SF 503: Relating to the closure of railway crossings for repairs or upgrades, and making penalties applicable

What it does

25 is subject to a $100 penalty. This bill prohibits a railroad corporation from closing a railway crossing for more than consecutive days for the purpose of repairing or upgrading the crossing, and a corporation is subject to a penalty of not less than $500 nor more than $5,000 for each day a crossing is closed after the number of days allowed in the bill. The bill requires a railroad corporation to provide notice about an upcoming crossing closure to the county board of supervisors or city council that has jurisdiction over the crossing, prior to closing the crossing.

Senate subcommittee · named January 10, 2024

• Sen. Tom Shipley (R) · tom.shipley@legis.iowa.gov
• Sen. Claire Celsi (D)
• Sen. Scott Webster (R) · scott.webster@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. March 2, 2023Filed in the Senate
2. March 2, 2023Approved by the Senate committee
3. June 5, 2023Sent to the Senate Transportation committee
4. January 10, 2024Senate subcommittee named: Shipley, Celsi and Webster
5. January 18, 2024Subcommittee recommended passing it with changes
6. January 25, 2024Approved by the Senate committee, and given a new number: SF 2111