SF 337: Requiring the installation and maintenance of train defect detectors on railways, and providing penalties

What it does

This bill requires a railroad company to install and maintain at least one defect detector, as defined in the bill, every miles on or along the railways upon which the company’s trains operate. Railroad companies that operate trains on the same railway may share such costs and are jointly and severally liable in any suit arising from the installation and maintenance of all defect detectors, or lack thereof, on or along the railway. A railroad company that operates a train on a railway that does not have a defect detector installed every miles is subject to a schedule “one” penalty under Code section 327C.5 for every mile of the railway that is more than miles away from a defect detector. A schedule “one” penalty is a fine of $100 per violation.

Senate subcommittee · named February 22, 2023

• Sen. Tom Shipley (R) · tom.shipley@legis.iowa.gov
• Sen. Scott Webster (R) · scott.webster@legis.iowa.gov
• Sen. Cindy Winckler (D) · cindy.winckler@legis.iowa.gov

Lobbying · 2 for, 8 against

For: Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen; SMART-Transportation Division

Against: BNSF Railway Co.; Boone and Scenic Valley Railroad; Burlington Junction Railway; CN Rail; Davenport Industrial Railroad; Iowa Interstate Railroad; Soo Line Railroad Company d/b/a Candian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC); Union Pacific Railroad

In plain words

1. February 20, 2023Filed in the Senate and sent to the Transportation committee
2. February 22, 2023Senate subcommittee named: Shipley, Webster and Winckler
3. February 27, 2023Subcommittee recommended passing it with changes
4. March 2, 2023Approved by the Senate committee, and given a new number: SF 512