Section 108 Railroad Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) (P.L. 110-432)

P.L. 110-432 Sec 108.doc

Hours of Service Regulations

Section 108 Railroad Safety Improvement Act (RSIA) (P.L. 110-432)

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                    FEDERAL RAIL SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

[[Page 122 STAT. 4848]]

Public Law 110-432
110th Congress

                                 An Act


 
 To amend title 49, United States Code, to prevent railroad fatalities, 
  injuries, and hazardous materials releases, to authorize the Federal 
Railroad Safety Administration, and for other purposes. <<NOTE: Oct. 16, 
                         2008 -  [H.R. 2095]>> 

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

DIVISION A-- <<NOTE: Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.>> RAIL SAFETY
SEC. 1. SHORT TITLE; TABLE OF CONTENTS; AMENDMENT OF TITLE 49.

    (a) Short Title.--This <<NOTE: 49 USC 20101 note.>> division may be 
cited as the ``Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008''.

    (b) Table of Contents.--The table of contents for this division is 
as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents; amendment of title 49.
Sec. 2. Definitions.
Sec. 3. Authorization of appropriations.

                  TITLE I--RAILROAD SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS

Sec. 101. Federal Railroad Administration officers and duties.
Sec. 102. Railroad safety strategy.
Sec. 103. Railroad safety risk reduction program.
Sec. 104. Implementation of positive train control.
Sec. 105. Railroad safety technology grants.
Sec. 106. Reports on statutory mandates and recommendations.
Sec. 107. Rulemaking process.
Sec. 108. Hours-of-service reform.
Sec. 109. Protection of railroad safety risk analyses information.
Sec. 110. Pilot projects.

SEC. 108. HOURS-OF-SERVICE REFORM.

    (a) Change in Definition of Signal Employee.--Section 
21101(4) <<NOTE: 49 USC 21101.>> is amended by striking ``employed by a 
railroad carrier''.

    (b) Limitation on Duty Hours of Train Employees.--Section 21103 is 
amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

    ``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (d) of this 
section, a railroad carrier and its officers and agents may not require 
or allow a train employee to--
            ``(1) remain on duty, go on duty, wait for deadhead 
        transportation, be in deadhead transportation from a duty 
        assignment to the place of final release, or be in any other 
        mandatory service for the carrier in any calendar month where 
        the employee has spent a total of 276 hours--
                    ``(A) on duty;
                    ``(B) waiting for deadhead transportation, or in 
                deadhead transportation from a duty assignment to the 
                place of final release; or
                    ``(C) in any other mandatory service for the 
                carrier;
            ``(2) remain or go on duty for a period in excess of 12 
        consecutive hours;
            ``(3) remain or go on duty unless that employee has had at 
        least 10 consecutive hours off duty during the prior 24 hours; 
        or
            ``(4) remain or go on duty after that employee has initiated 
        an on-duty period each day for--
                    ``(A) 6 consecutive days, unless that employee has 
                had at least 48 consecutive hours off duty at the 
                employee's home terminal during which time the employee 
                is unavailable for any service for any railroad carrier 
                except that--
                          ``(i) an employee may work a seventh 
                      consecutive day if that employee completed his or 
                      her final period of on-duty time on his or her 
                      sixth consecutive day at a terminal other than his 
                      or her home terminal; and
                          ``(ii) any employee who works a seventh 
                      consecutive day pursuant to subparagraph (i) shall 
                      have at least 72 consecutive hours off duty at the 
                      employee's home terminal during which time the 
                      employee is unavailable for any service for any 
                      railroad carrier; or
                    ``(B) except as provided in subparagraph (A), 7 
                consecutive days, unless that employee has had at least 
                72 consecutive hours off duty at the employee's home 
                terminal during which time the employee is unavailable 
                for any service for any railroad carrier, if--
                          ``(i) for a period of 18 months following the 
                      date of enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement 
                      Act of 2008, an existing collective bargaining 
                      agreement expressly provides for such a schedule 
                      or, following the expiration of 18 months after 
                      the date of enactment of the Rail Safety 
                      Improvement Act of 2008, collective

[[Page 122 STAT. 4861]]

                      bargaining agreements entered into during such 
                      period expressly provide for such a schedule;
                          ``(ii) such a schedule is provided for by a 
                      pilot program authorized by a collective 
                      bargaining agreement; or
                          ``(iii) such a schedule is provided for by a 
                      pilot program under section 21108 of this chapter 
                      related to employees' work and rest cycles.

The Secretary may waive <<NOTE: Waiver authority.>> paragraph (4), 
consistent with the procedural requirements of section 20103, if a 
collective bargaining agreement provides a different arrangement and 
such an arrangement is in the public interest and consistent with 
railroad safety.'';
            (2) by redesignating subsection (c) as subsection (d) and 
        inserting after subsection (b) the following:

    ``(c) Limbo Time Limitation and Additional Rest Requirement.--
            ``(1) A railroad carrier may not require or allow an 
        employee--
                    ``(A) to exceed a total of 40 hours per calendar 
                month spent--
                          ``(i) waiting for deadhead transportation; or
                          ``(ii) in deadhead transportation from a duty 
                      assignment to the place of final release,
                following a period of 12 consecutive hours on duty that 
                is neither time on duty nor time off duty, not including 
                interim rest periods, during the period from the date of 
                enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008 to 
                one year after such date of enactment; and
                    ``(B) to exceed a total of 30 hours per calendar 
                month spent--
                          ``(i) waiting for deadhead transportation; or
                          ``(ii) in deadhead transportation from a duty 
                      assignment to the place of final release,
                following a period of 12 consecutive hours on duty that 
                is neither time on duty nor time off duty, not including 
                interim rest periods, during the period beginning one 
                year after the date of enactment of the Rail Safety 
                Improvement Act of 2008 except that the Secretary may 
                further limit the monthly limitation pursuant to 
                regulations prescribed under section 21109.
            ``(2) <<NOTE: Applicability.>> The limitations in paragraph 
        (1) shall apply unless the train carrying the employee is 
        directly delayed by--
                    ``(A) a casualty;
                    ``(B) an accident;
                    ``(C) an act of God;
                    ``(D) a derailment;
                    ``(E) a major equipment failure that prevents the 
                train from advancing; or
                    ``(F) a delay resulting from a cause unknown and 
                unforeseeable to a railroad carrier or its officer or 
                agent in charge of the employee when the employee left a 
                terminal.
            ``(3) <<NOTE: Reports. Procedures.>> Each railroad carrier 
        shall report to the Secretary, in accordance with procedures 
        established by the Secretary, each instance where an employee 
        subject to this section spends time waiting for deadhead 
        transportation or in deadhead

[[Page 122 STAT. 4862]]

        transportation from a duty assignment to the place of final 
        release in excess of the requirements of paragraph (1).
            ``(4) If--
                    ``(A) the time spent waiting for deadhead 
                transportation or in deadhead transportation from a duty 
                assignment to the place of final release that is not 
                time on duty, plus
                    ``(B) the time on duty,
        exceeds 12 consecutive hours, the railroad carrier and its 
        officers and agents shall provide the employee with additional 
        time off duty equal to the number of hours by which such sum 
        exceeds 12 hours.''; and
            (3) by adding at the end thereof the following:

    ``(e) Communication During Time Off Duty.--During a train employee's 
minimum off-duty period of 10 consecutive hours, as provided under 
subsection (a) or during an interim
 period of at least 4 consecutive 
hours available for rest under subsection (b)(7) or during additional 
off-duty hours under subsection (c)(4), a railroad carrier, and its 
officers and agents, shall not communicate with the train employee by 
telephone, by pager, or in any other manner that could reasonably be 
expected to disrupt the employee's rest. Nothing in this subsection 
shall prohibit communication necessary to notify an employee of an 
emergency situation, as defined by the Secretary. The Secretary 
may <<NOTE: Waiver authority.>> waive the requirements of this paragraph 
for commuter or intercity passenger railroads if the Secretary 
determines that such a waiver will not reduce safety and is necessary to 
maintain such railroads' efficient operations and on-time performance of 
its trains.''.

    (c) Limitation on Duty Hours of Signal Employees.--Section 
21104 <<NOTE: 49 USC 21104.>> is amended--
            (1) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following:

    ``(a) In General.--Except as provided in subsection (c) of this 
section, a railroad carrier and its officers and agents may not require 
or allow its signal employees to remain or go on duty and a contractor 
or subcontractor to a railroad carrier and its officers and agents may 
not require or allow its signal employees to remain or go on duty --
            ``(1) for a period in excess of 12 consecutive hours; or
            ``(2) unless that employee has had at least 10 consecutive 
        hours off duty during the prior 24 hours.'';
            (2) by striking ``duty, except that up to one hour of that 
        time spent returning from the final trouble call of a period of 
        continuous or broken service is time off duty.'' in subsection 
        (b)(3) and inserting ``duty.'';
            (3) by inserting ``A signal employee may not be allowed to 
        remain or go on duty under the emergency authority provided 
        under this subsection to conduct routine repairs, routine 
        maintenance, or routine inspection of signal systems.'' after 
        ``service.'' in subsection (c); and
            (4) by adding at the end the following:

    ``(d) Communication During Time Off Duty.--During a signal 
employee's minimum off-duty period of 10 consecutive hours, as provided 
under subsection (a), a railroad carrier or a contractor or 
subcontractor to a railroad carrier, and its officers and agents, shall 
not communicate with the signal employee by telephone, by pager, or in 
any other manner that could reasonably be expected to disrupt the 
employee's rest. Nothing in this subsection shall

[[Page 122 STAT. 4863]]

prohibit communication necessary to notify an employee of an emergency 
situation, as defined by the Secretary.
    ``(e) Exclusivity.--The hours of service, duty hours, and rest 
periods of signal employees shall be governed exclusively by this 
chapter. Signal employees operating motor vehicles shall not be subject 
to any hours of service rules, duty hours or rest period rules 
promulgated by any Federal authority, including the Federal Motor 
Carrier Safety Administration, other than the Federal Railroad 
Administration.''.
    (d) Alternate Hours of Service Regime.--
            (1) Application of hours of service regime.--Section 21102 
        is <<NOTE: 49 USC 21102.>> amended--
                    (A) by striking the section caption and inserting 
                the following:

``Sec. 21102. Nonapplication, exemption, and alternate hours of 
                    service regime''; and
                    (B) by adding at the end thereof the following:

    ``(c) Application of Hours of Service Regime to Commuter and 
Intercity Passenger Railroad Train Employees.—

            ``(1) When providing commuter rail passenger transportation 
        or intercity rail passenger transportation, the limitations on 
        duty hours for train employees of railroad carriers, including 
        public authorities operating passenger service, shall be solely 
        governed by old section 21103 until the earlier of--
                    ``(A) the effective date of regulations prescribed 
                by the Secretary under section 21109(b) of this chapter; 
                or
                    ``(B) the date that is 3 years following the date of 
                enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.
            ``(2) After the date on which old section 21103 ceases to 
        apply, pursuant to paragraph (1), to the limitations on duty 
        hours for train employees of railroad carriers with respect to 
        the provision of commuter rail passenger transportation or 
        intercity rail passenger transportation, the limitations on duty 
        hours for train employees of such railroad carriers shall be 
        governed by new section 21103, except as provided in paragraph 
        (3).
            ``(3) After the effective date of the regulations prescribed 
        by the Secretary under section 21109(b) of this title, such 
        carriers shall--
                    ``(A) comply with the limitations on duty hours for 
                train employees with respect to the provision of 
                commuter rail passenger transportation or intercity rail 
                passenger transportation as prescribed by such 
                regulations; and
                    ``(B) be exempt from complying with the provisions 
                of old section 21103 and new section 21103 for such 
                employees.
            ``(4) In this subsection:
                    ``(A) The terms `commuter rail passenger 
                transportation' and `intercity rail passenger 
                transportation' have the meaning given those terms in 
                section 24102 of this title.
                    ``(C) The term `new section 21103' means section 
                21103 of this chapter as amended by the Rail Safety 
                Improvement Act of 2008.

[[Page 122 STAT. 4864]]

                    ``(D) The term `old section 21103' means section 
                21103 of this chapter as it was in effect on the day 
                before the enactment of that Act.''.
            (2) Conforming amendment.--The chapter analysis for chapter 
        211 is amended by striking the item relating to section 21102 
        and inserting the following:

``21102. Nonapplication, exemption, and alternate hours of service 
           regime.''.

    (e) Regulatory Authority.--
            (1) In general.--Chapter 211 is amended by adding at the end 
        thereof the following:

``Sec. 21109. Regulatory authority

    ``(a) In General.--In order to improve safety and reduce employee 
fatigue, the Secretary may prescribe regulations--
            ``(1) to reduce the maximum hours an employee may be 
        required or allowed to go or remain on duty to a level less than 
        the level established under this chapter;
            ``(2) to increase the minimum hours an employee may be 
        required or allowed to rest to a level greater than the level 
        established under this chapter;
            ``(3) to limit or eliminate the amount of time an employee 
        spends waiting for deadhead transportation or in deadhead 
        transportation from a duty assignment to the place of final 
        release that is considered neither on duty nor off duty under 
        this chapter;
            ``(4) for signal employees--
                    ``(A) to limit or eliminate the amount of time that 
                is considered to be neither on duty nor off duty under 
                this chapter that an employee spends returning from an 
                outlying worksite after scheduled duty hours or 
                returning from a trouble call to the employee's 
                headquarters or directly to the employee's residence; 
                and
                    ``(B) to increase the amount of time that 
                constitutes a release period, that does not break the 
                continuity of service and is considered time off duty; 
                and
            ``(5) to require other changes to railroad operating and 
        scheduling practices, including unscheduled duty calls, that 
        could affect employee fatigue and railroad safety.

    ``(b) Regulations Governing the Hours of Service of Train Employees 
of Commuter and Intercity Passenger Railroad Carriers.--

Within <<NOTE: Deadline. Orders.>> 3 years after the date of enactment 
of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008, the Secretary shall 
prescribe regulations and issue orders to establish hours of service 
requirements for train employees engaged in commuter rail passenger 
transportation and intercity rail passenger transportation (as defined 
in section 24102 of this title) that may differ from the requirements of 
this chapter. Such regulations and orders may address railroad operating 
and scheduling practices, including unscheduled duty calls, 
communications during time off duty, and time spent waiting for deadhead 
transportation or in deadhead transportation from a duty assignment to 
the place of final release, that could affect employee fatigue and 
railroad safety.

    ``(c) Considerations.--In issuing regulations under subsection (a) 
the Secretary shall consider scientific and medical research related to 
fatigue and fatigue abatement, railroad scheduling and operating 
practices that improve safety or reduce employee fatigue,

[[Page 122 STAT. 4865]]

a railroad's use of new or novel technology intended to reduce or 
eliminate human error, the variations in freight and passenger railroad 
scheduling practices and operating conditions, the variations in duties 
and operating conditions for employees subject to this chapter, a 
railroad's
 required or voluntary use of fatigue management plans 
covering employees subject to this chapter, and any other relevant 
factors.
    ``(d) Time Limits.--
            ``(1) If the Secretary determines that regulations are 
        necessary under subsection (a), the Secretary shall first 
        request that the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee develop 
        proposed regulations and, if the Committee accepts the task, 
        provide the Committee with a reasonable time period in which to 
        complete the task.
            ``(2) <<NOTE: Deadline.>> If the Secretary requests that the 
        Railroad Safety Advisory Committee accept the task of developing 
        regulations under subsection (b) and the Committee accepts the 
        task, the Committee shall reach consensus on the rulemaking 
        within 18 months after accepting the task. 
        If <<NOTE: Regulations. Deadline.>> the Committee does not reach 
        consensus within 18 months after the Secretary makes the 
        request, the Secretary shall prescribe appropriate regulations 
        within 18 months.
            ``(3) If <<NOTE: Regulations. Deadline.>> the Secretary does 
        not request that the Railroad Safety Advisory Committee accept 
        the task of developing regulations under subsection (b), the 
        Secretary shall prescribe regulations within 3 years after the 
        date of enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008.

    ``(e) Pilot Projects.--
            ``(1) In general.--Not <<NOTE: Deadline.>> later than 2 
        years after the date of enactment of the Rail Safety Improvement 
        Act of 2008, the Secretary shall conduct at least 2 pilot 
        projects of sufficient size and scope to analyze specific 
        practices which may be used to reduce fatigue for train and 
        engine and other railroad employees as follows:
                    ``(A) A pilot project at a railroad or railroad 
                facility to evaluate the efficacy of communicating to 
                employees notice of their assigned shift time 10 hours 
                prior to the beginning of their assigned shift as a 
                method for reducing employee fatigue.
                    ``(B) A pilot project at a railroad or railroad 
                facility to evaluate the efficacy of requiring railroads 
                who use employee scheduling practices that subject 
                employees to periods of unscheduled duty calls to assign 
                employees to defined or specific unscheduled call shifts 
                that are followed by shifts not subject to call, as a 
                method for reducing employee fatigue.
            ``(2) Waiver.--The Secretary may temporarily waive the 
        requirements of this section, if necessary, to complete a pilot 
        project under this subsection.

    ``(f) Duty Call Defined.--In this section the term `duty call' means 
a telephone call that a railroad places to an employee to notify the 
employee of his or her assigned shift time.''.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--
                    (A) The chapter analysis for chapter 211 is amended 
                by adding at the end thereof the following:

``21109. Regulatory authority.''.


[[Page 122 STAT. 4866]]


                    (B) The first sentence of section 
                21303(a)(1) <<NOTE: 49 USC 21303.>> is amended by 
                inserting ``including section 21103 (as such section was 
                in effect on the day before the date of enactment of the 
                Rail Safety Improvement Act of 2008),'' after ``this 
                title,'' the second place it appears.

    (f) Record <<NOTE: 49 USC 21101 note.>> Keeping and Reporting.--
            (1) Regulations.--Not later than 180 days after the date of 
        enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall prescribe a 
        regulation revising the requirements for recordkeeping and 
        reporting for Hours of Service of Railroad Employees contained 
        in part 228 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations--
                    (A) to adjust record keeping and reporting 
                requirements to support compliance with chapter 211 of 
                title 49, United States Code, as amended by this Act;
                    (B) to authorize electronic record keeping, and 
                reporting of excess service, consistent with appropriate 
                considerations for user interface; and
                    (C) to require training of affected employees and 
                supervisors, including training of employees in the 
                entry of hours of service data.
            (2) Procedure.--In lieu of issuing a notice of proposed 
        rulemaking as contemplated by section 553 of title 5, United 
        States Code, the Secretary may utilize the Railroad Safety 
        Advisory Committee to assist in development of the regulation. 
        The Secretary may propose and adopt amendments to the revised 
        regulations thereafter as may be necessary in light of 
        experience under the revised requirements.

    (g) Delay <<NOTE: 49 USC 21101 note.>> in Implementation of Duty 
Hours Limitation Changes.--The <<NOTE: Effective date.>> amendments made 
by subsections (a), (b), and (c) shall take effect 9 months after the 
date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 109. PROTECTION OF RAILROAD SAFETY RISK ANALYSES INFORMATION.

    (a) Amendment.--Subchapter I of chapter 201 is amended by adding at 
the end thereof the following:
``Sec. 20118. Prohibition on public disclosure of railroad safety 
                    analysis records

    ``(a) In General.--Except as necessary for the Secretary of 
Transportation or another Federal agency to enforce or carry out any 
provision of Federal law, any part of any record (including, but not 
limited to, a railroad carrier's analysis of its safety risks and its 
statement of the mitigation measures it has identified with which to 
address those risks) that the Secretary has obtained pursuant to a 
provision of, or regulation or order under, this chapter related to the 
establishment, implementation, or modification of a railroad safety risk 
reduction program or pilot program is exempt from the requirements of 
section 552 of title 5 if the record is--
            ``(1) supplied to the Secretary pursuant to that safety risk 
        reduction program or pilot program; or
            ``(2) made available for inspection and copying by an 
        officer, employee, or agent of the Secretary pursuant to that 
        safety risk reduction program or pilot program.

    ``(b) Exception.--Notwithstanding subsection (a), the Secretary may 
disclose any part of any record comprised of facts otherwise available 
to the public if, in the Secretary's sole discretion, the

[[Page 122 STAT. 4867]]

Secretary determines that disclosure would be consistent with the 
confidentiality needed for that safety risk reduction program or pilot 
program.
    ``(c) Discretionary Prohibition of Disclosure.--The Secretary may 
prohibit the public disclosure of risk analyses or risk mitigation 
analyses that the Secretary has obtained under other provisions of, or 
regulations or orders under, this chapter if the Secretary determines 
that the prohibition of public disclosure is necessary to promote 
railroad safety.
``Sec. 20119. Study on use of certain reports and surveys

    ``(a) Study.--The Federal Railroad Administration shall complete a 
study to evaluate whether it is in the public interest, including public 
safety and the legal rights of persons injured in railroad accidents, to 
withhold from discovery or admission into evidence in a Federal or State 
court proceeding for damages involving personal injury or wrongful death 
against a carrier any report, survey, schedule, list, or data compiled 
or collected for the purpose of evaluating, planning, or implementing a 
railroad safety risk reduction program required under this chapter, 
including a railroad carrier's analysis of its safety risks and its 
statement of the mitigation measures with which it will address those 
risks. In conducting this study, the Secretary shall solicit input from 
the railroads, railroad non-profit employee labor organizations, 
railroad accident victims and their families, and the general public.
    ``(b) Authority.--Following completion of the study required under 
subsection (a), the Secretary, if in the public interest, including 
public safety and the legal rights of persons injured in railroad 
accidents, may prescribe a rule subject to notice and comment to address 
the results of the study. Any <<NOTE: Effective date.>> such rule 
prescribed pursuant to this subsection shall not become effective until 
1 year after its adoption.''.

    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The chapter analysis for chapter 201 is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 20117 the 
following:

``

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