Peaceful Learning Act of 2014
Latest action. Referred to the subcommitteeA smaller panel inside a standing committee with jurisdiction over a slice of its subject matter. Most hearings and the first markup usually happen here.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
Peaceful Learning Act of 2014 - Directs the Secretary of Transportation (DOT) to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences to study railway noise in the United States.
Requires the Secretary, by regulation, to:
establish a single system of measuring railway noise that: (1) has a highly reliable relationship between projected railway noise exposure and surveyed reactions of individuals to noise, and (2) is applied uniformly in measuring railway noise near urbanized areas;
establish a single system for determining the exposure of individuals to railway noise in urbanized areas; and
determine, based on the study findings, minimum standards for railway noise levels on the property of a school located in an urbanized area.
Requires each rail operator to submit to DOT a noise exposure map showing any areas of nonconforming railway noise levels (based on such standards) that: (1) adversely impact a school located in an urbanized area, and (2) are caused by operations of the rail operator.
Authorizes a rail operator that submitted a noise exposure map to DOT also to submit a noise compatibility program.
Authorizes the Secretary to incur obligations to make grants to specified entities for up to 80% of the costs of carrying out a project under an approved noise compatibility program.
Bars admission of a noise exposure map and related information into evidence, or their use for any other purpose, in a civil action asking for relief for noise resulting from the operation of a fixed rail public transportation facility.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on September 18, 2014. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on September 19, 2014: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 113th Congress (2013-14), 296 of the 9,091 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 3.3 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
JOSEPH CROWLEY (D-NY) introduced it on September 18, 2014, and 4 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 4 Democrats.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on September 18, 2014, 4375 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 4374 days ago, on September 19, 2014.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 113th Congress has not finished by January 3, 2015 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers