Maryland 2024 Regular Session

Maryland Senate Bill SB1060 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	sb1060
6	6
7	7	SENATE BILL 1060
8	8	K3 4lr2766
9	9	CF 4lr3071
10	10	By: Senators Ellis and Augustine
11	11	Introduced and read first time: February 2, 2024
12	12	Assigned to: Finance
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, the 5
23	23	blocking of highway grade crossings, wayside detectors, and investigations by 6
24	24	railroad labor union representatives; requiring the Commission of Labor and 7
25	25	Industry to establish and maintain a database regarding the transportation of 8
26	26	hazardous materials and waste by rail in the State; and generally relating to safety 9
27	27	requirements for railroads. 10
28	28
29	29	BY adding to 11
30	30	Article – Labor and Employment 12
31	31	Section 5.5–110(e), 5.5–110.1, 5.5–110.2, 5.5–111.1, and 5.5–113.1 13
32	32	Annotated Code of Maryland 14
33	33	(2016 Replacement Volume and 2023 Supplement) 15
34	34
35	35	SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16
36	36	That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17
37	37
38	38	Article – Labor and Employment 18
39	39
40	40	5.5–110. 19
41	41
42	42	(E) (1) THIS SUBSECTION APPLI ES TO A TRAIN OR LIG HT ENGINE USED IN 20
43	43	CONNECTION WITH THE MOVEMENT OF RAILROAD FREIGHT. 21
44	44
45	45	(2) THIS SUBSECTION DOES NOT APPLY TO A TRAIN OR LIGHT ENGINE 22
46	46	USED IN CONNECTION W ITH THE MOVEMENT OF RAILROAD FREIGHT INV OLVING: 23
47	47	2 SENATE BILL 1060
48	48
49	49
50	50	(I) HOSTLER SERVICE ; OR 1
51	51
52	52	(II) UTILITY EMPLOYEES IN YARD SERVICE. 2
53	53
54	54	(3) A TRAIN OR LIGHT ENGIN E USED IN CONNECTION WITH THE 3
55	55	MOVEMENT OF RAILROAD FREIGHT MAY NOT BE O PERATED IN THE STATE UNLESS 4
56	56	THE TRAIN OR LIGHT E NGINE HAS A CREW OF AT LEAST TWO INDIVID UALS. 5
57	57
58	58	(4) (I) A PERSON WHO WILLFULLY VIOLATES THIS SUBSE CTION IS 6
59	59	SUBJECT TO A CIVIL PENALTY ASSESS ED BY THE COMMISSIONER OF: 7
60	60
61	61	1. EXCEPT AS PROVIDED I N ITEM 2 OF THIS 8
62	62	SUBPARAGRAPH , A FINE NOT TO EXCEED $10,000; OR 9
63	63
64	64	2. IF THE PERSON PREVIO USLY COMMITTED A WIL LFUL 10
65	65	VIOLATION WITHIN THE IMMEDIATELY PRECEDIN G 3 YEARS, A FINE NOT TO EXCEED 11
66	66	$25,000. 12
67	67
68	68	(II) NOTWITHSTANDING SUBPA RAGRAPH (I) OF THIS 13
69	69	PARAGRAPH , A RAILROAD COMPANY S HALL BE SOLELY RESPO NSIBLE FOR THE 14
70	70	ACTIONS OF ITS AGENT S OR EMPLOYEES WHO VIOLATE THIS SUBSECTION . 15
71	71
72	72	5.5–110.1. 16
73	73
74	74	(A) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ESTABLISH AND MAINTAIN A DATABASE 17
75	75	REGARDING THE TRANSP ORTATION OF HAZARDOU S MATERIALS AND WASTE BY RAIL 18
76	76	IN THE STATE. 19
77	77
78	78	(B) (1) INFORMATION IN THE DA TABASE MAY NOT BE PROVIDED TO THE 20
79	79	PUBLIC AND IS NOT SU BJECT TO DISCLOSURE UNDER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION 21
80	80	ACT. 22
81	81
82	82	(2) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL MA KE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN 23
83	83	THE DATABASE AVAILAB LE TO: 24
84	84
85	85	(I) THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY 25
86	86	MANAGEMENT ; AND 26
87	87
88	88	(II) THE FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY. 27
89	89
90	90	(C) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AD OPT REGULATIONS TO C ARRY OUT THIS 28
91	91	SECTION, INCLUDING REGULATION S: 29
92	92
93	93	(1) DEFINING THE SUBSTANCES THAT CONS TITUTE HAZARDOUS 30 SENATE BILL 1060 3
94	94
95	95
96	96	MATERIALS AND HAZARD OUS WASTE; AND 1
97	97
98	98	(2) ESTABLISHING THE MANNER IN WHICH RAILROAD COMPANIES 2
99	99	ARE REQUIRED TO REPO RT INFORMATION REGARDIN G THE TRANSPORT OF 3
100	100	HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND HAZARDOUS WASTE TO THE COMMISSIONER FOR 4
101	101	INCLUSION IN THE DAT ABASE UNDER THIS SECTION . 5
102	102
103	103	5.5–110.2. 6
104	104
105	105	(A) (1) AN OPERATOR OF A TRAIN MAY NOT BLOCK A HIGH WAY GRADE 7
106	106	CROSSING FOR MORE THAN 5 MINUTES WHILE THE TRAIN IS S TANDING, UNLESS THE 8
107	107	TRAIN IS A PASSENGER TR AIN AND IS BOARDING OR DISCHARGING PASSE NGERS. 9
108	108
109	109	(2) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION 10
110	110	IS SUBJECT TO A CIVI L FINE NOT EXCEEDING $5,000 PER VIOLATION TO BE 11
111	111	ASSESSED BY THE COMMISSIONER . 12
112	112
113	113	(B) (1) A RAILROAD COMPANY MAY NOT OPERATE A TRAIN THAT IS A 13
114	114	FREIGHT TRAIN OR A WORK TRAIN THAT EXCEEDS 8,500 FEET IN LENGTH ON ANY 14
115	115	PART OF A MAIN TRACK OR A BRANCH LINE. 15
116	116
117	117	(2) A PERSON WHO VIOLATES PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS SUBSECTION 16
118	118	IS SUBJECT TO A CIVI L FINE NOT EXCEEDING $10,000 PER VIOLATION TO BE 17
119	119	ASSESSED BY THE COMMISSIONER . 18
120	120
121	121	5.5–111.1. 19
122	122
123	123	(A) (1) IN THIS SECTION THE F OLLOWING WORDS HAVE THE MEANINGS 20
124	124	INDICATED. 21
125	125
126	126	(2) “EQUIPMENT D EFECT” MEANS: 22
127	127
128	128	(I) A HOT WHEEL; 23
129	129
130	130	(II) A HOT WHEEL BEARING ; 24
131	131
132	132	(III) A WHEEL BEARING THAT SHOWS OR OTHERWISE I NDICATES 25
133	133	SIGNS OF FAILING; 26
134	134
135	135	(IV) DRAGGING EQUIPMENT ; 27
136	136
137	137	(V) EXCESSIVE TRAIN CAR HEIGHT OR WEIGHT; 28
138	138	4 SENATE BILL 1060
139	139
140	140
141	141	(VI) A SHIFTED LOAD ; 1
142	142
143	143	(VII) A LOW AIR HOSE; 2
144	144
145	145	(VIII) A RAIL TEMPERATURE D EFECT; OR 3
146	146
147	147	(IX) A WHEEL CONDITION DE FECT. 4
148	148
149	149	(3) (I) “WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYST EM” MEANS AN ELECTRONIC 5
150	150	DEVICE OR A SERIES O F CONNECTED OR NETWO RKED DEVICES THAT SC AN PASSING 6
151	151	TRAINS, ROLLING STOCK , AND ON–TRACK EQUIPMENT FOR DEFECTS AND 7
152	152	IMMEDIATELY TRANSMIT AN ALERT INDICATING THE DETECTION OF THE DEF ECT TO 8
153	153	THE OPERATOR OF THE TRAIN , ROLLING STOCK , OR ON–TRACK EQUIPMENT . 9
154	154
155	155	(II) “WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYST EM” INCLUDES DEVICES 10
156	156	CAPABLE OF: 11
157	157
158	158	1. TEMPERATURE DETECTIO N; 12
159	159
160	160	2. ACOUSTIC DETECTION ; 13
161	161
162	162	3. DRAGGING EQUIPMENT D ETECTION; 14
163	163
164	164	4. IMPACT DETECTION ; AND 15
165	165
166	166	5. OPTICAL MONITORING . 16
167	167
168	168	(B) THIS SECTION APPLIES ONLY TO A RAILROAD C OMPANY THAT OWNS OR 17
169	169	IS OTHERWISE RESPONS IBLE FOR A RAILROAD TRACK THAT THE FEDERAL 18
170	170	RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION HAS DE SIGNATED CLASS IV OR GREATER. 19
171	171
172	172	(C) (1) EACH RAILROAD COMPANY SHALL INSTALL A WAYS IDE DETECTOR 20
173	173	SYSTEM ON RAILROAD T RACKS OWNED OR OTHER WISE UNDER THE RESPO NSIBILITY 21
174	174	OF THE RAILROAD COMP ANY THAT THE FEDERAL RAILROAD ADMINISTRATION HAS 22
175	175	DESIGNATED CLASS IV OR GREATER. 23
176	176
177	177	(2) (I) EACH RAILROAD COMPANY SHALL INSTALL , MAINTAIN, 24
178	178	REPAIR, AND OPERATE EACH WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYS TEM IN ACCORDANCE WITH 25
179	179	ALL APPLICABLE GUIDE LINES AND REGULATION S ADOPTED BY THE FEDERAL 26
180	180	DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION . 27
181	181
182	182	(II) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL REMOVE AND REPLACE AN 28
183	183	EXPIRED, BROKEN, OR OBSOLETE WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYSTEM OR P ART OF A 29 SENATE BILL 1060 5
184	184
185	185
186	186	WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYS TEM. 1
187	187
188	188	(III) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL PLACE EACH WAYSIDE 2
189	189	DETECTOR SYSTEM AT AN APPROPRIATE DI STANCE, AS DETERMINED BY THE 3
190	190	COMMISSIONER , FROM OTHER WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYSTEMS AND AT A LOCATION 4
191	191	THAT WILL ALLOW A TRAIN OPERAT OR SUFFICIENT TIME T O: 5
192	192
193	193	1. RESPOND TO AN ALERT RECEIVED FROM THE 6
194	194	WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYS TEM; 7
195	195
196	196	2. IF NECESSARY, STOP THE TRAIN, ROLLING STOCK , OR 8
197	197	ON–TRACK EQUIPMENT ; AND 9
198	198
199	199	3. IF NECESSARY, MAKE REPAIRS OR REMOVE 10
200	200	EQUIPMENT THAT IS FO UND BY THE TRAIN OPE RATOR TO BE DEFECTIV E. 11
201	201
202	202	(3) (I) EACH RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL ESTABLISH WRITTEN 12
203	203	POLICIES AND TRAINING REQUIRE MENTS FOR THE RAILRO AD COMPANY ’S 13
204	204	EMPLOYEES FOR : 14
205	205
206	206	1. MONITORING FOR ALERTS FROM WAYSIDE DETECTOR 15
207	207	SYSTEMS; 16
208	208
209	209	2. RESPONDING TO ALERTS RECEIVED FROM WAYSID E 17
210	210	DETECTOR SYSTEMS ; AND 18
211	211
212	212	3. ADDRESSING DEFECTS . 19
213	213
214	214	(II) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL MONITOR THE RESPO NSE OF 20
215	215	THE RAILROAD COMPANY ’S EMPLOYEES TO ALERT S RECEIVED FROM W AYSIDE 21
216	216	DETECTOR SYSTEMS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACT IONS IF AN EMPLOYEE FAILS TO 22
217	217	TAKE THE REQUIRED CO URSE OF ACTION . 23
218	218
219	219	(D) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ES TABLISH A PROCESS FO R CERTIFYING 24
220	220	THAT EACH RAILROAD C OMPANY HAS INSTALLED WAYSIDE DETECTOR SYS TEMS ON 25
221	221	TRACKS IN THE STATE AS REQUIRED UND ER SUBSECTION (C) OF THIS SECTION. 26
222	222
223	223	(E) (1) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL IN VESTIGATE ALLEGED VIOLATIONS 27
224	224	OF THIS SECTION. 28
225	225
226	226	(2) (I) IF THE COMMISSIONER DETERMIN ES THAT A RAILROAD 29
227	227	COMPANY HAS VIOLATED THIS SECTION OR VIOLATED REGULATIONS ADOPTED BY 30
228	228	THE COMMISSIONER UNDER TH IS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ISSUE A 31 6 SENATE BILL 1060
229	229
230	230
231	231	WRITTEN REPORT TO THE RAILROAD COMPANY : 1
232	232
233	233	1. DETAILING THE REASONS FOR FINDING THAT A 2
234	234	VIOLATION HAS OCCURRED ; AND 3
235	235
236	236	2. ORDERING THE RAILROA D COMPANY TO CORRE CT 4
237	237	THE VIOLATION WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER THE REPOR T IS ISSUED. 5
238	238
239	239	(II) IF THE COMMISSIONER ISSUES A REPORT UNDE R 6
240	240	SUBPARAGRAPH (I) OF THIS PARAGRAPH , THE COMMISSIONER SHALL SUBMIT THE 7
241	241	REPORT TO THE GOVERNOR AND , IN ACCORDANCE WITH § 2–1257 OF THE STATE 8
242	242	GOVERNMENT ARTICLE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY. 9
243	243
244	244	(F) (1) A RAILROAD COMPANY THAT FAILS TO CORRECT A VIOLATI ON 10
245	245	WITHIN 60 DAYS AFTER ISSUANCE OF A REPORT BY THE COMMISSIONER UNDER 11
246	246	SUBSECTION (E) OF THIS SECTION IS SUBJECT TO A CIVI L FINE NOT EXCEEDING 12
247	247	$10,000 TO BE ASSESSED BY TH E COMMISSIONER . 13
248	248
249	249	(2) EACH DAY THAT THE PER SON FAILS TO CORRECT A VIOLATION 14
250	250	AFTER THE 60–DAY PERIOD SHALL CONSTITUTE A S EPARATE VIOLATION . 15
251	251
252	252	(G) THE COMMISSIONER SHALL AD OPT REGULATIONS TO C ARRY OUT THIS 16
253	253	SECTION. 17
254	254
255	255	5.5–113.1. 18
256	256
257	257	(A) IN THIS SECTION, “AUTHORIZED RAILROAD UNION REPRESENTATIVE ” 19
258	258	MEANS AN INDIVIDUAL SELECTED BY THE HEAD OF A LABOR UNION WHO SE 20
259	259	MEMBERS ARE EMPLOYED TO WORK IN THE STATE BY A RAILROAD C OMPANY. 21
260	260
261	261	(B) (1) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL ALLOW UP TO TWO A UTHORIZED 22
262	262	RAILROAD UNION REPRESENTATI VES FOR EACH UNION R EPRESENTING THE 23
263	263	RAILROAD COMPANY ’S EMPLOYEES REASONAB LE ACCESS TO ALL PRO PERTY OWNED 24
264	264	OR LEASED BY THE RAI LROAD COMPANY FOR TH E PURPOSE OF INVESTI GATING: 25
265	265
266	266	(I) VIOLATIONS OF FEDERA L OR STATE LAWS AND 26
267	267	REGULATIONS ; AND 27
268	268
269	269	(II) SAFETY HAZARDS THAT MAY RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH 28
270	270	TO A RAILROAD EMPLOY EE OR BE CONSIDERED A THREAT TO PUBLIC S AFETY. 29
271	271
272	272	(2) IF AN AUTHORIZED RAIL ROAD UNION REPRESENT ATIVE IS 30
273	273	CONDUCTING AN INVEST IGATION DESCRIBED UN DER PARAGRAPH (1) OF THIS 31 SENATE BILL 1060 7
274	274
275	275
276	276	SUBSECTION, THE RAILROAD COMPANY : 1
277	277
278	278	(I) SHALL ALLOW THE AUTH ORIZED RAILROAD UNIO N 2
279	279	REPRESENTATIVE TO TA KE PHOTOGRAPHS AND I NVESTIGATE RAILROAD PROPERTY 3
280	280	TO THE EXTENT NECESS ARY TO ENSURE COMPLI ANCE WITH FEDERAL AN D STATE 4
281	281	LAWS AND REGULATIONS ; AND 5
282	282
283	283	(II) MAY NOT ALLEGE THAT T HE AUTHORIZED RAILRO AD UNION 6
284	284	REPRESENTATIVE IS TR ESPASSING ON RAILROA D PROPERTY. 7
285	285
286	286	(3) A RAILROAD COMPANY SHA LL BE SOLELY RESPONS IBLE FOR THE 8
287	287	ACTIONS OF ITS AGENT S OR EMPLOYEES WHO V IOLATE THIS SUBSECTI ON. 9
288	288
289	289	SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 10
290	290	October 1, 2024. 11