Bipartisan Gottheimer Rail Safety Bill Passes Committee

Today, Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) hailed the passage of the bipartisan FRA Safety Data Improvement Act out of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. Both Gottheimer’s Act and the STB Information Security Improvement Act — which Gotthiemer co-leads with Congressman Paul Mitchell (MI-10) — passed by a unanimous vote Wednesday morning. Ranking Member of T&I Congressman DeFazio, as well as Congressmen Faso, Titus, and Mitchell each spoke in favor of the FRA Safety Data Improvement Act.

The FRA Safety Data Improvement Act codifies safety accountability requirements to prevent shifting in standards from one administration to the next. It requires a plan and the implementation of recommendations found in a report from the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General. The bipartisan legislation improves and standardizes reporting and training around railway accidents on railroads like Amtrak and NJ Transit. To ensure compliance, the Act also requires the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to update the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Commerce Committee annually on its progress.

“I thank my colleagues in the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and my co-lead Rep. Paul Mitchell for taking steps to enhance America’s rail safety. In New Jersey, our rails and tunnels are literally crumbling. Bergen County is the worst in the northeast for railway crossing crashes. With fatal Amtrak and NJ Transit crashes in Hoboken, South Carolina, and West Virginia, we can’t afford to sit idly by. When it comes to rail safety, Congress has sat on the rails, watching the runaway trains approach at record speeds. It’s time we got moving,” said Congressman Gottheimer.

To view the full text of the bill, click HERE.

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