PoliticalRepoPoliticalRepo

United States · Law · HR

H.R. 2607 (102nd)

Rail Safety Enforcement and Review Act

enactedUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

11 June 1991

Last action

—

Status

Became Public Law No: 102-365.

Sponsors

—

Subjects

Discovery layer

Source updated

14 January 2025

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

Rail Safety Enforcement and Review Act - Amends the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 to require the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to issue regulations for the safety of maintenance-of-way employees on railroad bridges (currently, maintenance-of-way employees generally). Requires the Secretary to provide, at a minimum, among other requirements for the use of boats when work is performed on bridges located over bodies of water. Directs any railroad required to undertake remedial action under specified Acts to report to the Secretary on the execution of such remedial action. Requires the Secretary to report to the Congress on procedures established to ensure the execution of such actions. Amends specified Federal laws to increase the minimum and maximum civil penalties against any railroad, including its employees, that violates a railroad safety regulation. Directs the Secretary to establish a pilot program designed to reduce backlogs and streamline work procedures with respect to the enforcement responsibilities of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Requires a report to the Congress on the results of such pilot program. Amends the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 and other Federal railroad law to require the Secretary to consider the subsequent safety record of violators assessed a civil penalty as of a certain date whenever the Secretary considers compromising such assessed penalty. Requires actions to enjoin or to suspend a rule, regulation, or order of the Secretary with respect to railroad safety to be brought in a United States court of appeals. Amends Federal law to provide criminal penalties for the murder or attempted murder or manslaughter of any FRA employee assigned to perform investigative, inspection, or law enforcement functions. Amends the Federal Railroad Safety Act of 1970 to direct the Secretary to review Department of Transportation rules on railroad power brakes and standards on track safety and to revise them on the basis of safety data presented during the reviews. Declares that such rules, regulations, orders, and standards shall, to the same extent as they do to railroads, apply to: (1) any owner, manufacturer, lessor, or lessee of railroad equipment or facilities (including employees); or (2) any contractor (including employees) providing goods or services to a railroad. Applies certain civil penalties to such persons for violations of such rules and regulations. Directs the Secretary to report to the Congress on the status of efforts to improve the safety of employees in locomotive cabs. Authorizes appropriations for railroad safety activities. Amends the Department of Transportation Act to increase and extend the authorization of appropriations for local rail freight assistance programs.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

No timeline events have been ingested for this record yet.

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

14 official files

Reported in House (text)

View fileDownload file

Sponsors

No sponsors or actors listed by the source.

Related records

No cross-record relationships stored yet.

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.