Title: Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Act of 2019
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety Act of 2019
This bill addresses highway-rail grade crossing safety.
The bill reauthorizes the highway safety improvement program through FY2024, with $50 million set aside in FY2020-FY2024 for the Railway-Highway Crossings Program.
Eligibility requirements are revised for the award of capital grants to states under the rail line relocation and improvement program.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) must hire
The Department of Transportation must gather and publish information and statistics relating to highway-rail grade crossing problems, including from studies conducted by the FRA, rail carriers, and independent entities.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 713 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 713

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 7, 2019

 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.

    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 ``Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety 
Act of 2019''.

SEC. 2. RAILWAY-HIGHWAY CROSSING PROGRAM.

    (a) In General.--In addition to amounts otherwise apportioned for 
the highway safety improvement program under section 148 of title 23, 
United States Code, there is authorized to be appropriated $50,000,000, 
which shall be set aside for the Railway-Highway Crossings Program 
under section 130 of that title, for each of fiscal years 2020 through 
2024.
    (b) Treatment.--Funds made available under subsection (a) shall be 
administered as if apportioned under chapter 1 of title 23, United 
States Code.

SEC. 3. CONSOLIDATED RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS.

    (a) In General.--Section 11102 of the FAST Act (Public Law 114-94; 
129 Stat. 1623) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a)--
                    (A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by 
                striking ``section 24407 of title 49, United States 
                Code, (as added by section 11301 of this Act)'' and 
                inserting ``section 22907 of title 49, United States 
                Code'';
                    (B) in paragraph (5), by striking ``$330,000,000'' 
                and inserting ``$780,000,000''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) For each of fiscal years 2021 through 2024, such sums 
        as are necessary.'';
            (2) in subsection (b), by striking ``section 24407'' and 
        inserting ``section 22907''; and
            (3) by striking subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Highway-Rail Grade Crossing Safety; Rail Line Relocation and 
Improvement.--From the amount appropriated under subsection (a), the 
Secretary shall use, for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024--
            ``(1) $250,000,000 to carry out section 22907(c)(6) of 
        title 49, United States Code;
            ``(2) $175,000,000 to carry out section 22907(c)(5) of 
        title 49, United States Code; and
            ``(3) $25,000,000 to carry out section 22907(c)(10) of 
        title 49, United States Code.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Section 22907(c)(10) of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting ``, including public education and 
awareness campaigns for highway-rail grade crossing safety'' after 
``rail safety''.

SEC. 4. OPERATION LIFESAVER.

    Section 206(c) of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 (division 
A of Public Law 110-432; 49 U.S.C. 22907 note) is amended by striking 
subsection (c) and inserting the following:
    ``(c) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be 
appropriated to the Federal Railroad Administration to carry out this 
section $3,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.''.

SEC. 5. HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE CROSSING SAFETY PERSONNEL.

    (a) Grade Crossing Safety Managers.--In addition to the personnel 
authorized to be employed by the Federal Railroad Administration on the 
day before the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator of the 
Federal Railroad Administration (referred to in this section as the 
``Administrator'') shall hire 16 full-time grade crossing safety 
managers to work with State and local officials to identify safety 
improvements to highway-rail grade crossings.
    (b) Trespass Prevention Managers.--In addition to the personnel 
authorized to be employed by the Federal Railroad Administration on the 
day before the date of enactment of this Act, the Administrator 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 Administrator to carry out this section such sums 
as are necessary for each of fiscal years 2020 through 2024.

SEC. 6. PROVISION OF INFORMATION AND STATISTICS ON HIGHWAY-RAIL GRADE 
              CROSSING PROBLEMS.

    Section 20152 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph 
        (1), by inserting ``(referred to in this section as the 
        `Secretary')'' after ``Transportation''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(c) Provision of Information and Statistics.--Not later than 180 
days after the date of enactment of this subsection, the Secretary 
shall--
            ``(1) aggregate information and statistics relating to 
        highway-rail grade crossings, including from studies conducted 
        by the Federal Railroad Administration, rail carriers, and 
        independent entities;
            ``(2) provide the information and statistics described in 
        paragraph (1) to State departments of transportation; and
            ``(3) establish and maintain a publicly accessible Internet 
        website that contains the information and statistics described 
        in paragraph (1).''.
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