49 U.S.C. § 20101: Purpose

The purpose of this chapter is to promote safety in every area of railroad operations and reduce railroad-related accidents and incidents. conduct a review of the website of the Office of Safety Analysis of the Federal Railroad Administration; and provide recommendations to the Secretary [of Transportation] for improving the public’s usability and accessibility of the website referred to in paragraph (1). Not later than 1 year after receiving recommendations from the Chief Information Officer pursuant to subsection (a)(2), the Secretary, after considering such recommendations, shall update the website of the Office of Safety Analysis of the Federal Railroad Administration to improve the usability and accessibility of the website.” The Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration (referred to in this subsection as the ‘FRA Administrator’), in consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, shall conduct a review of existing reporting and paperwork requirements in the Federal Railroad Administration to determine if any such requirements are duplicative or unnecessary. If the FRA Administrator determines, as a result of the review conducted pursuant to paragraph (1), that any reporting or paperwork requirement that is not statutorily required is duplicative or unnecessary, the FRA Administrator, after consultation with the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration, shall terminate such requirement. identifies all of the reporting or paperwork requirements that were terminated pursuant to paragraph (2); and identifies any statutory reporting or paperwork requirements that are duplicative or unnecessary and should be repealed.” the shared use of right-of-way by passenger and freight rail systems; and the operational, institutional, and legal structures that would best support improvements to the systems referred to in paragraph (1). access agreements; costs of access; and the resolution of disputes relating to such access or costs; the manner in which passenger train delays are recorded; the assignment of responsibility for such delays; and the use of incentives and penalties for performance; the strengths and weaknesses of the existing mechanisms described in paragraph (2) and possible approaches to address the weaknesses; mechanisms for measuring and maintaining public benefits resulting from publicly funded freight or passenger rail improvements, including improvements directed towards shared-use right-of-way by passenger and freight rail; allow for transparent decisionmaking; and protect the proprietary interests of all parties; whether to expand statutory liability limits to additional parties; whether to revise the current statutory liability limits; whether current insurance levels of passenger rail operators are adequate and whether to establish minimum insurance requirements for such passenger rail operators; and whether to establish alternative insurance models, including other models administered by the Federal Government; the effect on rail passenger services, operations, liability limits, and insurance levels of the assertion of sovereign immunity by a State; and other issues identified by the Secretary. the results of the study; and any recommendations for further action, including any legislative proposals consistent with such recommendations. The Secretary shall integrate, as appropriate, the recommendations submitted under subsection (c) into the financial assistance programs under subtitle V of title 49, United States Code.” Reducing the number and rates of accidents, incidents, injuries, and fatalities involving railroads including train collisions, derailments, and human factors. Improving the consistency and effectiveness of enforcement and compliance programs. Improving the identification of high-risk highway-rail grade crossings and strengthening enforcement and other methods to increase grade crossing safety. Improving research efforts to enhance and promote railroad safety and performance. Preventing railroad trespasser accidents, incidents, injuries, and fatalities. Improving the safety of railroad bridges, tunnels, and related infrastructure to prevent accidents, incidents, injuries, and fatalities caused by catastrophic and other failures of such infrastructure. The strategy and annual plan shall include estimates of the funds and staff resources needed to accomplish the goals established by subsection (a). Such estimates shall also include the staff skills and training required for timely and effective accomplishment of each such goal. The Secretary shall submit the strategy and annual plan to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure at the same time as the President’s budget submission. No less frequently than annually, the Secretary shall assess the progress of the Department toward achieving the strategic goals described in subsection (a). The Secretary shall identify any deficiencies in achieving the goals within the strategy and develop and institute measures to remediate such deficiencies. The Secretary and the Administrator shall convey their assessment to the employees of the Federal Railroad Administration and shall identify any deficiencies that should be remediated before the next progress assessment. Beginning in 2009, not later than November 1 of each year, the Secretary shall transmit a report to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and the House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure on the performance of the Federal Railroad Administration containing the progress assessment required by paragraph (1) toward achieving the goals of the railroad safety strategy and annual plans under subsection (a).”