The U.S. House of Representatives passed H.R.4089, the Darren Drake Act, legislation led by Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick and Josh Gottheimer to stop ISIS-inspired and lone-wolf terrorists from using trucks and other vehicles as weapons. The legislation is named in memory of New Milford, New Jersey resident Darren Drake, a victim of the October 2017 New York City West Side Highway terrorist truck attacks.
To help prevent terrorist truck attacks, the Darren Drake Act will require the Department of Homeland Security to develop and disseminate best practices for vehicle rental companies and dealers to report suspicious behavior to law enforcement, helping them stop potential threats in their paths. These best practices will be developed and updated in consultation with federal, state and local law enforcement as well as industry stakeholders.
The bill will also require the secretary of Homeland Security to report to Congress regarding the implementation of these best practices and other ways they are working to help improve coordination between the department and rental vehicle providers.
“I am proud to see the House passed our bipartisan Darren Drake Act,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’d like to thank my colleague, Congressman Gottheimer, for his leadership in pushing this legislation across the finish line, and I hope the Senate will act quickly to send this bill to the president’s desk so that we can avoid future senseless attacks.”
