Keeping China Off the Rails Act of 2026

New DoD rules for rail cars

If enacted, the bill would create a DoD-specific definition of "Department of Defense cargo" as goods moved by a rail carrier for or on behalf of the Armed Forces. For rail cars carrying DoD cargo, only two of the usual car-content and manufacturing requirements (subparagraphs A and B of the current rule) would apply, and those rules would be phased in over four years starting on the date of enactment of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027. The phase-in would cover cars made in the 2 years before enactment (first year), then cars made in the 5, 10, and 15 years before enactment in each successive year, and on and after 4 years after enactment it would apply to any rail car. The bill would also except cars used for clandestine DoD shipments reasonably believed unknown to a country of concern, and cars whose owner was not notified in advance that DoD cargo would be shipped. It would correct the Umler-system wording to refer to the Association of American Railroads.