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Committee passes bill making attempted tampering with rail property a felony
Summary
House Bill 1757 makes attempted, threatened or conspiring to tamper with railroad infrastructure a class D felony; the bill passed the committee with industry support and no opposition on the record.
House Bill 1757, sponsored by Representative Joey Carr, passed the House Transportation Committee on a voice vote after the sponsor described the measure as a response to recent incidents involving tampering with rail cars.
The bill creates or clarifies offenses related to tampering with rail property and infrastructure, including attempts, threats or conspiracies to do so. Representative Carr said the offense would be a class D felony and described potential penalties of up to six years in prison or fines up to $10,000 depending on judicial discretion. He said the bill was supported by the American Short Line Railroad Association and rail labor organizations and that stakeholders negotiated the language.
No witnesses opposed the bill at the committee hearing. After adopting a suggested amendment agreed with stakeholders, the committee voted to advance the measure.
Representative Carr said the bill is intended to protect infrastructure and public safety by making tampering a criminal offense with more specific statutory language for enforcement and prosecution.
