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Committee adopts amendment easing railcar setback where crossings have lights and gates; House Bill 396 passes 11-0
Summary
The House Committee on Corrections adopted an amendment that narrows a proposed 500-foot storage restriction on unused railcars to allow storage closer to crossings that have active safety features. The committee then voted 11-0 to pass the committee substitute for House Bill 396.
The House Committee on Corrections adopted a committee amendment and then voted unanimously to pass the committee substitute for House Bill 396.
Representative Bush offered the amendment, described during the March hearing as altering lines 8–10 of the draft so that railroads could store unused rail cars closer than 500 feet to a crossing when that crossing has active safety features "including lights and gates," the sponsor told the committee. Representative Bush said the change preserves the bill’s safety intent while allowing flexibility where engineering controls are present.
The committee first adopted Committee Amendment No. 1 (the change referenced as ending in 0.03 h), then rolled that amendment into a new substitute and adopted the substitute. After discussion ended, the clerk called the roll; the committee recorded an 11-0 vote in favor of the committee substitute for House Bill 396. Committee Chair Mayhew announced, “By your vote of 11 to 0, you have passed House Bill 396.”
Why it matters: The original bill sought to move a statutory storage setback for unused rail cars from 250 feet to 500 feet from a railroad crossing. The adopted amendment keeps a larger setback in many cases but creates an exception that allows storage closer than 500 feet where crossings have lights and gates, which proponents said balances operational needs with crossing safety.
Committee members who asked questions emphasized that the Department of Transportation retains discretion over specific placement and that the amendment’s change applies only to crossings with the listed active safety features. Representative Sandy Valley asked whether the amendment effectively gives the Department of Transportation flexibility on where cars may be placed; the committee was told that such flexibility was already in the original bill and remains in the substitute.
The measure advanced with formal committee action: adoption of the amendment, adoption of the substitute, and a final "do pass" vote.
Votes at a glance: The committee recorded its final passage vote as 11 ayes and 0 nays. The clerk’s roll-call during the vote shows multiple members responding "Aye."
What’s next: With the committee’s unanimous do-pass recommendation, the committee substitute for HB 396 moves next in the House process (committee referral and floor scheduling are not recorded in this hearing transcript).
