Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Helping Oversee and Ward off Infrastructure Emergencies Act” or the “HOWIE Act”.
Helping Oversee and Ward off Infrastructure Emergencies Act
A BILL
To require the Secretary of Transportation to issue regulations requiring a rail carrier to report certain damage if such carrier has a reasonable suspicion that an action carried out by the carrier caused such damage.
Sec. 2 Standard for reporting certain damage relating to railroad operations
The Secretary of Transportation, acting through the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration, shall issue such regulations as are necessary to update section 225.9 of title 49, Code of Federal Regulations, to require a railroad to report a train accident resulting in damage described under such section, including any incident that causes a fire (including a brush fire) alongside a railroad track, if such railroad has a reasonable suspicion that an action carried out by the railroad caused such damage.