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Pennsylvania State Senate
https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/Legis/CSM/showMemoPublic.cfm?chamber=S&SPick=20190&cosponId=29829
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Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020 Regular Session

MEMORANDUM

Posted: June 17, 2019 11:16 AM
From: Senator John P. Sabatina, Jr.
To: All Senate members
Subject: Amend Title 74 - Staffing Requirements for Freight Trains
 
This legislation would amend Title 74 (Transportation) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, under Part II (Public Transportation. This bill would add a new Chapter 23, Railroads.

This bill would mandate that no train or light engine used in connection with the movement of freight may be operated unless it has a crew consisting of at least two (2) individuals. This is companion legislation for the bill Representative Martina White introduced in the House (House Bill 1424).

This issue is solely about safety - both in the workplace for those who work in the rail industry, as well as for the public at large. With an increase in incidents on our rail lines - from crossings being blocked for hours, leaving emergency vehicles unable to respond to local emergencies, to the health of our operators in the event they have a serious health issue - it is important that at least two members of a crew are needed when hauling freight.

Under this proposal - any person who willfully violates this section may be guilty of a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay not less than $250 nor more than $1,000 for a first offense; not less than $1,000 nor more than $5,000 for a second offense committed within 3 years; and not less than $5,000 nor more than $10,000 for a third offense and subsequent offenses committed within 3 years of the first offense.

In the matter of public safety, please support this measure on insuring staffing requirements for our freight rail industry. This bill is endorsed by the Pennsylvania Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
& Trainman.