Railroad Safety and Accountability Act
Sponsored By: Representative Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13]
Introduced
Summary
This bill would codify the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) within the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), turning it into a formal advisory body with defined duties, membership, and funding authority. It would set rules for collaborative rulemaking, create task-based working groups, require quarterly consultations with the Administrator, and mandate an annual report to Congress.
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- Rail carriers, Amtrak, passenger groups, and suppliers would have guaranteed representation on RSAC and a formal forum to shape safety regulations and recommend cost‑effective, non‑regulatory solutions.
- Rail labor and safety-related employees would be explicitly represented, giving unions and frontline workers a direct role in developing and reviewing safety standards.
- The FRA Administrator would be required to maintain RSAC, meet with it quarterly, and can request working groups to develop consensus recommendations on specific safety tasks.
- Congress and the public would receive an annual RSAC report summarizing activities and recommendations.
- Operations and staff for RSAC could be funded by appropriations from the Highway Trust Fund to support its work.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New Railroad Safety Advisory Committee
This bill would codify a Railroad Safety Advisory Committee (RSAC) inside the Federal Railroad Administration. The RSAC would advise the FRA on making, reviewing, and changing railroad safety rules and on non‑regulatory safety options. It would include at least one representative from major stakeholder groups like freight and passenger carriers, Amtrak, local governments, rail passenger groups, railroad labor (covering operating crafts, maintenance, shop and clerks), safety workers, and suppliers. The FRA Administrator would meet with RSAC quarterly and RSAC would send Congress an annual report starting the first calendar year after enactment. The Federal Advisory Committee Act would apply except that section 1013 would not, and funds from the Highway Trust Fund could be appropriated as needed to run RSAC.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Rep. Sykes, Emilia Strong [D-OH-13]
OH • D
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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