Official Summaries

This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to establish a pilot program for the prevention and mitigation of acts of terrorism using motor vehicles.

Among other things, the pilot program must 

• develop a uniform standard for the type of information collected by rental agencies;
• distribute guidance for improving the suspicious activity reporting process; and
• establish a procedure for dealers and rental companies to check information against a designated watch list to provide notice of a sale or rental to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, if DHS determines that this is necessary.

Under the bill, a dealer or rental company is not liable for any action taken in accordance with the pilot program.

DHS and the Transportation Security Administration must jointly submit regular reports to Congress on the pilot program. 

In addition, DHS must submit a study to Congress that examines how to work with rental car and ride sharing companies on how to identify risks and threats of terrorist attacks.

Current Full Text

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1831 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1831

   To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out a pilot 
 program for the prevention and mitigation of acts of terrorism using 
                motor vehicles, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             March 4, 2025

Mr. Gottheimer introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Homeland Security

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out a pilot 
 program for the prevention and mitigation of acts of terrorism using 
                motor vehicles, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. PILOT PROGRAM.

    (a) Establishment.--Not later than one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
establish a pilot program, for a period not to exceed one year, to--
            (1) in consultation with representatives of the automotive 
        sale and rental industry, develop a uniform standard for the 
        type of information collected by rental agencies and the type 
        of information used in submitting suspicious activity reports;
            (2) provide operators with a threat assessment prepared by 
        the Undersecretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and 
        Analysis regarding the terrorism threat of large vehicles;
            (3) distribute guidance for improving the suspicious 
        activity reporting process, including training for designated 
        employees to better identify suspicious activity;
            (4) provide technical assistance to operators to better 
        access suspicious activity reports; and
            (5) if determined necessary by the Secretary, establish a 
        procedure for checking information against a designated watch 
        list that does not contain any classified information, and for 
        dealers and rental companies to provide notice of a sale or 
        rental to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
    (b) Reports to Congress.--
            (1) Pilot program.--Not later than 120 days after the date 
        of establishment of the pilot program under subsection (a) and 
        every 120 days thereafter until the conclusion of the pilot 
        program, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the 
        Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration 
        shall jointly submit to Congress a report on the pilot program, 
        including the following:
                    (A) An assessment of the impact of the pilot 
                program on privacy and civil liberties.
                    (B) A description of the effect that permanent 
                implementation of the pilot program would have on 
                efforts to protect the United States against terrorist 
                attacks.
            (2) Study.--Not later than 18 months after the date of the 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Homeland Security shall 
        submit to Congress a study examining how to work with rental 
        car and ride sharing companies (such as through peer to peer 
        apps) to identify risks and threats of terrorist attacks.
    (c) Exemption From Liability.--A dealer or rental company shall not 
be liable for any action taken in accordance with this pilot program 
under this section.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Covered rental vehicle.--The term ``covered rental 
        vehicle'' means a truck, tractor, trailer, bus, semitrailer, or 
        van capable of transporting more than 15 passengers.
            (2) Dealer; rental company.--The terms ``dealer'' and 
        ``rental company'' have the meanings given such terms in 
        section 30102 of title 49, United States Code.
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