InsideGov
Congress · Laws

Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2018

Public Law 115-400 · H.R. 4227 · 115th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Dec 31, 2018 · Emergency Management

Sponsor: Rep. Robert Latta (R-OH-5)

Cosponsors (12): Rep. Kenny Marchant,

Passage votesYeaNay

  • HouseRecorded vote: 388 yea, 2 nay388–2
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

Report a correction

Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

(Sec. 2) This bill directs the Department of Homeland Security (DHS): (1) to assess the activities that DHS is undertaking to support emergency response providers and the private sector to prevent, mitigate, and respond to the threat of vehicular terrorism; and (2) based on such assessment, to develop and submit to the congressional homeland security committees a strategy to improve its efforts to support such providers and the private sector in that regard.

The strategy shall include:

• an examination of the current threat of vehicular terrorism;

• methods to improve DHS information sharing activities with such providers and the private sector regarding best practices to prevent, mitigate, and respond to the increasing threat of vehicular terrorism; and

• training activities that DHS can provide for such providers to prevent and respond to such threat.

Who voted for it

Every House member of the 115th Congress on the ideology compass. Highlighted: the 388 who voted yea on final passage. Faded: everyone else, including those who voted nay, did not vote, or had not yet taken office.

388 yea2 nay42 present or did not vote

ProEstablishmentAnti
Economic left–right
More liberalMore conservative

Democrats who voted yea(177)

Republicans who voted yea(211)

Data notes

The House’s recorded vote on the final version of the law (roll call 1163 in Voteview), matched to the vote the record cites and checked against its totals. Positions are each member’s DW-NOMINATE score for that Congress, as on the Ideology page; left to right is more liberal to more conservative. Paired and announced yea votes count as yea. Lists follow the compass, most liberal first. A name links to a profile only for members of the current Congress. A law passed by voice vote or unanimous consent has no member list, and neither does a vote Voteview has not yet recorded.

Report a correction

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

Report a correction

Related bills

1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.

  • S. 2077Related bill

    Vehicular Terrorism Prevention Act of 2017

Data notes

Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.

Report a correction

Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 28 actions.

  1. Dec 31, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-400.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Dec 21, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
  4. Dec 20, 2018Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays (2/3 required): 388 - 2 (Roll No. 456).House roll call 456
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  7. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Estes (KS) moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
  8. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on the motion to suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments to H.R. 4227.
  9. OtherOther · Resolving differences -- House actions: On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays (2/3 required): 388 - 2 (Roll No. 456).House roll call 456
  10. Dec 19, 2018FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
  11. Dec 18, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with amendments by Unanimous Consent.
  12. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  13. CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs discharged by Unanimous Consent.
  14. Mar 22, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  15. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 417 - 2 (Roll no. 125).House roll call 125
  16. FloorFloor · Considered as unfinished business.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  18. Mar 19, 2018FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the Yeas and Nays were demanded and ordered. Pursuant to the provisions of clause 8, rule XX, the Chair announced that further proceedings on the motion would be postponed.
  19. FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 4227.
  20. FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
  21. FloorFloor · Mr. Estes (KS) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  22. CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 465.
  23. CommitteeCommittee · Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Homeland Security. H. Rept. 115-609.
  24. Mar 7, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
  25. CommitteeCommittee · Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence Discharged.
  26. Nov 28, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence.
  27. Nov 2, 2017CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Homeland Security.
  28. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in House
Data notes

Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.

Report a correction

Amendments

1 amendment offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.

  • S.Amdt. 4162SenateSen. Bill CassidyR-LA· offered Dec 18, 2018Agreed to

    To modify the bill.

    Dec 18, 2018: Amendment SA 4162 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.

    Agreed to
Data notes

Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.

Report a correction

Official record

The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.