Railway Inspection and Transparency Act

Railway Inspection and Transparency Act - Directs the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to require each railroad carrier to arrange for an independent inspection by a professional engineer of: (1) all railroad bridges at least biennially, and (2) all railroad signals and switches at least semiannually.

Requires: (1) each railroad carrier to provide inspection results to the FRA, and (2) the FRA to make those results available to the public.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3551 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3551

   To require the periodic inspection of certain railroad facilities.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 20, 2013

 Mr. Andrews introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To require the periodic inspection of certain railroad facilities.

    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 ``Railway Inspection and Transparency 
Act''.

SEC. 2. INSPECTION OF RAILROAD FACILITIES.

    (a) Requirement.--The Federal Railroad Administration shall require 
each railroad carrier to arrange for an independent inspection by a 
professional engineer of--
            (1) all railroad bridges owned or leased by that railroad 
        carrier at least once every 2 years; and
            (2) all railroad signals and switches owned or leased by 
        that railroad carrier at least once every 6 months.
    (b) Documentation.--Each railroad carrier shall provide to the 
Federal Railroad Administration documentation of the results of 
inspections carried out under subsection (a). The Federal Railroad 
Administration shall make such documentation available to the public.
    (c) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Independent inspection.--The term ``independent 
        inspection'' means an inspection conducted by a professional 
        engineer that is not employed by the railroad carrier or the 
        Federal Railroad Administration.
            (2) Professional engineer.--The term ``professional 
        engineer'' means an individual who--
                    (A) is currently registered as a professional 
                engineer or structural engineer by a State, the 
                District of Columbia, or a territory, commonwealth, or 
                possession of the United States; and
                    (B) has expertise in railroad operations.
            (3) Railroad carrier.--The term ``railroad carrier'' has 
        the meaning given that term in section 20102 of title 49, 
        United States Code.
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