LOCOMOTIVES Act

This bill would change the Clean Air Act so that states cannot set their own emissions rules for existing locomotives or their engines. Instead, there would be one national standard. It adds locomotives engaged in commerce (like common carrier railroads) to the list of engines where state rules are preempted by federal law.

In plain terms, rail companies would follow the same federal emissions rules across all states. States and local air agencies would no longer be able to require stricter standards for currently operating locomotives or their engines.

Key points

• Who is affected: Railroads, rail yards, state and local air regulators, and communities near rail lines.
• What changes: States would be blocked from setting emissions standards for existing locomotives and the engines used in them; federal rules would control instead.
• When: The change would take effect upon enactment, as no separate effective date is provided in the text.