Legislation
House subcommittee advances bill that would slash funding for rail
(Source: Progressive Railroading 07/14/2023) A House subcommittee on July 12 advanced a fiscal-year 2024 appropriations bill that would slash funding to the Federal Railroad Administration, Amtrak and several rail-related programs. The Republican-led House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development and Related Agencies Subcommittee (T-HUD) approved the bill, which would provide $90.2 billion in discretionary spending to the U.S. departments…
Read MoreUS lawmakers introduce another bill aimed at rail safety
(Source: Progressive Railroading 04/03/2023) U.S. senators representing Pennsylvania and Ohio have introduced the Railway Accountability Act to address additional long-standing rail safety concerns not included in the recently proposed Railway Safety Act. The bill seeks to protect workers and help prevent “future harm” to rail-side communities, according to a press release from U.S. Democratic Sens. John Fetterman and…
Read MoreBiden urges Congress to pass Rail Safety Act
(Source: Progressive Railroading 03/06/2023) President Joe Biden is throwing his support behind the proposed bipartisan Rail Safety Act legislation introduced last week in the U.S. Senate. The bill would provide the federal government with measures that would hold railroads accountable to prevent train derailments like the one that occurred Feb. 3 in East Palestine, Ohio, Biden said…
Read MoreNew York governor Hochul calls for rail safety regulations after vetoing the state’s 2-person crew bill
(Source: New York Focus, February 28, 2023) In the wake of the recent train derailment and toxic chemical release in East Palestine, Ohio, Governor Kathy Hochul called on the federal government to enact stricter regulations on hazmat trains and said that safety is her top priority. Her transportation commissioner said that, under Hochul’s leadership, the state is “laser…
Read MoreHouse passes bill to ease supply-chain challenges
The U.S. House of Representatives has passed the Ocean Shipping Reform Act of 2021 (H.R. 4996), which aims to help ease the nation’s supply-chain challenges. Introduced by U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.), the bipartisan bill would increase the Federal Maritime Commission’s (FMC) authorizations by 10% over the previous fiscal year, and strengthen the agency’s oversight and…
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