,,ii  #aahth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #ajdd  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,march #bi1    
#bjbc,mr4 ,schumer 7for ,mr4 ,fetterman 
7for himself1 ,mr4 ,brown1 and ,mr4     
,casey77 introduced the following bill2 
which was read twice and referred to the
 ,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and 
,transportation  ,a ,,bill  ,to improve 
rail safety practices and for other     
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,railway            
,accountability ,act4  #b4 ,broken rim  
derailments  7a7 ,study ,the            
,administrator of the ,federal ,railroad
 ,administration shall conduct a study  
of-- 7#a7 broken rim derailments1       
particularly vertical split rim         
failures1 including-- 7,a7 the causes of
 such derailments and failures2  7,b7   
the effectiveness of current mitigation 
strategies2 and  7,c7 potential new     
mitigation strategies2  7#b7 wheel      
impact load thresholds1 including-- 7,a7
 safe kip thresholds2 and  7,b7         

potential remedial actions that address 
the mechanical condition of tank cars   
used in high-hazard flammable trains2   
7#c7 the deployment of ultrasonic wheel 
crack detection systems2 and  7#d7      
potential regulations that1 if          
promulgated1 would-- 7,a7 result in     
fewer broken rim derailments2 and  7,b7 
improve avoidance or identification of  
mechanical defects4  7b7 ,report ,not   
later than #a year after the date of the
 enactment of this ,act1 the            
,administrator shall submit a report to 
,committee on ,commerce1 ,science1 and  
,transportation of the ,senate and      
,committee on ,transportation and       
,infrastructure of the ,house of        
,representatives containing the results 
of the study conducted pursuant to      
subsection 7a71 including any proposed  
regulations to reduce the frequency of  
broken rim derailments4  #c4 ,train     
consist  7a7 ,rulemaking ,not later than
 #a year after the date of the enactment
 of this ,act1 the ,secretary of        

,transportation shall conduct a review  
of existing regulations relating to the 
practices regarding the establishment of
 a train consist4  7b7 ,written         
switchyard safety protocol plan ,the    
,administrator of the ,federal ,railroad
 ,administration shall issue a          
regulation requiring each railroad to   
prepare and submit to the               
,administrator1 not later than #a year  
after the date of the enactment of this 
,act1 an updated ,risk ,reduction       
,program ,plan that-- 7#a7 documents the
 railroad's standards for train consist 
and safety protocol while trains are in 
the switchyard2 and  7#b7 strives to    
balance derailment risk and rail yard   
employee safety4  #d4 ,brake inspections
 ,after completing the review required  
under section #c7;a77#a71 the ,secretary
 of ,transportation shall issue         
regulations that-- 7#a7 prohibit any    
train from being moved out of the       
switchyard before all required brake    
inspections of such train have been     

completed2  7#b7 prohibit conducting    
brake inspections of a train while such 
train is in motion2 and  7#c7 allow only
 the qualified mechanical inspector 7as 
defined in section #bcb4e of title #di1 
,code of ,federal ,regulations7 assigned
 to inspect a locomotive or rail car to 
sign off on-- 7,a7 the ,form ,,fra      
,f#fahj-di;,a 7commonly known as the    
blue card7 relating to locomotive       
inspections2 and  7,b7 the satisfactory 
,class ,i brake inspection of           
end-of-train device form relating to    
rail car inspections4  #e4 ,safety      
waivers  7a7 ,in general ,the           
,administrator of the ,federal ,railroad
 ,administration shall post1 on a       
publicly accessible website1 a list of  
all active safety waivers granted by the
 ,federal ,railroad ,administration to  
,class ,i railroads pursuant to its     
authority under section #bjajc7;d7 of   
title #di1 ,united ,states ,code1       
relating to brake procedures1 unequipped
 locomotives1 brake inspection          

requirements1 and safety training for   
rail labor employees4  7b7 ,contents    
,the ,administrator shall include1 on   
the posting required under subsection   
7a71 a summary of the waivers described 
in subsection 7a71 including-- 7#a7 the 
number of active waivers2  7#b7 the     
number of such waivers that have been   
extended beyond their original          
termination date2  7#c7 the average     
duration of each such waiver2 and  7#d7 
a summary of the regulations that were  
so waived4  #f4 ,proper functioning of  
emergency brake signals ,the            
,administrator of the ,federal ,railroad
 ,administration shall amend part #bcb  
of title #di1 ,code of ,federal         
,regulations1 to require-- 7#a7 more    
frequent communication checks between a 
head-of-train device and an end-of-train
 device2 and  7#b7 repetition of the    
emergency brake signal transmission     
until it is received by the end-of-train
 device4  #g4 ,confidential ,close ,call
 ,reporting ,system ,not later than #f  

months after the date of the enactment  
of this ,act1 any ,class ,i railroad    
that was ordered to pay the maximum     
civil penalty for any violation of a    
rail safety regulation set forth in     
section #eabc7;a7 of title #di1 ,united 
,states ,code1 or in chapter #bja1 #bjc1
 #bjd1 #bje1 #bjf1 #bjg1 #bjh1 #bji1 or 
#baa during the #ae-year period         
immediately preceding such date of      
enactment shall join and actively       
participate in the ,confidential ,close 
,call ,reporting ,system 7commonly known
 as ,c#c,,rs74  #h4 ,required warning   
equipment and lookouts ,all railroads   
shall provide warning equipment to      
railroad watchmen and lookouts for      
roadway workers1 which-- 7#a7 may       
include whistles1 air horns1 white      
disks1 red flags1 lanterns1 and fuses2  
and  7#b7 may not include the use of    
verbal warnings4