Here’s a quick update on where legislation important to SMART Transportation Division members stands on a national level:
The Safe Freight Act in the U.S. House (H.R. 1748), national two-person crew legislation introduced by U.S. Rep. Don Young in March, has 60 co-sponsors consisting of 56 Democrats and 4 Republicans. It has been referred to the House’s Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
The Transit Worker and Pedestrian Protection Act has versions in both the U.S. House (H.R. 1139) and in the U.S. Senate (S. 436). It is intended to protect bus and transit operators from assault through various strategies and requires that both rail and bus transit agencies (those not covered by the FRA) create risk-reduction plans to protect operators and that the agencies submit those plans to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for approval. The Senate version has 13 co-sponsors since its introduction in February, while the House version has 145 co-sponsors since its February introduction. The Senate version has been referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, while the House version has been referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
The Railroad Yardmaster Protection Act of 2019 (H.R. 2449), which covers yardmaster hours of service, was introduced in early May and has two co-sponsors. It has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Remember that your elected officials need to hear from you about these issues that matter to your safety in the workplace. An easy way to do this is by emailing your legislators through the SMART TD Legislative Action Center, but phone calls and face-to-face meetings help drive the point home even more.
Tag: Legislative Action Center
The Safe Freight Act, the two-person crew bill introduced Jan. 30 by U.S. Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota, has doubled its number of cosponsors in two weeks.
On Feb. 12, U.S. Sens. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire and Tina Smith of Minnesota joined in supporting the bill, bringing the total number of cosponsors to nine.
Earlier in the month, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts indicated their support.
Four senators — Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin, Sherrod Brown of Ohio, Angus King of Maine and Edward Markey of Massachusetts — were original cosponsors of the bill.
All cosponsors of the bill thus far, with the exception of King, an independent, are Democrats.
The two-person crew bill in the House of Representatives, H.R.233, introduced by U.S. Rep. Donald Young of Alaska, has 83 bipartisan cosponsors.
SMART TD members are encouraged to make use of the Legislative Action Center to continue the momentum for this vital safety legislation by sending messages to their senators and representatives supporting these bills or thanking them for their support.
The SMART Transportation Division is making it easier for its members to make their voices heard in the nation’s capital.
Our Legislative Action Center enables members to learn about issues and legislation that directly impact their jobs and livelihoods and provides them easy access to contact their representatives to let them know their views.
Members can also see how their representatives voted on legislation, learn about upcoming elections in their state and even write a letter to the editor of their local newspapers.