Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Act of 2015
Latest action · Feb 23, 2015 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Progress
Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.
- IntroducedFeb 23, 2015
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- Became lawNot reached
Summary
Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Act of 2015
This bill authorizes appropriations for FY2016-FY2019 for the highway safety improvement program, with $50 million set aside for each fiscal year for the Railway-Highway Crossings Program.
The limitation to three states per year is eliminated, so all states now become eligible for the award of Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety improvement grants to develop or continue enhanced public education and awareness activities, in combination with targeted law enforcement, to reduce traffic law violations at highway-rail grade crossings, as well as to prevent and reduce injuries and fatalities along railroad rights-of-way. The limitation on grant amounts awarded to a state is increased from $250,000 to $2.5 million.
Eligibility requirements are revised for the award of capital grants to states under the rail line relocation and improvement program.
Increased appropriations under the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 are authorized for FY2016-FY2019 for the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to make grants to the Operation Lifesaver program.
The FRA shall hire:
- 16 full-time grade crossing safety managers to work with state and local officials to identify safety improvements to highway-rail grade crossings; and
- 8 trespass prevention managers to work with local governments, schools, businesses, and railroads to develop site-specific mitigation plans.
The Secretary of Transportation shall study the feasibility of requiring railroads to provide additional means for the public to report problems at highway-rail grade crossings, including via a website and text messaging.
Cosponsors 3
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 23, 2015 to Feb 26, 2015, with 1 there on the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-NY | Charles E. Schumer | Original | Feb 23, 2015 |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Feb 25, 2015 | |
| D-FL | Bill Nelson | Feb 26, 2015 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 23, 2015Introduced in Senate
- Feb 23, 2015Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| HR 1291 | Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Act of 2015 | Related bill | Mar 5, 2015 |
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Transportation and Public Works.
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Feb 23, 2015Introduced in Senate
Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.