---
kind: "section"
citation: "6 U.S.C. § 1136"
title: "6"
title_heading: "Domestic Security"
number: "1136"
heading: "Security exercises"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/6/1136"
units:
  - "Chapter 4 — Transportation Security"
  - "Subchapter III — Public Transportation Security"
---

# §1136. Security exercises

- (a) **In general—** The [Secretary](/usc/6/1101.md?p=2) shall establish a program for conducting security exercises for [public transportation agencies](/usc/6/1131.md?p=5) for the purpose of assessing and improving the capabilities of [entities](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) described in [subsection (b)](#b) to prevent, prepare for, mitigate against, respond to, and recover from acts of [terrorism](/usc/6/1111.md?p=5).
- (b) **Covered entities—** [Entities](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) to be assessed under the program shall include—
  - (1) Federal, [State](/usc/6/1111.md?p=4), and local [agencies](/usc/6/671.md?p=1) and [tribal governments](/usc/6/701.md?p=16);
  - (2) [public transportation agencies](/usc/6/1131.md?p=5);
  - (3) governmental and nongovernmental [emergency response providers](/usc/6/101.md?p=6) and law enforcement [personnel](/usc/6/101.md?p=15), including transit police; and
  - (4) any other organization or [entity](/usc/6/301c.md?p=2) that the [Secretary](/usc/6/1101.md?p=2) determines appropriate.
- (c) **Requirements—** The [Secretary](/usc/6/1101.md?p=2) shall ensure that the program—
  - (1) requires, for [public transportation agencies](/usc/6/1131.md?p=5) which the [Secretary](/usc/6/1101.md?p=2) deems appropriate, exercises to be conducted that are—
    - (A) scaled and tailored to the needs of specific public transportation systems, and include taking into account the needs of the elderly and individuals with disabilities;
    - (B) live;
    - (C) coordinated with appropriate officials;
    - (D) as realistic as practicable and based on current risk assessments, including credible threats, vulnerabilities, and consequences;
    - (E) inclusive, as appropriate, of [frontline employees](/usc/6/1131.md?p=4) and managers; and
    - (F) consistent with the [National Incident Management System](/usc/6/701.md?p=12), the [National Response Plan](/usc/6/701.md?p=13), the National Infrastructure Protection Plan, the National Preparedness Guidance, the National Preparedness Goal, and other such national initiatives;
  - (2) provides that exercises described in [paragraph (1)](#c-1) will be—
    - (A) evaluated by the [Secretary](/usc/6/1101.md?p=2) against clear and consistent performance measures;
    - (B) assessed by the [Secretary](/usc/6/1101.md?p=2) to learn best practices, which shall be shared with appropriate Federal, [State](/usc/6/1111.md?p=4), local, and tribal officials, governmental and nongovernmental [emergency response providers](/usc/6/101.md?p=6), law enforcement [personnel](/usc/6/101.md?p=15), including railroad and transit police, and appropriate stakeholders; and
    - (C) followed by remedial action by [covered entities](/usc/6/681.md?p=4) in response to lessons learned;
  - (3) involves individuals in neighborhoods around the infrastructure of a public transportation system; and
  - (4) assists [State](/usc/6/1111.md?p=4), local, and [tribal governments](/usc/6/701.md?p=16) and [public transportation agencies](/usc/6/1131.md?p=5) in designing, implementing, and evaluating exercises that conform to the requirements of [paragraph (2)](#c-2).
- (d) **National Exercise Program—** The [Secretary](/usc/6/1101.md?p=2) shall ensure that the exercise program developed under [subsection (a)](#a) is a component of the National Exercise Program established under [section 748 of this title](/usc/6/748.md).
- (e) **Ferry system exemption—** This section does not apply to any ferry system for which drills are required to be conducted pursuant to [section 70103 of title 46](/usc/46/70103.md).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 110–53, title XIV, § 1407, Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 408.)