Passenger Rail Crew Protection Act
Sponsored By: Representative Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]
Introduced
Summary
Creates a federal crime to stop people from attacking or interfering with passenger train crew members. It would add a new federal offense with clear definitions and tiered penalties that apply on trains, platforms, and in stations.
Show full summary
- Crew members: Engineers, conductors, onboard staff, and station employees would be protected. Assaults or attempts that interfere with duties would be federal offenses with a baseline penalty up to 6 months in jail and aggravated terms up to 1 year, 10 years, or 20 years depending on the conduct.
- Passengers and stations: The law would cover passenger trains in operation, platforms serving passenger trains, and rail stations that serve passenger trains.
- Prosecution and legal standards: The bill defines crew roles, dangerous weapons, and serious bodily injury and frames penalties to mirror existing federal protections for aircraft crew so similar federal charges could apply.
Your PRIA Score
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
1 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
New protections for rail crew
This bill would make it a federal crime to assault or try to assault passenger train crew members on trains, platforms, or in stations that serve passenger trains. It would define "crew member" to include engineers, conductors, onboard staff, safety-sensitive employees, and station workers who do ticketing, check-in, baggage claim, or boarding. It would adopt existing federal meanings for "dangerous weapon" and "serious bodily injury" and cover intercity and commuter trains. Penalties would include a fine and up to 6 months in jail for a basic offense. Aggravated maximum terms would rise to 1 year for striking or wounding, up to 10 years for weapon use, intent to commit many felonies, or serious injury, and up to 20 years if done with intent to murder.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Gillen, Laura [D-NY-4]
NY • D
Cosponsors
Rep. Van Drew, Jefferson [R-NJ-2]
NJ • R
Sponsored 5/19/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov