Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
Don't BLock Our Communities Act or the D-BLOC Act This bill addresses concerns related to blocked crossings. (A blocked crossing is a circumstance in which a train, railroad car, or locomotive engine is stopped or is standing in a manner that obstructs public travel at a crossing). Specifically, the bill requires each railroad carrier to collect data on blocked crossings and directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to incorporate such data into the national highway-rail crossing inventory; establishes a 10-minute limit on trains, locomotive, railroad cars, or other railroad equipment blocking crossings, with specified exceptions; authorizes DOT to issue civil penalties for each incident where a crossing is blocked by a standing train, locomotive, or rail equipment; requires DOT to issue regulations defining what is considered persistently or egregiously blocking a crossing, including taking into consideration the extent to which the blocked crossing poses a public safety hazard; does not apply to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) or commuter authorities; directs DOT to issue and publish a national strategy on how it plans to address blocked crossings; and requires each railroad carrier to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone service for rights-of-way over which it dispatches trains to directly receive calls reporting blocked crossings.
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Timeline
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Transportation and Public Works
Accounting and auditingAdministrative law and regulatory proceduresAdministrative remediesCivil actions and liabilityCongressional officers and employeesGovernment information and archivesPublic-private cooperationRailroadsRoads and highwaysTransportation safety and security
D-BLOC Act
USA116th CongressHR-6223| House
| Updated: 3/13/2020
Don't BLock Our Communities Act or the D-BLOC Act This bill addresses concerns related to blocked crossings. (A blocked crossing is a circumstance in which a train, railroad car, or locomotive engine is stopped or is standing in a manner that obstructs public travel at a crossing). Specifically, the bill requires each railroad carrier to collect data on blocked crossings and directs the Department of Transportation (DOT) to incorporate such data into the national highway-rail crossing inventory; establishes a 10-minute limit on trains, locomotive, railroad cars, or other railroad equipment blocking crossings, with specified exceptions; authorizes DOT to issue civil penalties for each incident where a crossing is blocked by a standing train, locomotive, or rail equipment; requires DOT to issue regulations defining what is considered persistently or egregiously blocking a crossing, including taking into consideration the extent to which the blocked crossing poses a public safety hazard; does not apply to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) or commuter authorities; directs DOT to issue and publish a national strategy on how it plans to address blocked crossings; and requires each railroad carrier to establish and maintain a toll-free telephone service for rights-of-way over which it dispatches trains to directly receive calls reporting blocked crossings.
Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
Transportation and Public Works
Introduced
In Committee
On Floor
Passed Chamber
Enacted
Accounting and auditingAdministrative law and regulatory proceduresAdministrative remediesCivil actions and liabilityCongressional officers and employeesGovernment information and archivesPublic-private cooperationRailroadsRoads and highwaysTransportation safety and security