Short Line Railroad Relief Act
Bill: H.R.9581 | Sponsor: Rep. Donalds, Byron (R-FL)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Short Line Railroad Relief Act
This bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to provide grants or enter into contracts and other agreements for capital projects to protect, repair, reconstruct, or replace short line railroad equipment and facilities in danger of suffering catastrophic damage, or that has suffered catastrophic damage, as a result of an emergency.

To provide emergency relief for American short line railroads, and for 
                            other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Short Line Railroad Relief Act''.

SEC. 2. SHORT LINE RAILROAD EMERGENCY RELIEF PROGRAM.

    (a) General Authority.--The Secretary of Transportation, in 
consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Railroad 
Administration, may make grants or enter into contracts and other 
agreements (including agreements with departments, agencies, and 
instrumentalities of the Federal, State, or local government) for 
capital projects to protect, repair, reconstruct, or replace short line 
railroad equipment and facilities that the Secretary determines is in 
danger of suffering catastrophic damage, or has suffered catastrophic 
damage, as a result of an emergency.
    (b) Terms.--In making grants under subsection (a), the Secretary 
may make grants on a reimbursable basis or advance funding basis.
    (c) Coordination of Emergency Funds.--Funds appropriated to carry 
out this section shall be in addition to any other funds available and 
shall not affect the ability of any other agency of the Government, a 
State agency, a local governmental entity or organization, or person to 
provide any other funds otherwise authorized by law, except that no 
person, business concern, or other entity shall receive assistance with 
respect to any part of a loss as to which such person, business 
concern, or other entity has received financial assistance under any 
other program or from insurance or any other source.
    (d) Grant Requirements.--
            (1) In general.--A grant awarded under this section that is 
        made to address an emergency shall be subject to the terms and 
        conditions the Secretary determines are necessary.
            (2) Oversight funds.--The Secretary may retain up to one-
        half of 1 percent of the funds appropriated under this section 
        to fund the costs of project management oversight by the 
        Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration.
            (3) Application of law.--The provisions of section 24312 of 
        title 49, United States Code, shall apply to entities receiving 
        a grant under this section.
    (e) Government Share of Costs.--
            (1) In general.--A grant, contract, or other agreement for 
        a capital project under this section shall be for not more than 
        80 percent of the project cost, as determined by the Secretary. 
        The non-Federal share of the project cost shall be provided in 
        cash, equipment, or supplies.
            (2) Waiver.--The Secretary may waive, in whole or in part, 
        the non-Federal share.
    (f) Limitation.--
            (1) In general.--Project costs under this section shall be 
        limited to the scope of damage caused by the respective 
        emergency.
            (2) Determination.--In the case of a project that included 
        damage preexisting the respective emergency, the Administrator 
        shall make a determination on the amount or percentage of the 
        damages preexisting such emergency.
    (g) Definitions.--In this section the following definitions shall 
apply:
            (1) Emergency.--The term ``emergency'' means a natural 
        disaster affecting a wide area (such as a flood, wildfire, 
        hurricane, derecho, tidal wave, earthquake, severe storm, 
        landslide, or avalanche) or a failure due to a disaster as a 
        result of--
                    (A) natural causes;
                    (B) man-made causes beyond the control of a short 
                line railroad operator, including regulatory 
                restrictions (including those imposed as a result of 
                judicial action) imposed to protect human health or the 
                environment; or
                    (C) undetermined causes.
            (2) Short line railroad.--The term ``short line railroad'' 
        means a Class II railroad or a Class III railroad as such terms 
        are defined by the Surface Transportation Board.
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