I 
119TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7338 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to codify the Railroad Safety Advisory 
Committee, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 3, 2026 
Mrs. SYKES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To amend title 49, United States Code, to codify the 
Railroad Safety Advisory Committee, 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 ‘‘Railroad Safety and 
Accountability Act’’. 
SEC. 2. CODIFICATION OF THE RAILROAD SAFETY ADVI-
SORY COMMITTEE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter I of chapter 201 of 
title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
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‘‘§ 20122. Railroad Safety Advisory Committee 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Administrator of the Fed-
eral Railroad Administration shall maintain an advisory 
committee, to be known as the ‘Railroad Safety Advisory 
Committee’, for the purpose of providing advice and rec-
ommendations to the Administrator regarding the develop-
ment of railroad safety regulatory programs, including the 
issuance of new regulations, review and revision of existing 
regulations, and identification of non-regulatory alter-
natives for improving railroad safety. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Railroad Safety Advisory Com-
mittee shall have the following responsibilities: 
‘‘(1) To provide a forum for collaborative rule-
making and regulatory program development with 
respect to railroad safety. 
‘‘(2) To develop, through collaborative processes 
involving all segments of the railroad community, 
regulatory standards and mutually satisfactory solu-
tions on railroad safety regulatory issues for rec-
ommended adoption by the Administrator. 
‘‘(3) To identify and assess the facts and data 
underlying any real or perceived railroad safety 
problems, identify cost-effective solutions to such 
problems based upon agree-upon facts, and identify, 
if applicable, regulatory changes necessary to guide 
and implement such solutions. 
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‘‘(4) Any other responsibilities consistent with 
the purpose described in subsection (a), as deter-
mined by the Administrator. 
‘‘(c) MEMBERS.—The Railroad Safety Advisory Com-
mittee shall be comprised of not fewer than 1 representa-
tive from each major stakeholder group of the Federal 
Railroad Administration, including freight and passenger 
railroad carriers, Amtrak, organizations that represent 
local governments, rail passenger organizations, railroad 
labor organizations (including organizations representing 
each of operating crafts, maintenance of way employees, 
shop and mechanical crafts, clerks, and dispatching em-
ployees), safety-related railroad employees, and railroad 
suppliers and manufacturers. 
‘‘(d) STAFF.—The Railroad Safety Advisory Com-
mittee may employ such staff as the Railroad Safety Advi-
sory Committee determines necessary to carry out the pur-
pose described in subsection (a). 
‘‘(e) TASK-BASED WORKING GROUPS.— 
‘‘(1) TASKS.—The Administrator may request 
the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee establish a 
working group for the purpose of providing specific 
advice and recommendations regarding a task with 
respect to which the Administrator is considering 
acting. 
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‘‘(2) WORKING GROUPS.—If the Railroad Safe-
ty Advisory Committee, based on consideration and 
consensus of its members, accepts a request under 
paragraph (1), the Railroad Safety Advisory Com-
mittee shall— 
‘‘(A) establish a working group to develop 
consensus recommendations for action the Ad-
ministrator may take with respect to the task; 
and 
‘‘(B) ensure the working group is com-
prised of individuals that— 
‘‘(i) possess the appropriate expertise 
to assess and develop such recommenda-
tions; and 
‘‘(ii) are representative of the inter-
ests of stakeholders implicated by the task. 
‘‘(f) FEDERAL
RAILROAD
ADMINISTRATION
RE-
QUIRED ENGAGEMENT.—The Administrator shall meet 
quarterly with the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee 
to— 
‘‘(1) consult with the Railroad Safety Advisory 
Committee regarding the development of railroad 
safety regulatory programs of the Federal Railroad 
Administration; 
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‘‘(2) advise the Railroad Safety Advisory Com-
mittee on emerging issues, statutory requirements, 
and other identified needs with respect to railroad 
safety; and 
‘‘(3) receive and discuss the views and rec-
ommendations of the Railroad Safety Advisory Com-
mittee in determining regulatory priorities of the 
Federal Railroad Administration. 
‘‘(g) ANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS.—Beginning in 
the first calendar year after the date of enactment of this 
section, the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee shall 
submit to Congress an annual report summarizing the ac-
tivities of the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee for the 
period covered by the report. 
‘‘(h) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT APPLICA-
BILITY.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para-
graph (2), chapter 10 of title 5, United States Code, 
shall apply to the Railroad Safety Advisory Com-
mittee. 
‘‘(2) NON-TERMINATION.—Section 1013 of title 
5, United States Code, shall not apply to the Rail-
road Safety Advisory Committee. 
‘‘(i) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust 
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Fund such funds as may be necessary to carry out this 
section.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The analysis for sub-
chapter I of chapter 201 of title 49, United States Code, 
by inserting after the item relating to section 20121 the 
following new item: 
‘‘20122. Railroad Safety Advisory Committee.’’. 
Æ 
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