§ 1992. Terrorist attacks and other violence against railroad carriers and against mass transportation systems on land, on water, or through the air

(a)General Prohibitions.— Whoever, in a circumstance described in subsection (c), knowingly and without lawful authority or permission—

(1) wrecks, derails, sets fire to, or disables railroad on-track equipment or a mass transportation vehicle;

(2) places any biological agent or toxin, destructive substance, or destructive device in, upon, or near railroad on-track equipment or a mass transportation vehicle with intent to endanger the safety of any person, or with a reckless disregard for the safety of human life;

(3) places or releases a hazardous material or a biological agent or toxin on or near any property described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (4), with intent to endanger the safety of any person, or with reckless disregard for the safety of human life;

(4) sets fire to, undermines, makes unworkable, unusable, or hazardous to work on or use, or places any biological agent or toxin, destructive substance, or destructive device in, upon, or near any—

(A) tunnel, bridge, viaduct, trestle, track, electromagnetic guideway, signal, station, depot, warehouse, terminal, or any other way, structure, property, or appurtenance used in the operation of, or in support of the operation of, a railroad carrier, and with intent to, or knowing or having reason to know, school bus, charter, and sightseeing transportation and passenger vessel as that term is defined in section 2101(22) of title 46, United States Code;

(8) the term “on-track equipment” means a carriage or other contrivance that runs on rails or electromagnetic guideways;

(9) the term “railroad on-track equipment” means a train, locomotive, tender, motor unit, freight or passenger car, or other on-track equipment used, operated, or employed by a railroad carrier;

(10) the term “railroad” has the meaning given to that term in chapter 201 of title 49;

(11) the term “railroad carrier” has the meaning given to that term in chapter 201 of title 49;

(12) the term “serious bodily injury” has the meaning given to that term in section 1365;

(13) the term “spent nuclear fuel” has the meaning given to that term in section 2(23) of the Nuclear Waste Policy Act of 1982 (42 U.S.C. 10101(23));

(14) the term “State” has the meaning given to that term in section 2266;

(15) the term “toxin” has the meaning given to that term in section 178(2); and

(16) the term “vehicle” means any carriage or other contrivance used, or capable of being used, as a means of transportation on land, on water, or through the air.

(Added Pub. L. 109–177, title I, § 110(a), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 205; amended Pub. L. 110–53, title XV, § 1539, Aug. 3, 2007, 121 Stat. 468.)

References In Text

References in Text

Section 5302 of title 49, referred to in subsec. (d)(7), was amended generally by Pub. L. 112–141, div. B, § 20004, July 6, 2012, 126 Stat. 623, and, as so amended, no longer defines the term “mass transportation”.

Prior Provisions

Prior Provisions

A prior section 1992, acts June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 794; Pub. L. 103–322, title VI, § 60003(a)(8), title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(L), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 1969, 2147; Pub. L. 104–88, title IV, § 402(b), Dec. 29, 1995, 109 Stat. 955; Pub. L. 107–56, title VIII, § 811(e), Oct. 26, 2001, 115 Stat. 381; Pub. L. 107–273, div. B, title IV, § 4002(a)(6), Nov. 2, 2002, 116 Stat. 1807, related to penalties for wrecking a train used by a railroad in interstate or foreign commerce, prior to repeal by Pub. L. 109–177, title I, § 110(a), Mar. 9, 2006, 120 Stat. 205.

Amendments

Amendments

2007—Subsec. (d)(7). Pub. L. 110–53 inserted “intercity bus transportation” after “includes”.