,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #diac  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,november #ah1 
#bjbj,mr4 ,tester 7for himself and ,mrs4
 ,fischer7 introduced the following     
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,commerce1         
,science1 and ,transportation  ,a ,,bill
  ,to require the ,federal ,railroad    
,administration and the ,federal        
,highway ,administration to provide     
recommendations for reducing the number 
of very rural highway-rail grade        
crossing collisions1 to authorize a     
public outreach and educational program 
to reduce such collisions1 and to       
authorize grants to improve grade       
crossing safety4  #a4 ,short title ,this
 ,act may be cited as the ,right ,track 
,act4  #b4 ,findings ,congress finds the
 following3 7#a7 ,collisions at         
nonsignalized highway-rail grade        
crossings continue to lead to fatalities
 in very rural areas4  7#b7 ,in ,states 
with extensive rail infrastructure1     

additional information for protecting   
grade crossings would be valuable to the
 general public1 ,state and local       
governments1 and rail operators4  #c4   
,recommendations  7a7 ,in general ,the  
,administrator of the ,federal ,railroad
 ,administration and the ,administrator 
of the ,federal ,highway                
,administration1 after consultation with
 railroads1 technology developers1      
manufacturers1 relevant ,state and local
 agencies1 institutions of higher       
education1 and law enforcement agencies1
 shall jointly provide recommendations  
for reducing the number of collisions at
 highway-rail grade crossings in        
counties with #aj or fewer residents per
 square mile 7according to the most     
recent decennial census7 to-- 7#a7 the  
,committee on ,appropriations of the    
,senate2  7#b7 the ,committee on        
,commerce1 ,science1 and ,transportation
 of the ,senate2  7#c7 the ,committee on
 ,appropriations of the ,house of       
,representatives2  7#d7 the ,committee  

on ,transportation and ,infrastructure  
of the ,house of ,representatives2  7#e7
 stakeholders involved in consultations 
under this subsection2 and  7#f7 the    
general public4  7b7 ,use of            
recommendations ,the ,administrators    
shall use the recommendations referred  
to in subsection 7a7 to provide         
technical assistance to ,states seeking 
to make rail safety infrastructure      
improvements4  #d4 ,public outreach and 
education ,the ,administrator of the    
,federal ,railroad ,administration and  
the ,administrator of the ,federal      
,highway ,administration shall jointly  
conduct a public outreach and           
educational initiative1 in cooperation  
with ,operation ,lifesaver1 to reduce   
collisions at public highway-rail grade 
crossings in counties with #aj or fewer 
residents per square mile that includes 
multimedia resources1 including         
resources that are not available online4
  #e4 ,grade crossing safety improvement
 grants  7a7 ,establishment ,the        

,secretary of ,transportation shall use 
amounts set aside pursuant to subsection
 7c7 for grants to eligible recipients  
7as described in section #bbijg7;b7 of  
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code7 to    
improve grade crossing safety in        
counties with #aj or fewer residents per
 square mile4 ,the ,secretary shall     
prioritize the projects receiving grants
 under this subsection in accordance    
with the criteria set forth in section  
#bbijg7;e7 of title #di1 ,united ,states
 ,code4  7b7 ,priority ,in selecting    
grant recipients under subsection 7a71  
the ,secretary shall prioritize projects
 based on the application of the hazard 
indices and accident prediction formulae
 described in the ,federal ,highway     
,administration's ,highway-,rail        
,crossing ,handbook  7c7 ,funding       
,during each of the fiscal years #bjba  
through #bjbe1 #aj1jjj1jjj of the       
amounts appropriated for grants under   
section #bbijg of title #di1 ,united    
,states ,code1 shall be set aside for   

grants authorized under subsection 7a74 
,the set aside required under this      
subsection shall not overlap with the   
rural set aside required under          
subsection 7g7 of such section #bbijg4  
7d7 ,report ,not later than #c years    
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 the ,secretary of ,transportation 
shall submit a report to the ,committee 
on ,commerce1 ,science1 and             
,transportation of the ,senate and the  
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure of the ,house of        
,representatives that describes the     
implementation of this section4