S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
3383
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N A S S E M B L Y
January 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. EACHUS -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Transportation
AN ACT in relation to establishing a freight rail safety task force; and
providing for the repeal of such provisions upon expiration thereof
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. 1. There is hereby established the freight rail safety task
force. The purpose of such task force is to review the state of freight
rail safety in the state and make policy and budgetary recommendations
related thereto.
2. The freight rail safety task force shall consist of 11 members as
follows: the commissioner of transportation or their designee, two
members appointed by the temporary president of the senate, one member
appointed by the minority leader of the senate, two members appointed by
the speaker of the assembly, one member appointed by the minority leader
of the assembly, and four members appointed by the governor.
3. The commissioner of transportation shall be designated as the
chairperson of the freight rail safety task force. The members of the
freight rail safety task force shall serve without compensation, except
that members shall be allowed their necessary and actual expenses
incurred in the performance of their duties under this act.
4. The task force shall be authorized to hold public hearings and
meetings, and to consult with any organization, educational institution,
or other government entity or person, to enable it to accomplish its
duties. Such task force shall hold at least one public hearing in the
state for the purpose of soliciting public comment on freight rail safe-
ty.
5. To effectuate the purposes of this act, the task force may request
and shall receive from any department, division, board, bureau, commis-
sion, or other agency of the state or any state public authority such
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06614-01-5
A. 3383 2
assistance, information, and data as will enable the task force to prop-
erly carry out its powers and duties hereunder.
6. The task force shall undertake a review of the actions and measures
that are needed to ensure safe, adequate, efficient, and reliable
freight rail transportation and make recommendations regarding:
a. enhanced coordination between the federal, state, and local regula-
tors and officials regarding freight rail regulations, including an
examination into how the relevant state agencies can share necessary
information related to freight rail trains and their operators includ-
ing, but not limited to, inspection status, registration status, heat
safety gauge and other real-time safety information, safety plans, and
other metrics that can help prevent catastrophic incidents;
b. the establishment and adoption of a uniform safety training program
for department of transportation engineers and local regulators;
c. a review of federal laws and rules as they relate to the regulation
of freight rail operations and operators, including but not limited to,
identification of the subject areas specifically regulated by federal
laws and rules, whether and to what extent such federal laws and rules
preempt state action with respect to the regulation of freight rail
safety, and areas of freight rail safety regulation which are subject to
oversight by the state; and
d. the need for additional freight rail safety measures.
7. The freight rail safety task force shall issue a report of its
findings and recommendations to the governor, the temporary president of
the senate, and the speaker of the assembly no later than one year after
the effective date of this act.
ยง 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall expire and be
deemed repealed two years after such date.