Sponsors
The bill lets States impose time limits on how long trains can block public grade crossings to cut local delays and speed emergency response, but it risks raising carrier costs, creating operational complexity for interstate rail traffic, and prompting legal conflicts between State and national rail rules.
Drivers, commuters, local businesses, homeowners, and local governments will experience fewer and shorter blockages at public grade crossings because States can enforce limits on how long trains block crossings, reducing travel delays and improving local traffic flow.
Commuters and local businesses will see improved reliability and potentially lower time lost to traffic, because crossings cleared sooner reduce unpredictable delays that disrupt schedules and commerce.
First responders and local emergency services will have faster, more reliable access through grade crossings when trains are limited in how long they can block crossings, which can improve emergency response times.
Interstate rail carriers and their operations will face increased operational complexity because a patchwork of different State time-limit rules can complicate scheduling and cross-border train movements.
Rail carriers may incur higher compliance costs and fines from multiple State rules, which could increase freight shipping costs and ultimately be passed on to shippers and taxpayers.
State-level time-limit rules may conflict with national rail traffic management policies, creating legal disputes and inconsistent enforcement that complicate governance of rail operations.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Clarifies that federal law does not preempt State or DC laws limiting how long a railroad may block a public grade crossing.
Introduced January 13, 2025 by Warren Davidson · Last progress January 13, 2025
Adds a carve-out to existing federal railroad preemption rules so that federal law does not block States and the District of Columbia from adopting or enforcing limits on how long a railroad may block a grade (at‑grade) rail crossing. It also explicitly defines “State” to include the District of Columbia. The change preserves State and local authority to set and enforce time limits on blocked crossings, which can affect local traffic, emergency response, and railroad operations but does not create federal funding or direct federal mandates.