S. 650: Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-03-04 · Transportation and Public Works · Latest: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 641.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-03-04 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 641. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act

Plain summary

Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act (Sec. 2) This bill revises the railroad safety risk reduction program. The bill extends from December 31, 2015, to December 31, 2020, the deadline for submission to the Department of Transportation (DOT) by each Class I railroad carrier and each entity providing regularly scheduled intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation of a plan for implementing a positive train control (PTC) system on certain of its tracks. (Sec. 3) DOT may extend the implementation deadline, upon application, in one-year increments, if specified circumstances exist. (Sec. 4) The bill directs DOT to revise federal regulations requiring a Class II or III railroad (including a tourist or excursion railroad) to extend by five years the deadlines for equipping its locomotives with an onboard PTC system to operate in PTC territory and applicable reporting requirements. (Sec. 5) The bill requires Class I railroad carriers and each entity providing regularly scheduled intercity or commuter rail passenger transportation to submit annual progress reports to DOT on the status of plans to implement a PTC system.

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s)), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO] · 13 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 650, Railroad Safety and Positive Train Control Extension Act (2015-04-17)

Cosponsors on this site

John Thune (R-SD), Ron Johnson (R-WI), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Jerry Moran (R-KS)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Reported to Senate with amendment(s))
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114s650.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s650 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114