Ensuring the safety of long trains

(a) Reviewing and updating safety regulations Not later than 1 year after the date on which the Secretary submits to Congress the report required under section 22422(d) of the Passenger Rail Expansion and Rail Safety Act of 2021 (title II of division B of Public Law 117–58), the Secretary shall independently evaluate any safety concerns identified in the Comptroller General’s report titled Freight Trains Are Getting Longer, and Additional Information Is Needed to Assess Their Impact (GAO–19–443) and in the report required under section 22422(d) of the Passenger Rail Expansion and Rail Safety Act of 2021, by reviewing and subsequently updating, if necessary for safety and in compliance with Executive Order 12866 (5 U.S.C. 601 note; relating to regulatory planning and review), existing safety regulations to ensure the safe transportation of goods and passengers by rail, including consideration of the impact that train length and weight have on the safe transportation of high-hazard trains. (b) Report Not later than 3 years after the date on which the Secretary submits the report required under subsection (a), if the Secretary has not addressed any recommendation contained within such report, the Secretary shall submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that justifies such inaction. (c) Reporting requirement (1) In general The Secretary shall revise the existing railroad accident or incident reporting forms to require railroads to report the weight trailing tonnages of any train involved in a reportable accident or incident. (2) Publication The Federal Railroad Administration shall publish on its Rail Safety Data website a summary of all reportable incidents and accidents, categorized by train length and weight.