Hazardous Materials Rail Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2016

Bill: 114-hr-5762
Sponsor: Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1]
Introduced: 2016-07-13 in the House
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Accidents
Congressional oversight
Emergency planning and evacuation
Fires
First responders and emergency personnel
Government information and archives
Government studies and investigations
Government trust funds
Hazardous wastes and toxic substances
Income tax credits
Oil and gas
Pollution liability
Railroads
Sales and excise taxes
Transportation programs funding
Transportation safety and security

Summary:
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: 

Hazardous Materials Rail Transportation Safety Improvement Act of 2016

 
This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) establish, within the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, a separate Hazardous Liquids Rail Spill Liability Account to support actions related to preventing and responding to discharges of oil or hazardous substances that result from rail shipments; (2) impose a fee on hazardous flammable liquids transported by rail; and (3) establish a tax credit for qualified tank-car conversion expenses. 
 
In addition, the bill: 
 
 
expands liability with respect to discharges of hazardous substances, 
 
expands Department of Transportation (DOT) training with respect to accidents arising from rail transportation of flammable liquids or gases, 
 
establishes a High Hazard Rail Shipments Preparedness grant program, and 
 
establishes a Track Relocation and Railroad Inspection Safety grant program.

 
The Federal Railroad Administration must implement specified recommendations of the National Transportation Safety Board.
 
DOT, the Department of Commerce, and the Energy Information Administration shall collect specified data related to high hazard rail transportation.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2016-07-14
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Oversight and Government Reform, and Energy and Commerce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2016-07-13
text: Introduced in House