Latta introduces vehicular terrorism bill

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WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Representative Bob Latta (R-Bowling Green) has introduced legislation to combat vehicular terrorism and direct the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide feedback to Congress on the issue.

The Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act, which follows up on previous efforts by Latta to protect Americans against vehicular terrorism, directs the DHS to report to Congress on its efforts to assess and prevent terrorist acts involving vehicles. Specifically, the report would include the current threat level for vehicular attacks, what the department is currently doing to prevent vehicular terrorism, how the threat can be mitigated, and a clarification on the extent to which DHS is doing outreach to private sector partners. It would also include any recommendations on what Congress can do to aid DHS efforts to prevent vehicular terrorism.

In response to these sorts of attacks in Europe, Latta introduced an amendment to the Making America Secure and Prosperous Appropriations Act in September that granted DHS more flexibility to address the threat of vehicular terrorism.

“Seeing the rise of this type of tactic in Europe gave me great concern that it was only a matter of time before terrorists would use similar means in the U.S. to kill and injure Americans,” said Latta. “This week’s tragic attack in New York City shows that this fear is well-founded, and DHS needs to take the appropriate actions to prevent these assaults on innocent lives.

“The bipartisan Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act will ensure that steps are taken — and the necessary tools are provided — to prevent these heinous attacks,” he added.