Senate File 39 - Introduced SENATE FILE 39 BY SHIPLEY A BILL FOR An Act relating to required railway crossing signs, signals, 1 and gate arms. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1880XS (3) 91 th/ns
S.F. 39 Section 1. Section 327G.2, Code 2025, is amended to read as 1 follows: 2 327G.2 Crossings signs , gate arms, and signals . 3 1. Every Notwithstanding the requirements under section 4 327G.15, every railroad corporation constructing or operating 5 a railway shall make and construct at all points where such 6 railway crosses any public road good, sufficient, and safe 7 crossings , and erect at such points, at a sufficient elevation 8 from such road as to admit a free passage of vehicles of every 9 kind, a sign at least two signs with large and distinct letters 10 placed thereon , and install a sufficient number of gate arms, 11 gate arm signals, and crossing signal lights designed to flash 12 when a train approaches a crossing, to give notice of the 13 proximity of the railway , and warn persons of the necessity 14 of looking out for trains. The railroad corporation is 15 responsible for all costs associated with complying with this 16 subsection. 17 2. Any railway company railroad corporation neglecting or 18 refusing to comply with the provisions of this section shall be 19 liable for all damages sustained by reason of such refusal or 20 neglect, and it shall only be necessary, in order to recover, 21 for the injured party to prove such neglect or refusal. 22 EXPLANATION 23 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 24 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 25 Under current law, wherever a railway track crosses a 26 highway, street, or alley, the railroad corporation owning 27 such track and the applicable governmental entity with 28 jurisdiction over the crossed highway, street, or alley may 29 agree upon the location, manner, vacation, physical structure, 30 characteristics, and maintenance of the crossing and flasher 31 lights or gate arm signals at the crossing and the allocation 32 of associated costs thereof (Code section 327G.15). In 33 addition, every corporation constructing or operating a railway 34 is required to make and construct at all points where such 35 -1- LSB 1880XS (3) 91 th/ns 1/ 2
S.F. 39 railway crosses any public road good, sufficient, and safe 1 crossings and erect at such points, at a sufficient elevation 2 from such road as to admit a free passage of vehicles of every 3 kind, a sign with large and distinct letters placed thereon, to 4 give notice of the proximity of the railway, and warn persons 5 of the necessity of looking out for trains. 6 This bill requires a railroad corporation constructing or 7 operating a railway to erect at least two such signs, and 8 install a sufficient number of gate arms, gate arm signals, 9 and crossing signal lights designed to flash when a train 10 approaches a crossing, to give notice of the proximity of the 11 railway and warn persons of the necessity of looking out for 12 trains. The bill provides that the railroad corporation is 13 responsible for all associated costs. 14 -2- LSB 1880XS (3) 91 th/ns 2/ 2