Hazardous Materials Safety Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Hazardous Materials Safety Act of 1979 - Prohibits the operation of any locomotive which controls a train carrying hazardous materials if such locomotive is not equipped with a device which records and shows the locomotive's speed within six months of the enactment of this Act. Directs each railroad subject to this Act to: (1) notify the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) of the date on which such devices are installed; (2) maintain a schedule of the locomotives required to be equipped; and (3) provide the FRA or the National Transportation Safety Board with such device and any required records in the event of an accident or disciplinary action in which a railroad employee is charged with excessive speed. Sets forth civil and criminal penalties for violations of provisions of this Act. Amends the Independent Safety Board Act of 1974 to stipulate that any investigation conducted by the National Transportation Safety Board shall have priority over all other investigations of Federal or State agencies. Prohibits agencies participating in such an investigation from participating in the Board's determination of the cause of any accident. Authorizes members of the Board to take custody of any vehicle, rolling stock, track, or pipeline facility for examination necessary for a proper investigation.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on June 11, 1979. 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 June 11, 1979: Referred to Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 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?
LAWTON CHILES (D-FL) introduced it on June 11, 1979, and 2 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 2 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 June 11, 1979, 17258 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17258 days ago, on June 11, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers