Review - HR 5871 Introduced – Train Safety

Last month, Rep Stansbury (D,NM) introduced HR 5871, the Rail Worker and Community Safety Act. The bill includes railroad safety, personnel and federal oversight provisions that are targeted at making railroad (mainly freight railroad) operations safer. Almost all of the provisions specifically require new or amended regulations to be written and implemented.

This bill is different from bills introduced shortly after the East Palestine derailment HR (like S 576 and HR 1674 for example, both removed from paywall) in that it lacks the singular focus on hazardous materials found in those other bills. It is more focused on the nuts and bolts of railroad operations and safety.

Moving Forward

Stansbury is not a member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to which this bill was assigned for primary consideration. There are, however, at least three of the 34 Democratic cosponsors {Rep Holmes-Norton (D,DC), Rep Titus (D,NV) and Rep Carson (D,IN)} that are members of the Committee, so there could be sufficient influence to see the bill considered in Committee. Unfortunately, there is widespread, long-term Republican opposition to many of the provisions in the bill that ensures that the Committee will not take up the bill.

 

For more details about the provisions of the bill, see my article at CFSN Detailed Analysis - https://patrickcoyle.substack.com/p/hr-5871-introduced - subscription required.

Bills Introduced – 10-2-23

Yesterday, with just the House in session (the Senate returns to Washington today) there were 15 bills introduced. One of those bills may received additional attention in this blog:

HR 5871 To enhance safety requirements for trains, and for other purposes. Stansbury, Melanie Ann [Rep.-D-NM-1]

I will be watching this bill for language and definitions that would specifically include freight trains transporting hazardous chemicals within the scope of the requirements of the legislation.