt secure and strong.

        “That sense of security changed one tragic day in September, 2001.   The Committee had to focus on protecting our transportation systems and the infrastructure that supports that system from the threat of terrorism.   The Committee rose to the challenge and in record time produced legislation to keep our aviation transportation system operating and to make it truly secure.  The Committee made a significant contribution to legislation to create a new Department of Homeland Security and proposed legislation relative to security of our water infrastructure, our bus systems, and our ports.

        “In the midst of dealing with the urgency of the terrorist threat, the Committee was also able to continue its work on the more routine but important legislation that falls within it’s jurisdiction including a new vision for passenger rail, the protection of our water, the management of our public buildings, encouraging economic development, and laying the foundation for reauthorization of highway and aviation programs.

        “I’m extremely proud of the numerous bipartisan accomplishments of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure - accomplishments that will build a safer, more efficient, and more economically strong America for the 21st Century.”

        The bill also establishes a requirement for the Coast Guard to assess the effectiveness of security systems in certain foreign ports, and to deny entry to vessels from ports that do not maintain effective security.  The bill also enhances antiterrorism security by requiring individuals who enter secure areas on vessels or facilities to have transportation security cards issued by the Secretary of Transportation.  H.R. 3983 also authorizes $75 million annually in grants for enhanced facility security at U.S. ports for fiscal years 2003, 2004, and 2005.

        The bill contains other important security enhancements concerning crew and passenger manifests, Coast Guard sea marshals, and vessel transponders.  Finally, H.R. 3983 contains most of the provisions in House passed H.R. 3507.

        The legislation reauthorizes the program for an additional four years, authorizes additional funding for the continuation of existing programs as well as funding for new and expanded programs, clarifies the makeup of the Interagency Board, authorizes additional research, and authorizes the provision of funding and training to state and local officials.

        H.R. 5169 authorizes $200 million for wastewater utilities to conduct vulnerability assessments and implement security enhancements at publicly owned treatment works, $15 million for technical assistance on security measures for small wastewater utilities, and $5 million for the further development and refinement of vulnerability self-assessment methodologies and tools for wastewater utilities.  H.R. 5169 is strongly supported by representatives of rural, as well as urban, wastewater utilities.

        The 2000 Census made significant changes in urbanized area designations. These designations drive transit formula apportionments for communities of 50,000 and more in population. Under Federal transit law, areas of more than 200,000 cannot use federal formula grant funds to pay for transit operating expenses. This legislation allows the 52 communities that “crossed 200,000” in population according to the new Census data to retain the flexibility to use funds for operating expenses to the extent that they used these funds for operations in fiscal year 2002. The law does not change the amount of transit formula funding that these communities, or any other community, will receive under TEA 21 in fiscal year 2003.

        This legislation also includes most of the provisions in House bills H.R. 1098, H.R. 1099, H.R. 1699, and H.R. 2481.

        The Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, unemployment assistance is provided to persons who become unemployed as a direct result of major disasters.

        In New York City, the September 11th attacks damaged or destroyed nearly 25 million square feet of office space, which makes up approximately 20 percent of all the office space in downtown New York.  The destruction has caused the direct loss of 110,000 jobs and further put at risk 270,000 jobs in the New York City area.  In Northern Virginia, according to published media reports, the attack has caused the loss of 18,700 jobs.

        Disaster unemployment assistance is provided to individuals not eligible for unemployment assistance provided by the State in which they reside.  The extension provided under this Act would extend the period of eligibility from 26 to 39 weeks.

        The bill enhances the authority and responsibility of Federal Protective Service officers by granting them Law Enforcement Officer status.  It also creates a system of pay and retirement benefits in parity with other similar protective agencies, clarifies the line authority of the Commissioner of the Federal Protective Service, establishes a minimum set of qualifications for the Commissioner, requires the establishment of minimum standards for contract security personnel, clarifies areas of jurisdiction around federal buildings, gives the Administrator of the General Services Administration special pay authority to recruit and retain qualified officers, and acknowledges the need to maintain not fewer than 750 full time officers.  Sections of this legislation are included the House passed homeland security bill.

        This authorization will improve the pedestrian, vehicular, and bicycle access to the Kennedy Center and better link the Kennedy Center to the National Mall and other historical points in Washington, DC.

        The new law serves to modernize the financing of the railroad retirement system, provide payroll tax relief, and provide enhanced benefits to employees and beneficiaries.  The enhanced benefits include restoration of an age 62-retirement option with 30 years of service, full succession by surviving spouses to Tier II pension benefits of retirees, and reduction of minimum vesting period from 10 years to 5.

        The provisions of the legislation would make it the responsibility of the director of family support services to request from the rail passenger carrier involved in an accident a list of the names of the passengers on board the train.  It also directs each rail passenger carrier to submit to the Secretary of Transportation and the chairman of the Board, a plan for addressing the needs of the families of passengers involved in a rail passenger accident resulting in a major loss of life, as well as shielding a rail passenger carrier from liability for damages except in the case of gross negligence or intentional misconduct on the part of the rail employee. This legislation is modeled on the previously enacted successful family assistance legislation for aviation passenger accidents.

        The legislation also includes the Railroad Family Assistance legislation, H.R. 554, which had already been approved by the House earlier in the 107th Congress.  This provision directs the NTSB to create a program, which assists the families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents.

        Many small businesses and the jobs they provide were threatened with destruction by Superfund’s joint and several liability schemes.  Most small businesses are now protected from Superfund liability under this law.  Many communities also could not redevelop abandoned property because of fear of Superfund liability.  Communities can now revitalize neighborhoods and create new jobs because developers of Brownfield property are now exempt from Superfund liability.

        Although safe for drinking and swimming, in many places fish caught from the Great Lakes are not safe to eat.  Lake sediments, contaminated from the history of industrialization and development in the Great Lakes region, are one of the primary causes of this problem.

        H.R. 1070 authorizes $250 million for the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out qualified sediment remediation projects and $10 million to conduct research and development of innovative approaches, technologies, and techniques for the remediation of contaminated sediment in the Great Lakes.

        The Corps of Engineers’ civil works program is the Nation’s largest water resources program.  The Corps’ responsibilities include navigation, flood control, shoreline protection, hydropower, dam safety, water supply, recreation, environmental restoration and protection, and disaster response and recovery.  To meet the Nation’s water resources needs, enactment of a Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) every two years is a high priority.  The last WRDA was enacted as P.L. 106-541 in 2000.  The projects in this bill were requested by local communities across the U.S.

        We need to invest nearly $500 billion in our wastewater infrastructure over the next 20 years just to keep pace with municipal wastewater treatment.  H.R. 3930 helps meet this need by authorizing $20 billion over five years to increase assistance and subsidies to local communities through the State Revolving Loan Funds.  H.R. 3930 also encourages research, innovative approaches and technologies, and asset management to help reduce infrastructure costs.