# 119-hr-7748: Railway Safety Act of 2026

119-hr-7748, Railway Safety Act of 2026, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17] (D-PA); status in_committee; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-30).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7748
- As of: 2026-10-30
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7748
- Congress: 119
- Title: Railway Safety Act of 2026
- Status: in_committee
- Introduced: 2026-03-02
- Sponsor: Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17] (D-PA)
- Cosponsors: 15
- Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-30

## Summary

**Strengthening rail safety for hazardous materials** by tightening tank car standards, inspection rules, defect detection, and crew requirements to reduce derailment risks and improve emergency response. - Families and communities near rail lines get tighter protections: unified speed limits (maximum 50 mph generally and maximum 40 mph for high-hazard trains with 20 or more flammable-liquid cars in High Threat Urban Areas unless cars meet DOT-117/117P/117R or listed specs), real-time train consist sharing with first responders, and a phase-out of older tank cars by December 31, 2027 (possible delay to 2028). - Rail workers face operational and oversight changes: a minimum two-person crew on Class I freight trains with limited exceptions, expanded pre-departure and periodic inspection standards, breath or body fluid testing for equipment inspectors, and higher civil penalties (baseline $5,000 to $1,000,000 per violation with larger penalties for severe harms). - States, Tribes, and first responders gain more funding and planning tools: a new Hazardous Materials Emergency Preparedness Fund, grants covering 90 percent of State costs and 100 percent of Tribal costs, virtual training options, and required gap analyses and triannual emergency-response plan coordination. *Authorizes $25.0 million for FRA research, appropriates $5.0 million for PHMSA R&D, and allows up to $2.0 million from unobligated funds, indicating an increase in federal spending for rail and hazardous materials safety.*

## Cosponsors (15)

- Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13] (R-PA), 2026-10-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goodlander, Maggie [D-NH-2] (D-NH), 2026-10-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. LaLota, Nick [R-NY-1] (R-NY), 2026-03-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garamendi, John [D-CA-8] (D-CA), 2026-03-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Rulli, Michael A. [R-OH-6] (R-OH), 2026-03-02T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Elfreth, Sarah [D-MD-3] (D-MD), 2026-03-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fitzpatrick, Brian K. [R-PA-1] (R-PA), 2026-03-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Suozzi, Thomas R. [D-NY-3] (D-NY), 2026-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2026-03-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Van Orden, Derrick [R-WI-3] (R-WI), 2026-05-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA), 2026-05-29T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kean, Thomas H. [R-NJ-7] (R-NJ), 2026-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kennedy, Timothy M. [D-NY-26] (D-NY), 2026-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Nehls, Troy E. [R-TX-22] (R-TX), 2026-07-21T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10] (D-FL), 2026-07-21T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Stricter rules for high-hazard trains: benefit, high. If enacted, the bill would add clear numeric definitions for what counts as a "high-hazard" train. It would ban older tank cars from carrying certain flammable liquids beginning December 31, 2027, unless tank cars meet DOT-117 (or 117P/117R) specs; the Secretary may delay to December 31, 2028 based…
- More emergency train data and signals: benefit, medium. If enacted, Class I railroads would have to create accurate, real-time electronic lists showing which hazardous materials are on each train and securely share that data with fusion centers and emergency officials. Railroads would send county-level reports estimating expected high-hazard trains per…
- Better defect detectors and research: benefit, medium. If enacted, the Secretary would start rulemaking on defect detector networks within one year and issue a final rule within two years. Class I railroads would submit risk-based detector plans and put approved plans in place within three years. The bill authorizes $25 million for FRA grants on defect…
- Faster help and funding for responders: mixed, high. If enacted, the Secretary would set up an emergency response assistance program within one year to give immediate money to communities after a major hazardous-materials incident. The program could make up to $10,000,000 immediately available from a special set-aside to reimburse eligible responders…
- Safer inspections, crews, and penalties: mixed, high. If enacted, the bill would require rapid FRA audits of inspections and change inspection rules and training timelines. Railroads would have to name inspection locations and ensure designated inspectors are available, and the government would set minimum rules for periodic freight-car inspections an…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage Act
- 119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1065: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-7748 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7748)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-842: Nancy Gardner Sewell Medicare Multi-Cancer Early Detection Screening Coverage A…](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-842)
- [119-hr-909: Crime Victims Fund Stabilization Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-909)
- [119-hr-1065: Protect Our Letter Carriers Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1065)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7748 (as of 2026-10-30).