With Congress taking up several measures to enhance the nation's security and thwart terrorism, shippers should brace themselves for a wave of laws that could impose new requirements on shipping. As Logistics Management & Distribution Report went to press, both the U.S. House and Senate were taking up several different bills covering airports, seaports, and motor carriage.

Some of the key measures under legislative consideration are:

• The Port and Maritime Security Act (S. 1214). Sponsored by Sen. Fritz Hollings (D-S.C.), this bill was in the works before the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11th. It was originally aimed at tightening security at seaports to counter drug trafficking, cargo theft, and smuggling. The legislation has taken on a new life in the wake of the war on terrorism. Among other things, the bill would create a task force of members from the Coast Guard, Maritime Administration, and private sector to review port security. It would require background checks on port workers and offer financial incentives for the states and the private sector to increase security at ocean gateways. Rep. Corrine Brown (D-Fla.) has filed a companion bill (H.R. 3013) in the House of Representatives.
• H.R. 2960. This bill would require mandatory inspection of all freight entering the United States via truck or steamship. Filed by Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), it calls for customs to inspect any steamship vessel before it unloads its cargo and any truck before it crosses the border.
• Legislation submitted by DOT Secretary Norman Y. Mineta to tighten the security of hazardous materials transportation. Among other things, this bill would increase fines for hazmat regulatory violations to $100,000 from $27,500. It would also give DOT inspectors more authority to check shipments and allow participation by states in a coordinated program of hazmat carrier registrations and permits.
• The Aviation Security Act (S.1447). This measure focuses primarily on methods of improving passenger airline security—calling for the deployment of additional federal sky marshals, for instance—but it would also impose tough new rules to control airport access.
• A comprehensive aviation security bill addressing all modes of transportation. Filed by Rep. Don Young (R-Alaska), the bill would reportedly create a new undersecretary of aviation security in the Department of Transportation, who would oversee all airport and airline security programs. The major difference between Young's bill and the one in the Senate lies with its approach to passenger (not cargo) security; Young's bill would allow the president to make the final calls as to whether airport security should be provided by private contractors under federal direction.

Although Congress seems predisposed to adopt new legislation to enhance transport security, differences of opinion over the federal government's role in handling airport security had slowed down passage at press time. Indeed, even veteran observers were hesitant to guess at the outcome. "There are so many different pieces of legislation as a result of the events of Sept. 11, it's hard to predict which pieces of legislation will be enacted into law," says Patrick O'Connor of the lobbying firm Kent & O'Connor.

With the legislation in a state of flux, shipper organizations in Washington, D.C., were trying to get a handle on the impact of proposed changes in federal law. "Some of the things that are being proposed mean more paperwork and delays in shipments," notes Kathy Luhn, vice president of public affairs at the National Industrial Transportation League, the nation's largest shipper organization. "Once the rules are in place, shippers will work that additional time into their supply chains. The real problem is not knowing what the rules will be."