HARRISBURG, Pa. — A bill including a limit on freight train lengths and a prohibition on blocking grade crossings for more than five minutes has advanced in the Pennsylvania General Assembly.
HB 1191, sponsored by state Rep. Robert Matzie (D-Beaver, Pa.) passed the Consumer Protection, Technology, and Utilities Committee of the House by a 23-3 vote on Tuesday (Dec. 16). The bill has 24 co-sponsors, including 23 Democrats and Republican Louis Schmitt (Altoona, Pa.).
The bill would set a maximum freight train length, require two-person crews on Class I railroads, establish a $10,000 penalty for blocking a crossing for more than five minutes, and establish rules regarding wayside detectors. It also would require a study of state and federal rules regarding the transport of hazardous materials, with a report recommending ways to strengthen those requirements, and require a system for reporting rail transportation of those materials. It also includes a provision allowing union members to “monitor safety practices and operations of a railroad,” and to participate in safety inspections or investigations conducted by the state.
A similar bill sponsored by Matzie in the 2023-24 legislative session, HB 1028, passed the House by a 141-62 vote, but died in committee in the Senate.
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The only way to stop this nonsense is to establish a process where legislators who vote for these bills are penalized by a fine, say $25,000, Those who submit such a bill to their legislature should be fined $50,000. Sadly, will never happen.
Another waste of time and resources. Many have tried and many have failed.
Wasting time and resources is what the Pennsylvania legislature does. It’s just a performance, all for show, with no real-life consequences.