[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6707 Reported in House (RH)]
Union Calendar No. 576
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6707
[Report No. 110-893]
To require Surface Transportation Board consideration of the impacts of
certain railroad transactions on local communities, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
July 31, 2008
Mr. Oberstar (for himself, Ms. Bean, Mrs. Biggert, Mr. Visclosky, Mr.
Foster, Mr. Manzullo, Mr. Roskam, Mr. Hobson, Mr. Neal of
Massachusetts, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Kagen, Mr. Kind, Ms.
Wasserman Schultz, Ms. Castor, Ms. Berkley, Ms. Hooley, Mr. Braley of
Iowa, Ms. Pryce of Ohio, Mr. Gilchrest, Mr. LaHood, and Mr. Cramer)
introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure
September 26, 2008
Additional sponsors: Mr. Holden, and Ms. Norton
September 26, 2008
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed
[Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed
in italic]
[For text of introduced bill, see copy of bill as introduced on July
31, 2008]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require Surface Transportation Board consideration of the impacts of
certain railroad transactions on local communities, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Taking Responsible Action for
Community Safety Act''.
SEC. 2. EFFECT OF MERGERS ON LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND RAIL PASSENGER
TRANSPORTATION.
Section 11324 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)--
(A) by striking the last sentence and inserting
``The Board shall hold public hearings on the proposed
transaction, including public hearings in the affected
communities, unless the Board determines that public
hearings are not necessary in the public interest.'';
(2) in subsection (b)--
(A) by striking ``which involves the merger or
control of at least two Class I railroads,'' and
inserting ``with respect to a transaction that involves
at least one Class I railroad,'';
(B) by inserting ``the effect on the public
interest, including'' after ``the Board shall
consider'';
(C) in paragraph (2), by striking ``on the public
interest'';
(D) by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph
(4);
(E) by striking the period at the end of paragraph
(5) and inserting a semicolon; and
(F) by adding at the end the following new
paragraphs:
``(6) the safety and environmental effects of the proposed
transaction, including the effects on local communities, such
as public safety, grade crossing safety, hazardous materials
transportation safety, emergency response time, noise, and
socioeconomic impacts; and
``(7) the effect of the proposed transaction on intercity
rail passenger transportation and commuter rail passenger
transportation, as defined by section 24102 of this title.'';
(3) by redesignating subsections (c), (d), (e), and (f) as
subsections (d), (e), (f), and (g) and inserting a new
subsection (c) as follows:
``(c) The Board shall approve and authorize a transaction under
this section when it finds the transaction is consistent with the
public interest. The Board shall not approve a transaction described in
subsection (b) if it finds that the transaction's impacts on safety and
on all affected communities, as defined under subsection (b), outweigh
the transportation benefits of the transaction. The Board may impose
conditions governing a transaction under this section, including
conditions to mitigate the effects of the transaction on local
communities.'';
(4) in subsection (d), as redesignated, by striking ``The
Board shall approve'' and all that follows through ``the
transaction, including'' and inserting ``The conditions the
Board may impose under this section include''; and
(5) in subsection (e), as redesignated, by striking ``the
merger or control of at least two Class I railroads, as defined
by the Board'' and inserting ``a transaction described in
subsection (b)''.
SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
The amendments made in this Act shall be applied to all
transactions that have not been approved by the Board as of August 1,
2008.
Union Calendar No. 576
110th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6707
[Report No. 110-893]
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To require Surface Transportation Board consideration of the impacts of
certain railroad transactions on local communities, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
September 26, 2008
Reported with an amendment, committed to the Committee of the Whole
House on the State of the Union, and ordered to be printed