Bill > SCR8

This resolution urges the United States Congress to pass H.R. 971, known as the Reducing Accidents in Locomotives (RAIL) Act, in response to the devastating train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio in 2023, which contaminated the local environment with toxic chemicals. The resolution highlights that over 12,000 U.S. cities and towns have rail tracks, and more than 4,000 train derailments have occurred since 2020. The RAIL Act, a bipartisan legislative effort, aims to improve rail safety by increasing train inspections, strengthening safety placard requirements to help emergency responders identify hazardous materials, increasing penalties for safety regulation violations, directing the Secretary of Transportation to develop new safety regulations based on investigations by the National Transportation Safety Board and Federal Railroad Administration, and mandating a minimum two-person crew for all Class I freight and passenger trains. The resolution calls on Congress to pass this legislation to protect American families and prevent future transportation-related tragedies, and instructs the Senate Clerk to distribute authenticated copies of the resolution to key congressional leaders, Ohio's congressional delegation, and Ohio news media.

Transportation and Infrastructure

https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/scr8