Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland House Bill HB1446 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1
2	2
3	3	EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
4	4	[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
5	5	hb1446
6	6
7	7	HOUSE BILL 1446
8	8	K3 4lr3071
9	9	CF SB 1060
10	10	By: Delegate Stein
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 9, 2024
12	12	Assigned to: Environment and Transportation
13	13
14	14	A BILL ENTITLED
15	15
16	16	AN ACT concerning 1
17	17
18	18	Railroads – Safety Requirements 2
19	19	(Maryland Railway Safety Act of 2024) 3
20	20
21	21	FOR the purpose of establishing requirements and prohibitions related to the operation of 4
22	22	railroads in the State, including provisions related to the size of the crew, wayside 5
23	23	detectors, and investigations by railroad labor union representatives; requiring the 6
24	24	Commissioner of Labor and Industry to establish and maintain a database regarding 7
25	25	the transportation of hazardous materials and waste by rail in the State; and 8
26	26	generally relating to safety requirements for railroads. 9
27	27
28	28	BY adding to 10
29	29	Article – Labor and Employment 11
30	30	Section 5.5–110(e), 5.5–110.1, 5.5–111.1, and 5.5–113.1 12
31	31	Annotated Code of Maryland 13
32	32	(2016 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 14
33	33
34	34	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 15
35	35	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 16
36	36
37	37	Article – Labor and Employment 17
38	38
39	39	5.5–110. 18
40	40
41	41	(E) (1) THIS SUBSECTION APPLI ES TO A TRAIN OR LIG HT ENGINE USED IN 19
42	42	CONNECTION WITH THE MOVEMENT OF RAILROAD FREIGHT. 20
43	43
44	44	(2) THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A TRAIN OR LIGHT ENGINE 21
45	45	USED IN CONNECTION W ITH THE MOVEMENT OF RAILROAD FREIGHT INV OLVING: 22
46	46
47	47	(I) HOSTLER SERVICE ; OR 23 2 HOUSE BILL 1446
48	48
49	49
50	50
51	51	(II) UTILITY EMPLOYEES IN YARD SERVICE. 1
52	52
53	53	(3) A TRAIN OR LIGHT ENGIN E USED IN CO NNECTION WITH THE 2
54	54	MOVEMENT OF RAILROAD FREIGHT MAY NOT BE O PERATED IN THE STATE UNLESS 3
55	55	THE TRAIN OR LIGHT E NGINE HAS A CREW OF AT LEAST TWO INDIVID UALS. 4
56	56
57	57	(4) (I) A PERSON WHO WILLFULLY VIOLATES THIS SUBSEC TION IS 5
58	58	SUBJECT TO A CIVIL P ENALTY ASSESSED BY T HE COMMISSIONER OF : 6
59	59
60	60	1. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED I N ITEM 2 OF THIS 7
61	61	SUBPARAGRAPH , A FINE NOT TO EXCEED $10,000; OR 8
62	62
63	63	2. IF THE PERSON PREVIO USLY COMMITTED A WIL LFUL 9
64	64	VIOLATION WITHIN THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G 3 YEARS, A FINE NOT TO EXCEED 10
65	65	$25,000. 11
66	66
67	67	(II) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBPA RAGRAPH (I) OF THIS 12
68	68	PARAGRAPH , A RAILROAD COMPANY S HALL BE SOLELY RESPO NSIBLE FOR THE 13
69	69	ACTIONS OF ITS AGENT S OR EMPLOYEES WHO V IOLATE THIS SUBSECTI ON. 14
70	70
71	71	5.5–110.1. 15
72	72
73	73	(A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ES TABLISH AND MAINTAIN A DATABASE 16
74	74	REGARDING THE TRANSPORTATION O F HAZARDOUS MATERIAL S AND WASTE BY RAIL 17
75	75	IN THE STATE. 18
76	76
77	77	(B) (1) INFORMATION IN THE DA TABASE MAY NOT BE PR OVIDED TO THE 19
78	78	PUBLIC AND IS NOT SU BJECT TO DISCLOSURE UNDER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION 20
79	79	ACT. 21
80	80
81	81	(2) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MA KE INFORMA TION CONTAINED IN 22
82	82	THE DATABASE AVAILAB LE TO: 23
83	83
84	84	(I) THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY 24
85	85	MANAGEMENT ; AND 25
86	86
87	87	(II) THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. 26
88	88
89	89	(C) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AD OPT REGULATIONS TO C ARRY OUT THIS 27
90	90	SECTION, INCLUDING REGULATION S: 28
91	91
92	92	(1) DEFINING THE SUBSTAN CES THAT CONSTITUTE HAZARDOUS 29
93	93	MATERIALS AND HAZARD OUS WASTE; AND 30 HOUSE BILL 1446 3
94	94
95	95
96	96
97	97	(2) ESTABLISHING THE MAN NER IN WHICH RAILROA D COMPANIES 1
98	98	ARE REQUIRED TO REPO RT INFORMATION REGAR DING THE TRANSPORT O F 2
99	99	HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND HAZARDOUS WASTE TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR 3
100	100	INCLUSION IN THE DAT ABASE UNDER THIS SEC TION. 4
101	101
102	102	5.5–111.1. 5
103	103
104	104	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 6
105	105	INDICATED. 7
106	106
107	107	(2) “EQUIPMENT DEFECT ” MEANS: 8
108	108
109	109	(I) A HOT WHEEL; 9
110	110
111	111	(II) A HOT WHEEL BEARING ; 10
112	112
113	113	(III) A WHEEL BEARING THAT SHOWS OR OTHERWISE I NDICATES 11
114	114	SIGNS OF FAILING; 12
115	115
116	116	(IV) DRAGGING EQUIPMENT ; 13
117	117
118	118	(V) EXCESSIVE TRAIN CAR HEIGHT OR WEIGHT ; 14
119	119
120	120	(VI) A SHIFTED LOAD ; 15
121	121
122	122	(VII) A LOW AIR HOSE; 16
123	123
124	124	(VIII) A RAIL TEMPERATURE D EFECT; OR 17
125	125
126	126	(IX) A WHEEL CO NDITION DEFECT . 18
127	127
128	128	(3) (I) “WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYST EM” MEANS AN ELECTRONIC 19
129	129	DEVICE OR A SERIES O F CONNECTED OR NETWO RKED DEVICES THAT SC AN PASSING 20
130	130	TRAINS, ROLLING STOCK , AND ON–TRACK EQUIPMENT FOR DEFECTS AND 21
131	131	IMMEDIATELY TRANSMIT AN ALERT INDICATING THE DETECTION OF THE DEFECT T O 22
132	132	THE OPERATOR OF THE TRAIN, ROLLING STOCK , OR ON–TRACK EQUIPMENT . 23
133	133
134	134	(II) “WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYST EM” INCLUDES DEVICES 24
135	135	CAPABLE OF: 25
136	136
137	137	1. TEMPERATURE DETECTIO N; 26
138	138	4 HOUSE BILL 1446
139	139
140	140
141	141	2. ACOUSTIC DETECTION ; 1
142	142
143	143	3. DRAGGING EQUIPMENT D ETECTION; 2
144	144
145	145	4. IMPACT DETECTION ; AND 3
146	146
147	147	5. OPTICAL MONITORING . 4
148	148
149	149	(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO A RAILROAD C OMPANY THAT OWNS OR 5
150	150	IS OTHERWISE RESPONS IBLE FOR A RAILROAD TRACK THAT THE FEDERAL 6
151	151	RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION HAS DE SIGNATED CLASS IV OR GREATER. 7
152	152
153	153	(C) (1) EACH RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL INSTALL A WAYSIDE DETECTOR 8
154	154	SYSTEM ON RAILROAD T RACKS OWNED OR OTHER WISE UNDER THE RESPO NSIBILITY 9
155	155	OF THE RAILROAD COMP ANY THAT THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION HAS 10
156	156	DESIGNATED CLASS IV OR GREATER. 11
157	157
158	158	(2) (I) EACH RAILROAD COMPANY SHALL INSTALL , MAINTAIN, 12
159	159	REPAIR, AND OPERATE EACH WAY SIDE DETECTOR SYSTEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH 13
160	160	ALL APPLICABLE GUIDE LINES AND REGULATION S ADOPTED BY THE FED ERAL 14
161	161	DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION . 15
162	162
163	163	(II) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL REMOVE AND REPLAC E AN 16
164	164	EXPIRED, BROKEN, OR OBSOLETE WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYSTEM OR P ART OF A 17
165	165	WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYS TEM. 18
166	166
167	167	(III) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL PLACE EACH WAYSID E 19
168	168	DETECTOR SYSTEM AT A N APPROPRIATE DISTAN CE, AS DETERMINED BY THE 20
169	169	COMMISSIONER , FROM OTHER WAYSIDE D ETECTOR SYSTEMS AND AT A LOCATION 21
170	170	THAT WILL ALLOW A TR AIN OPERATOR SUFFICI ENT TIME TO: 22
171	171
172	172	1. RESPOND TO AN ALERT RECEIVED FROM THE 23
173	173	WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYS TEM; 24
174	174
175	175	2. IF NECESSARY, STOP THE TRAIN, ROLLING STOCK , OR 25
176	176	ON–TRACK EQUIPMENT ; AND 26
177	177
178	178	3. IF NECESSARY , MAKE REPAIRS OR REM OVE 27
179	179	EQUIPMENT THAT IS FO UND BY THE TRAIN OPE RATOR TO BE DEFECTIV E. 28
180	180
181	181	(3) (I) EACH RAILROAD COMPANY SHALL ESTABLISH WRIT TEN 29
182	182	POLICIES AND TRAININ G REQUIREMENTS FOR T HE RAILROAD COMPANY ’S 30
183	183	EMPLOYEES FOR : 31 HOUSE BILL 1446 5
184	184
185	185
186	186
187	187	1. MONITORING FOR ALERT S FROM WAYSIDE DETEC TOR 1
188	188	SYSTEMS; 2
189	189
190	190	2. RESPONDING TO ALERTS RECEIVED FROM WAYSID E 3
191	191	DETECTOR SYSTEMS ; AND 4
192	192
193	193	3. ADDRESSING DEFECTS . 5
194	194
195	195	(II) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL MONITOR THE RESPO NSE OF 6
196	196	THE RAILROAD COMPANY ’S EMPLOYEES TO ALERT S RECEIVED FROM WAYS IDE 7
197	197	DETECTOR SYSTEMS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTIONS IF AN EMPLOYEE FAILS TO 8
198	198	TAKE THE REQUIRED CO URSE OF ACTION . 9
199	199
200	200	(D) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ES TABLISH A PROCESS FO R CERTIFYING 10
201	201	THAT EACH RAILROAD C OMPANY HAS INSTALLED WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYS TEMS ON 11
202	202	TRACKS IN THE STATE AS REQUIRED UND ER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 12
203	203
204	204	(E) (1) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL IN VESTIGATE ALLEGED VI OLATIONS 13
205	205	OF THIS SECTION. 14
206	206
207	207	(2) (I) IF THE COMMISSIONER DETERMIN ES THAT A RAILROAD 15
208	208	COMPANY HAS VIOLATED THIS SECTION OR VIOL ATED REGULATIONS ADO PTED BY 16
209	209	THE COMMISSIONER UND ER THIS SECTION , THE COMMISSIONER SHALL IS SUE A 17
210	210	WRITTEN REPORT TO TH E RAILROAD COMPANY : 18
211	211
212	212	1. DETAILING THE REASON S FOR FINDING THAT A 19
213	213	VIOLATION HAS OCCURR ED; AND 20
214	214
215	215	2. ORDERING THE RAILROA D COMPANY TO CORRECT 21
216	216	THE VIOLATION WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER THE RE PORT IS ISSUED. 22
217	217
218	218	(II) IF THE COMMISSIONER ISSUES A REPORT UNDER 23
219	219	SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SU BMIT THE 24
220	220	REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 25
221	221	GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 26
222	222
223	223	(F) (1) A RAILROAD COMPANY THA T FAILS TO CORRECT A VIOLATION 27
224	224	WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER ISSUANCE OF A REPORT BY THE COMMISSIONER UNDER 28
225	225	SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION IS S UBJECT TO A CIVIL FI NE NOT EXCEEDING 29
226	226	$10,000 TO BE ASSESSED BY TH E COMMISSIONER . 30
227	227
228	228	(2) EACH DAY THAT THE PERSON FA ILS TO CORRECT A VIO LATION 31 6 HOUSE BILL 1446
229	229
230	230
231	231	AFTER THE 60–DAY PERIOD SHALL CON STITUTE A SEPARATE V IOLATION. 1
232	232
233	233	(G) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AD OPT REGULATIONS TO C ARRY OUT THIS 2
234	234	SECTION. 3
235	235
236	236	5.5–113.1. 4
237	237
238	238	(A) IN THIS SECTION, “AUTHORIZED RAILROAD UNION REPRESENTATIVE ” 5
239	239	MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL SELECTED BY THE HEAD OF A LABOR UNION WHO SE 6
240	240	MEMBERS ARE EMPLOYED TO WORK IN THE STATE BY A RAILROAD C OMPANY. 7
241	241
242	242	(B) (1) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL ALLOW UP TO TWO A UTHORIZED 8
243	243	RAILROAD UNION REPRE SENTATIVES FOR EACH UNION REP RESENTING THE 9
244	244	RAILROAD COMPANY ’S EMPLOYEES REASONAB LE ACCESS TO ALL PRO PERTY OWNED 10
245	245	OR LEASED BY THE RAI LROAD COMPANY FOR TH E PURPOSE OF INVESTI GATING: 11
246	246
247	247	(I) VIOLATIONS OF FEDERA L OR STATE LAWS AND 12
248	248	REGULATIONS ; AND 13
249	249
250	250	(II) SAFETY HAZARDS THAT MAY RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH 14
251	251	TO A RAILROAD EMPLOY EE OR BE CONSIDERED A THREAT TO PUBLIC S AFETY. 15
252	252
253	253	(2) IF AN AUTHORIZED RAIL ROAD UNION REPRESENT ATIVE IS 16
254	254	CONDUCTING AN INVEST IGATION DESCRIBED UN DER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 17
255	255	SUBSECTION, THE RAILROAD COMPANY : 18
256	256
257	257	(I) SHALL ALLOW THE AUTHORI ZED RAILROAD UNION 19
258	258	REPRESENTATIVE TO TA KE PHOTOGRAPHS AND I NVESTIGATE RAILROAD PROPERTY 20
259	259	TO THE EXTENT NECESS ARY TO ENSURE COMPLI ANCE WITH FEDERAL AN D STATE 21
260	260	LAWS AND REGULATIONS ; AND 22
261	261
262	262	(II) MAY NOT ALLEGE THAT THE AUTHORIZED RAILR OAD UNION 23
263	263	REPRESENTATIVE IS TR ESPASSING ON RAILROA D PROPERTY. 24
264	264
265	265	(3) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL BE SOLELY RESPONS IBLE FOR THE 25
266	266	ACTIONS OF ITS AGENT S OR EMPLOYEES WHO V IOLATE THIS SUBSECTI ON. 26
267	267
268	268	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 27
269	269	October 1, 2024. 28
270	270