HB 1830

This bill prohibits a railroad company controlling the movement of a railroad train, car, engine, or other equipment from permit ting the train, car, engine, or other equipment to obstruct or cause the obstruction of a railroad crossing for a period in excess of 30 consecutive minutes if the railroad crossing provides the primary ingress and egress to and from a hospital, residential n eighborhood, or occupied residence based on vehicle traffic counts. PENALTIES This bill authorizes t he commissioner of transportation, after providing notice and opportunity for a hearing, to impose a civil penalty of $1,000 per violation against the railroad company. If a second or subsequent violation occurs at the same railroad crossing a second or subsequent time within 18 months from the date of the first occurrence, then the commissioner may impose, after providing notice and opportunity for a hearing, a civil penalty up to $3,000 upon the railroad company. This bill requires all civil penalties collected by the commissioner pursuant to this bill to be allocated as follows:  15% must be retained by the department of transportation for costs of administration of this bill.  85% must be distributed to the county or municipality in which the violation occurred and used solely for railroad crossing projects on county roads or municipal streets within the county or municipality, as applicable. This bill clarifies that a railroad company is not immune from any civil liability that may be imposed or incurred for bodily injury to, or the death of, a person as a result of the person being transported in an ambulance or other emergency services vehicle that is blocked or obst ructed at a railroad crossing in violation of this bill. APPLICABILITY This bill applies to violations occurring on or after July 1, 2026 .