Press Releases

Last week, Congressman Mike Lawler (NY-17) joined Representatives Chris Deluzio (PA-17), Nick LaLota (NY-01), and more than a dozen of their colleagues who have signed onto the Railway Safety Act.

The Railway Safety Act was introduced as the House companion bill to the bipartisan Senate rail safety measure, led by Pennsylvania’s Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman and Ohio Senators Sherrod Brown and J.D. Vance. The bill would institute requirements for wayside defect detectors, increase fines for wrongdoing committed by rail carriers, enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, establish a permanent requirement for railroads to operate with at least two-person crews, and more. 

The House version of the Railway Safety Act is co-sponsored by the following members: 

· Rep. John Garamendi (D-CA-08)  

· Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) 

· Rep. Bill Posey (R-FL-08) 

· Rep. Don Bacon (R-NE-02) 

· Rep. Christopher H. Smith (R-NJ-04)  

· Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ-05) 

· Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ-10)  

· Rep. George Santos (R-NY-03)  

· Rep. Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY-04) 

· Rep. Michael Lawler (R-NY-17) 

· Rep. Patrick Ryan (D-NY-18) 

· Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09) 

· Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer (R-OR-05) 

· Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA-01) 

· Rep. Madeleine Dean (D-PA-04) 

· Rep. Colin Allred (D-TX-32) 

“From East Palestine to Rockland County, railway incidents have sparked widespread concern and underscored the need for urgent change to ensure the safety of residents. I’m proud to co-sponsor the Railway Safety Act, which has broad bipartisan support across the entire political spectrum,” said Congressman Lawler (R-NY-17). “This critical legislation will enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials, increase fines for safety violations, require well-trained two-person crews aboard every train, provide support for communities impacted by rail disasters, and invest in future safety improvements.” 

“The Norfolk Southern derailment was not just a headline for my constituents in Western Pennsylvania and our neighbors in East Palestine: it was a terrifying day that turned lives and livelihoods upside-down,” said Congressman Deluzio (D-PA-17). “While Norfolk Southern and the big railroads would like Congress and the public to forget this tragedy, the scary truth is that without strong legislation to make freight rail safer, what happened in East Palestine could happen anywhere. We cannot trust the railroads to protect our communities. The Railway Safety Act is gathering bipartisan momentum in the House, with co-sponsors including members of the For Country Caucus, Problem Solvers Caucus, Republican Study Committee, Main Street Caucus, Republican Governance Group, Freedom Caucus, New Democrat Coalition, and Congressional Progressive Caucus. The derailment was more than seven months ago; the people of Beaver County and East Palestine have waited long enough. It is time for congressional leaders to stand up for safety and pass the Railway Safety Act.” 

“More than seven months later, Pennsylvania families, businesses, and first responders are still reeling from the disaster caused by Norfolk Southern’s train derailment,” said Senator Casey (D-PA). “I’m fighting to pass the Railway Safety Act to hold big rail companies accountable for the havoc they wreak on our communities and to ensure no community in America has to endure this crisis ever again.” 

“It’s time for Congress to act on the Railway Safety Actand get this bipartisan bill done,” said Senator Fetterman (D-PA). “This is an opportunity to enact some truly commonsense legislation that would benefit Pennsylvania and the country, and we’ve got to get this across the finish line.” 

“Rail safety isn’t partisan. I’ve said from the beginning, I’ll work with everyone to get this done and make sure disastrous derailments like the one in East Palestine never happen again,” said Senator Brown (D-OH). “We’re building a broad, bipartisan coalition to get our rail safety bill over the finish line. It’s time big rail corporations like Norfolk Southern start reinvesting in their workers and safety to keep our communities safe.” 

“It has been months since the tragedy in East Palestine,”said Congressman LaLota (R-NY-01). “Yet, the federal government has failed to act to protect the American people, communities, and rail workers. If there’s one thing the federal government should be doing, it's keeping Americans safe. Our Railway Safety Act does just that and will ensure working families do not have to foot the bill for these accidents.” 

"After the disastrous Norfolk Southern train derailment, the need for increased rail safety requirements is inarguable," Congresswoman Norton (D-DC) said."As a senior member of the Transportation & Infrastructure Committee, I'm proud to cosponsor Rep. Deluzio's Railway Safety Act, which would institute much-needed rail safety reforms." 

“The Railway Safety Act is crucial legislation that will greatly enhance safety standards for freight rail services, which is a particularly poignant issue in the aftermath of the Norfolk Southern train derailment which exposed glaring deficiencies in rail safety,” said Congressman D’Esposito (R-NY-04). “I am proud to co-sponsor this commonsense bipartisan bill, and will continue advocating for enhanced rail safety standards as a member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.”  

"Big corporations have consistently put profits over safety, leaving everyday Americans to suffer the consequences of their greed. It’s time for that to end,” said Congressman Pat Ryan (D-PA-18), a member of the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “I’m proud to join Congressman Deluzio to pass this crucial legislation to address train derailments once and for all. We must always put the safety of Americans over the greed of corporations.” 

The Railway Safety Act of 2023 is also endorsed by the Transport Workers Union (TWU), The American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA), The Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS), and the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers’ Transportation Division (SMART-TD).  

More specifically, the House version of the Railway Safety Act of 2023 would: 

Enhance safety procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials by:  

• Granting the Department of Transportation the authority to institute and modify new safety requirements and procedures for trains carrying hazardous materials like vinyl chloride.  
• Requiring rail carriers to provide advance notification and information to state emergency response officials about the content and materials that they transport.
• Creating new requirements to prevent blocked railroad crossings.  
• Mitigating derailment risk with rules for train size and weight.
• Increases rail car inspections to ensuring that all rail cars on train carrying hazardous materials are inspected by a qualified rail car inspector at regular intervals.  

Reduce the risk of wheel bearing failures by:  

• Establishing requirements for wayside defect detectors.  
• Requiring trains carrying hazardous materials to be scanned by hotbox detectors every 10 miles.  
• Strengthening inspection requirements for rail cars of trains carrying hazardous materials. 
• Require well-trained two-person crews aboard every train.  

Force rail carriers to face heightened fines for wrongdoing by:  

• Substantially increasing the maximum fine USDOT can issue for safety violations.  

Support communities impacted by rail disasters by:  

• Expanding HAZMAT training grants for local law enforcement and first responders through increased registration fees paid by Class I railroads.  

Invest in future safety improvements by:  

• Providing $22,000,000 to the Federal Railroad Administration for research and development grants regarding wayside defect detectors and other rail priorities.  
• Providing $5,000,000 to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration for expenses related to developing stronger tank car safety features.

Earlier this year, after brushfires sparked by a CSX train erupted across Rockland County, Representative Lawler introduced H.R. 3705, the Helping Oversee and Ward off Infrastructure Emergencies (HOWIE) Act. The HOWIE Act will require rail carriers to report certain damage to the Federal Railroad Administration if such carrier has a reasonable suspicion that it caused such damage. Currently, no such requirement exists and CSX was under no legal obligation to report the damage caused across Rockland County by the brushfires it sparked this spring. As a result, CSX chose not to report that incident. Congressman Lawler is continuing to work with his colleagues on the HOWIE Act, the Railway Safety Act, and additional measures to ensure adequate railway safety measures and the protection of railroad communities.

New York's 17th Congressional District is just north of New York City and contains all or parts of Rockland, Putnam, Dutchess, and Westchester Counties.