Concerning matters relating to the transportation of railroad workers, and providing penalties

An employer is also required to establish a maintenance and repair program that includes inspection of each motor vehicle prior to the first service of the vehicle and at each 25,000-mile interval thereafter, with such inspections focusing on cleanliness and the condition of vehicle parts and accessories specified in the bill. An employer is required to maintain records relating to vehicle maintenance and repair for one year, or for a vehicle no longer in the employer’s control, six months. The bill further requires a motor vehicle used by a railroad worker transportation company to transport railroad workers to have signage on each side and on the rear of the vehicle containing the words “railroad worker transportation company” in letters no smaller than one inch in height. The bill requires an employer to maintain a driver qualification file for each employee that includes specified documentation relating to the employee’s driving record and employment record. The bill states that an employee is disqualified from driving for an employer if the driver is convicted of two or more serious traffic violations committed within three years in Iowa or in any other state. For purposes of the bill, serious traffic violation means any violation committed while operating a motor vehicle if the violation resulted in suspension or revocation of the person’s driver’s license, or certain violations specified in the bill, whether or not the violation resulted in license suspension or revocation. The bill requires drivers to be tested for the presence of alcohol and controlled substances as a condition of employment. In addition, an employer is required to have a driver tested for alcohol and controlled substances following certain accidents occurring in the course of the driver’s employment. Grounds for disqualification of a driver include a test result indicating an alcohol concentration above zero or a controlled substance test result other than a verified negative; refusing to provide a specimen for testing; or adulteration, dilution, or substitution of a specimen. The bill requires an employer to maintain financial liability coverage in the amount of $500,000 per person, up to a maximum of $3 million per motor vehicle owned or operated by the employer, and uninsured, underinsured, and hit-and-run motorist coverage in the same amounts. The bill requires an employer to provide the department of transportation with access to the employer’s facilities and to records relating to accidents involving the employer’s motor vehicles. Pursuant to current law, a violation of the provisions relating to the transportation of railroad workers is punishable by a schedule “one” penalty, which is a fine of $100. The bill allows an additional civil penalty of up to $2,000 to be imposed for any violation of the bill by a railroad company or a railroad worker transportation company. Each violation of the provisions relating to the transportation of railroad workers constitutes a separate and distinct offense, and for violations of a continuing nature, each day that a violation continues constitutes a separate offense.