To direct the Secretary of Homeland Security to carry out a pilot program for the prevention and mitigation of acts of terrorism using motor vehicles, and for other purposes.

H.R. 1831 would authorize a DHS-led pilot program, lasting up to one year, to prevent and mitigate acts of terrorism involving motor vehicles. The program would partner with the automotive sales and rental industries to standardize what information rental dealers collect and how they report suspicious activity, provide operators with a DHS threat assessment on large vehicles, and offer guidance, training, and technical assistance to improve suspicious activity reporting. It also contemplates a possible non-classified watch-list check and requiring dealers/rental companies to notify the FBI of relevant sales or rentals. The bill requires periodic Congressional reporting on privacy/civil liberties impacts and the program’s potential effects if permanently implemented, and it directs a DHS study on collaborating with rental and ride-sharing platforms to identify terrorism risks. Dealers and rental companies would have liability protection for actions taken under the pilot. A “covered rental vehicle” is defined as certain large vehicles (truck, tractor, trailer, bus, semi-trailer, or van capable of transporting more than 15 passengers).