S576-118

Reported

To enhance safety requirements for trains transporting hazardous materials, and for other purposes.

118th Congress Introduced Mar 1, 2023

At a Glance

Read full bill text

Legislative Progress

Reported
Introduced Committee Passed
Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Dec 13, 2023

Reported by Ms. Cantwell, with an amendment

Summary

What This Bill Does

Requires DOT to issue comprehensive safety regulations within one year for trains transporting hazardous materials, including requirements for advance notification to state emergency response officials, gas discharge plans, and reduced blocked crossings.

Who Benefits and How

Communities along rail lines benefit from improved hazmat safety. State and tribal emergency responders receive advance notification of hazmat shipments. Local governments benefit from reduced blocked crossings.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Rail carriers face new operational requirements on train length, speed, and maintenance. Shippers must provide advance notification and gas discharge plans. Railroads bear compliance costs for track, bridge, and rail car maintenance.

Key Provisions

  • One-year deadline for new safety regulations
  • Advance notification to state emergency response commissioners
  • Written gas discharge plans required for hazmat shipments
  • Requirements for train length, weight, speed, and track standards
Model: claude-opus-4
Generated: Jan 10, 2026 17:50

Evidence Chain:

This summary is derived from the structured analysis below. See "Detailed Analysis" for per-title beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.

Primary Purpose

Enhances safety requirements for trains transporting hazardous materials, responding to derailment concerns

Policy Domains

Transportation Rail Safety Hazardous Materials Emergency Response

Legislative Strategy

"Improve rail safety through comprehensive hazmat regulations"

Bill Structure & Actor Mappings

Who is "The Secretary" in each section?

Domains
Transportation Rail Safety
Actor Mappings
"the_secretary"
→ Secretary of Transportation

We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.

Learn more about our methodology