Track, Railroad, and Infrastructure Network Act

Bill: 114-s-769
Sponsor: full_name: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]
Introduced: 2015-03-18
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Environmental assessment, monitoring, research

Historic sites and heritage areas

Land use and conservation

Railroads

Roads and highways
Latest action: action_date: 2015-03-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

Summaries:
action_date: 2015-03-18
action_desc: Introduced in Senate
text: <p><strong>Track, Railroad, and Infrastructure Network Act</strong></p> <p>This bill exempts improvements to, maintenance, rehabilitation, or operation of railroad or rail transit lines (but not stations) that are in use or were historically used for the transportation of goods or passengers from federal policies and requirements for the preservation of public park and recreation lands, wildlife and waterfowl refuges, and historic sites. This permits such activities without the necessity to: (1) demonstrate there is no feasible and prudent alternative to the use of such land, and (2) plan to minimize harm to a historic site.</p> <p>The Secretary of Transportation (DOT) may make a finding of de minimis impact on such preservation as a result of mitigation undertaken pursuant to a review of a transportation program or project pursuant to the National Historic Preservation Act.</p> <p>Any rail project that requires DOT approval shall be subject to specified environmental project development procedures.</p> <p>Any environmental impact statement, categorical exclusion, or other decision relating to a transportation project that is issued by a DOT agency under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 shall be available to any rail project to which that statement, exclusion, or decision reasonably applies.</p>

tv_txt: II 114th CONGRESS 1st Session S. 769 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES March 18, 2015 Mr. Blunt (for himself, Mr. Manchin , and Mr. Thune ) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation A BILL To streamline the permit process for rail and transit infrastructure.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Track, Railroad, and Infrastructure Network Act . 2. Preservation of public lands (a) Highways Section 138 of title 23, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (b), by adding at the end the following: (4) Mitigation The Secretary may make a finding of de minimis impact under this subsection as a result of mitigation undertaken pursuant to a review of a program or project pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act ( 16 U.S.C. 470f ). ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (c) Rail and transit Improvements to, or the maintenance, rehabilitation, or operation of, railroad or rail transit lines or elements of such lines, with the exception of stations, that are in use or were historically used for the transportation of goods or passengers, shall not be considered a use of an historic site under subsection (a), regardless of whether the railroad or rail transit line or element of such line is listed on, or eligible for listing on, the National Register of Historic Places. . (b) Transportation projects Section 303 of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in subsection (c), by striking subsection (d) and inserting subsections (d) and (e) ; (2) in subsection (d), by adding at the end the following: (4) Mitigation The Secretary may make a finding of de minimis impact under this subsection as a result of mitigation undertaken pursuant to a review of a program or project pursuant to section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act ( 16 U.S.C. 470f ). ; and (3) by adding at the end the following: (e) Rail and transit Improvements to, or the maintenance, rehabilitation, or operation of, railroad or rail transit lines or elements of such lines, with the exception of stations, that are in use or were historically used for the transportation of goods or passengers, shall not be considered a use of an historic site under subsection (c), regardless of whether the railroad or rail transit line or element of such line is listed on, or eligible for listing on, the National Register of Historic Places. . 3. Efficient environmental reviews (a) In general Section 304 of title 49, United States Code, is amended— (1) in the section heading, by striking for multimodal projects and inserting and increasing the efficiency of environmental reviews ; and (2) by adding at the end the following: (e) Efficient environmental reviews Any rail project that requires the approval of the Secretary of Transportation shall be subject to the project development procedures set forth in section 139 of title 23. (f) Applicability of NEPA decisions Any environmental impact statement, categorical exclusion, or other decision relating to a transportation project that is issued by an agency of the Department of Transportation under the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 ( 42 U.S.C. 4321 et seq. ) shall be available to any rail project to which such statement, exclusion, or decision reasonably applies. .