Rail Audit Transparency Act

Bill: 117-hr-158
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Sires, Albio [D-NJ-8]
Introduced: 2021-01-04
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works
Subjects: Congressional oversight

Government studies and investigations

Public transit

Railroads

Transportation safety and security
Latest action: action_date: 2021-02-04
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-01-04
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Rail Audit Transparency Act</b></p> <p>This bill requires the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to provide Congress with notice of when a comprehensive safety assessment is being conducted on an intercity or commuter rail transit agency. </p> <p>Specifically, the FRA must (1) provide notice within 10 days after it initiates an assessment to specified congressional committees and each Member of Congress who represents a state in which the service that is subject of the assessment is located, and (2) report the findings of the assessment within 90 days after completion to such committees and Members.</p>

tv_txt: I 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 158 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES January 4, 2021 Mr. Sires introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure A BILL To require the Federal Railroad Administration to provide appropriate congressional notice of comprehensive safety assessments conducted with respect to intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Rail Audit Transparency Act . 2. Notice of comprehensive safety assessments (a) Initial notice Not later than 10 business days after the Federal Railroad Administration initiates a comprehensive safety assessment of an entity providing regularly scheduled intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation, the Federal Railroad Administration shall notify in electronic format the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and each member of Congress representing a State in which the service that is the subject of the assessment being conducted is located, of the initiation of that assessment. (b) Findings Not later than 90 days after completion of a comprehensive safety assessment described in subsection (a), the Federal Railroad Administration shall transmit in electronic format to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, and to each member of Congress representing a State in which the service that is the subject of the assessment being conducted is located, its findings of that assessment, including identified defects and any recommendations. (c) Definition For purpose of this section, the term comprehensive safety assessment means a focused review of the safety-related processes and procedures, compliance with safety regulations and requirements, and overall safety culture of an entity providing regularly scheduled intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation.