II 

114TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 532 

To improve highway-rail grade crossing safety, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 23, 2015 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL (for himself and Mr. SCHUMER) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To improve highway-rail grade crossing safety, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Highway-Rail Grade 

5 Crossing Safety Act of 2015’’. 

6 SEC. 2. RAILWAY-HIGHWAY CROSSING PROGRAM. 

7 In addition to amounts otherwise apportioned for the 

8 highway safety improvement program described in section 

9 148 of title 23, United States Code, there are authorized 

10 to be appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2016 through 


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1 2019, $50,000,000, which shall be set aside for the Rail2 way-Highway Crossings Program authorized under section 

3 130 of such title. 

4 SEC. 3. HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSING GRANTS SAFETY 

5 PROGRAM. 

6 Chapter 225 of title 49, United States Code, is 

7 amended— 

8 (1) in section 22501(1), by striking ‘‘to a max9 imum of 3 States per year for development’’ and in10 serting ‘‘for the development’’; 

11 (2) in section 22504(b)— 

12 (A) in the subsection heading, by striking 

13 ‘‘UNDER SECTION 22501(2)’’; and 

14 (B) by striking ‘‘$250,000’’ and inserting 

15 ‘‘$2,500,000’’; and 

16 (3) by amending section 22505 to read as fol17 lows: 

18 ‘‘§ 22505. Authorization of appropriations 

19 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap20 propriated, for each of the fiscal years 2016 through 2019, 

21 $100,000,000 for grants authorized under section 22501. 

22 ‘‘(b) AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro23 priated pursuant to this section shall remain available 

24 until expended.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. RAIL LINE RELOCATION AND IMPROVEMENT CAP2 ITAL GRANT PROGRAM. 

3 Section 20154 of title 49, United States Code, is 

4 amended— 

5 (1) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘, motor 

6 vehicle traffic flow, community quality of life, or eco7 nomic development’’; 

8 (2) in subsection (c)(4), by striking ‘‘motor ve9 hicle and pedestrian traffic, safety, community qual10 ity of life, and area commerce’’ and inserting ‘‘safe11 ty’’; and 

12 (3) in subsection (h)— 

13 (A) by striking paragraph (2); and 

14 (B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 

15 paragraph (2); and 

16 (4) in subsection (i), by striking ‘‘$350,000,000 

17 for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2009’’ and 

18 inserting ‘‘$25,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 

19 2016 through 2019’’. 

20 SEC. 5. OPERATION LIFESAVER. 

21 Section 206(c) of the Rail Safety Improvement Act 

22 of 2008 (division A of Public Law 110–432) is amended 

23 to read as follows: 

24 ‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

25 are authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Railroad 


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1 Administration, for each of the fiscal years 2016 through 

2 2019, $3,000,000 to carry out this section.’’. 

3 SEC. 6. HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSING SAFETY PER4 SONNEL. 

5 (a) GRADE CROSSING SAFETY MANAGERS.—In addi6 tion to the personnel authorized to be employed by the 

7 Federal Railroad Administration on the day before the 

8 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administration shall 

9 hire 16 full-time grade crossing safety managers to work 

10 with State and local officials to identify safety improve11 ments to highway-rail grade crossings. 

12 (b) TRESPASS PREVENTION MANAGERS.—In addi13 tion to the personnel authorized to be employed by the 

14 Federal Railroad Administration on the day before the 

15 date of the enactment of this Act, the Administration shall 

16 hire 8 trespass prevention managers to work with local 

17 governments, schools, businesses, and railroads to develop 

18 site-specific mitigation plans. 

19 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

20 are authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Railroad 

21 Administration, for fiscal years 2016 through 2019, such 

22 sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. 


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1 SEC. 7. FEASIBILITY OF USING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO RE2 PORT HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSING 

3 PROBLEMS. 

4 Section 20152 of title 49, United States Code, is 

5 amended by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘(c) FEASIBILITY STUDY.—The Secretary of Trans7 portation shall conduct a study of the feasibility of requir8 ing railroads to provide additional means for the public 

9 to report problems at highway-rail grade crossings, includ10 ing through a website and text messaging.’’. 

Æ 


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