H.R. 6140 — what changed

In general— Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary of Transportation shall initiate a study to examine—

efforts to expedite the movement of critical cargo through ports and marine terminals; and

methodologies, practices, and processes for moving such cargo during an event for which an emergency is declared by the President or a Federal agency.

Contents— In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall examine methodologies, practices, and processes for—

identifying critical cargo and expediting the movement of such cargo through the marine terminals and ports;

expediting the movement of critical cargo across all modes of transportation after leaving marine terminals and ports; and

mitigating the impact on the movement of other cargo that is not critical.

Consultation— In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall consult with—

the Secretary of Health and Human Services; and

other relevant Federal agencies.

Request for information— The Secretary shall issue a request for information in the Federal Register seeking public comment on the matters to be considered in the study required under subsection (a).

Report— Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate a report containing—

the findings of the study conducted under subsection (a); and

recommendations for methodologies, practices, and processes described in such subsection, including recommendations for using data from commercial and government data tracking initiatives to—

determine when cargo is critical and needs to be expedited;

identify such critical cargo at port and marine terminals; and

expedite the movement and distribution of such cargo to end users.