I 
114TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1291 
To improve highway-rail grade crossing safety, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 4, 2015 
Ms. ESTY (for herself, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. 
HIMES, Ms. BROWNLEY of California, and Mr. PASCRELL) introduced the 
following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To improve highway-rail grade crossing safety, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Highway-Rail Grade 
Crossing Safety Act of 2015’’. 
SEC. 2. RAILWAY-HIGHWAY CROSSING PROGRAM. 
In addition to amounts otherwise apportioned for the 
highway safety improvement program described in section 
148 of title 23, United States Code, there are authorized 
to be appropriated, for each of fiscal years 2016 through 
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2019, $50,000,000, which shall be set aside for the Rail-
way-Highway Crossings Program authorized under section 
130 of such title. 
SEC. 3. HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSING GRANTS SAFETY 
PROGRAM. 
Chapter 225 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in section 22501(1), by striking ‘‘to a max-
imum of 3 States per year for development’’ and in-
serting ‘‘for the development’’; 
(2) in section 22504(b)— 
(A) in the subsection heading, by striking 
‘‘UNDER SECTION 22501(2)’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘22501(2)’’ and inserting 
‘‘22501’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘$250,000’’ and inserting 
‘‘$2,500,000’’; and 
(3) by amending section 22505 to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘§ 22505. Authorization of appropriations 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be ap-
propriated, for each of fiscal years 2016 through 2019, 
$100,000,000 for grants authorized under section 22501. 
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‘‘(b) AVAILABILITY
OF FUNDS.—Amounts appro-
priated pursuant to this section shall remain available 
until expended.’’. 
SEC. 4. RAIL LINE RELOCATION AND IMPROVEMENT CAP-
ITAL GRANT PROGRAM. 
Section 20154 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in subsection (b)(1), by striking ‘‘, motor 
vehicle traffic flow, community quality of life, or eco-
nomic development’’; 
(2) in subsection (c)(4), by striking ‘‘motor ve-
hicle and pedestrian traffic, safety, community qual-
ity of life, and area commerce’’ and inserting ‘‘safe-
ty’’; 
(3) in subsection (h)— 
(A) by striking paragraph (2); and 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (3) as 
paragraph (2); and 
(4) in subsection (i), by striking ‘‘$350,000,000 
for each of the fiscal years 2006 through 2009’’ and 
inserting ‘‘$100,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2016 through 2019’’. 
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SEC. 5. OPERATION LIFESAVER. 
Section 206(c) of the Rail Safety Improvement Act 
of 2008 (division A of Public Law 110–432) is amended 
to read as follows: 
‘‘(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Railroad 
Administration $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2016 
through 2019 for purposes of carrying out this section.’’. 
SEC. 6. HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSING SAFETY PER-
SONNEL. 
(a) GRADE CROSSING SAFETY MANAGERS.—In addi-
tion to the personnel authorized to be employed by the 
Federal Railroad Administration on the day before the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administration shall 
hire 16 full-time grade crossing safety managers to work 
with State and local officials to identify safety improve-
ments to highway-rail grade crossings. 
(b) TRESPASS PREVENTION MANAGERS.—In addi-
tion to the personnel authorized to be employed by the 
Federal Railroad Administration on the day before the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Administration shall 
hire 8 trespass prevention managers to work with local 
governments, schools, businesses, and railroads to develop 
site-specific mitigation plans. 
(c) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Federal Railroad 
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Administration, for fiscal years 2016 through 2019, such 
sums as may be necessary to carry out this section. 
SEC. 7. FEASIBILITY OF USING NEW TECHNOLOGY TO RE-
PORT 
HIGHWAY-RAIL 
GRADE 
CROSSING 
PROBLEMS. 
Section 20152 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) FEASIBILITY STUDY.—The Secretary of Trans-
portation shall conduct a study of the feasibility of requir-
ing railroad carriers to provide additional means for the 
public to report problems at highway-rail grade crossings, 
including through an Internet Web site and text mes-
saging.’’. 
Æ 
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