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Adds a new paragraph (4) to 49 U.S.C. 5108(g) requiring the Secretary to establish and annually impose and collect from each Class I rail carrier a fee of $1,000,000.
Amends subsection 5116(j): (1)(A) by replacing the word "liquids" with "materials"; and (3)(A) to authorize the Secretary, to carry out the grant program in paragraph (1), to expend during each fiscal year the amounts collected pursuant to section 5108(g)(4) and any amounts recovered during such fiscal year from grants awarded under this section during a prior fiscal year.
Amends 5128(b)(4) by striking ",000,000" and inserting "$4,000,000".
Amends 49 U.S.C. 5123(a) to replace the previous fixed dollar penalty amounts with provisions that specify penalties as the greater of a percentage of the person’s annual income or annual operating income or a stated dollar amount (text inserts 'the greater of 0.5 percent ... or $750,000' and 'the greater of 1 percent ... or $750,000').
Amends 49 U.S.C. 21301(a)(2) to replace prior fixed-dollar penalty figures with provisions specifying penalties as the greater of a percentage of annual income or annual operating income or a stated dollar amount (text inserts 'the greater of 0.5 percent ... or 50,000' and a separate insertion described in the text as 'the greater of 1 percent ... or inserting,000,000').
Amends 49 U.S.C. 21302(a) by (1) replacing certain chapter references with '203 through 209' and (2) replacing fixed-dollar penalty figures with provisions specifying penalties as the greater of a percentage of annual income or annual operating income or a stated dollar amount (text inserts 'the greater of 0.5 percent ... or 50,000' and 'the greater of 1 percent ... or inserting,000,000').
Amends 49 U.S.C. 21303(a)(2) to replace fixed-dollar penalty amounts with provisions specifying penalties as the greater of a percentage of annual income or annual operating income or a stated dollar amount (text inserts 'the greater of 0.5 percent ... or 50,000' and 'the greater of 1 percent ... or inserting,000,000').
Adds a new section establishing freight train crew size safety standards (minimum 2-person crew requirement), enumerating exceptions and trains ineligible for exceptions, and authorizing waivers under section 20103(d).
Adds paragraph (17) to section 22907(c) of title 49, U.S. Code, concerning expanding the use and effectiveness of wayside defect detectors to better prevent derailment of trains transporting hazardous materials.
This bill strengthens rail safety for trains that carry hazardous materials. It tells the Department of Transportation to set new rules within one year so railroads and shippers must give advance notice to state and Tribal emergency officials, include a written plan for handling gas releases, cut blocked crossings, and follow standards for train size, speed, routes, track and equipment upkeep, signaling, and emergency response. It also tightens rail car inspections by setting minimum time for each inspection by qualified inspectors, updating pre-departure checks for hazmat trains, and launching audits of inspection programs, with yearly public summaries of findings . More trackside safety sensors are required: DOT must set rules for wayside defect detectors, including hotbox detectors at least every 10 miles on major rail lines that carry hazardous loads, to help catch problems like overheating wheel bearings.
It also requires most freight trains to have at least two crew members, with limited exceptions; there are no exceptions for very long trains or trains carrying many hazardous tank cars or toxic-by-inhalation chemicals . The bill raises the maximum fines for rail safety violations. It speeds up the retirement of older tank cars by banning DOT-111 cars from hauling flammable liquids after May 1, 2027. It boosts help for local firefighters and hazmat teams by expanding training grants and adding a $1 million yearly fee on each large railroad to pay for it, and it provides grants to improve detector technology and funds a study of stronger tank cars . DOT must also report every two years on progress carrying out safety steps urged by the National Transportation Safety Board after a 2024 derailment report.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced February 4, 2025 by Chris Deluzio · Last progress February 4, 2025
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
Introduced in House