Railroad Safety and Accountability Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 7338 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 7338

 To amend title 49, United States Code, to codify the Railroad Safety 
              Advisory Committee, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            February 3, 2026

  Mrs. Sykes introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to codify the Railroad Safety 
              Advisory Committee, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Railroad Safety and Accountability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CODIFICATION OF THE RAILROAD SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.

    (a) In General.--Subchapter I of chapter 201 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 20122. Railroad Safety Advisory Committee
    ``(a) In General.--The Administrator of the Federal Railroad 
Administration shall maintain an advisory committee, to be known as the 
`Railroad Safety Advisory Committee', for the purpose of providing 
advice and recommendations to the Administrator regarding the 
development of railroad safety regulatory programs, including the 
issuance of new regulations, review and revision of existing 
regulations, and identification of non-regulatory alternatives for 
improving railroad safety.
    ``(b) Duties.--The Railroad Safety Advisory Committee shall have 
the following responsibilities:
            ``(1) To provide a forum for collaborative rulemaking and 
        regulatory program development with respect to railroad safety.
            ``(2) To develop, through collaborative processes involving 
        all segments of the railroad community, regulatory standards 
        and mutually satisfactory solutions on railroad safety 
        regulatory issues for recommended adoption by the 
        Administrator.
            ``(3) To identify and assess the facts and data underlying 
        any real or perceived railroad safety problems, identify cost-
        effective solutions to such problems based upon agree-upon 
        facts, and identify, if applicable, regulatory changes 
        necessary to guide and implement such solutions.
            ``(4) Any other responsibilities consistent with the 
        purpose described in subsection (a), as determined by the 
        Administrator.
    ``(c) Members.--The Railroad Safety Advisory Committee shall be 
comprised of not fewer than 1 representative from each major 
stakeholder group of the Federal Railroad Administration, including 
freight and passenger railroad carriers, Amtrak, organizations that 
represent local governments, rail passenger organizations, railroad 
labor organizations (including organizations representing each of 
operating crafts, maintenance of way employees, shop and mechanical 
crafts, clerks, and dispatching employees), safety-related railroad 
employees, and railroad suppliers and manufacturers.
    ``(d) Staff.--The Railroad Safety Advisory Committee may employ 
such staff as the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee determines 
necessary to carry out the purpose described in subsection (a).
    ``(e) Task-Based Working Groups.--
            ``(1) Tasks.--The Administrator may request the Railroad 
        Safety Advisory Committee establish a working group for the 
        purpose of providing specific advice and recommendations 
        regarding a task with respect to which the Administrator is 
        considering acting.
            ``(2) Working groups.--If the Railroad Safety Advisory 
        Committee, based on consideration and consensus of its members, 
        accepts a request under paragraph (1), the Railroad Safety 
        Advisory Committee shall--
                    ``(A) establish a working group to develop 
                consensus recommendations for action the Administrator 
                may take with respect to the task; and
                    ``(B) ensure the working group is comprised of 
                individuals that--
                            ``(i) possess the appropriate expertise to 
                        assess and develop such recommendations; and
                            ``(ii) are representative of the interests 
                        of stakeholders implicated by the task.
    ``(f) Federal Railroad Administration Required Engagement.--The 
Administrator shall meet quarterly with the Railroad Safety Advisory 
Committee to--
            ``(1) consult with the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee 
        regarding the development of railroad safety regulatory 
        programs of the Federal Railroad Administration;
            ``(2) advise the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee on 
        emerging issues, statutory requirements, and other identified 
        needs with respect to railroad safety; and
            ``(3) receive and discuss the views and recommendations of 
        the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee in determining 
        regulatory priorities of the Federal Railroad Administration.
    ``(g) Annual Report to Congress.--Beginning in the first calendar 
year after the date of enactment of this section, the Railroad Safety 
Advisory Committee shall submit to Congress an annual report 
summarizing the activities of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee 
for the period covered by the report.
    ``(h) Federal Advisory Committee Act Applicability.--
            ``(1) In general.--Except as provided in paragraph (2), 
        chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, shall apply to the 
        Railroad Safety Advisory Committee.
            ``(2) Non-termination.--Section 1013 of title 5, United 
        States Code, shall not apply to the Railroad Safety Advisory 
        Committee.
    ``(i) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund such funds as may be 
necessary to carry out this section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The analysis for subchapter I of chapter 
201 of title 49, United States Code, by inserting after the item 
relating to section 20121 the following new item:

``20122. Railroad Safety Advisory Committee.''.
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