[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 250 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 250

To require the Surface Transportation Board to consider certain issues 
when deciding whether to authorize the construction of a railroad line.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 7, 2009

   Mr. Gene Green of Texas introduced the following bill; which was 
     referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To require the Surface Transportation Board to consider certain issues 
when deciding whether to authorize the construction of a railroad line.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Neighborhood Rail Accountability 
Act''.

SEC. 2. AMENDMENT.

    Section 10901 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsections:
    ``(e) In determining whether to issue a certificate authorizing the 
construction of an additional railroad line, or the construction of an 
extension to any railroad line, the Board shall give greater weight to 
local official statements and public comments in opposition to the 
proposed construction, especially with respect to construction in a 
residential area, if there is an unusually high level of such public 
opposition.
    ``(f) Before issuing a certificate under this section authorizing 
the construction of an additional railroad line, or the construction of 
an extension to any railroad line, the Board shall identify any 
disproportionate negative impacts on any socioeconomic population, and 
shall include a discussion of alternatives that were considered that 
would have avoided such disproportionate negative impacts.
    ``(g) If the Board receives information indicating that an 
applicant for a certificate under this section has provided to the 
Board false information that could materially affect the Board's 
determination, the process of considering the application shall be 
halted until the Board has determined whether such information has been 
provided, and whether the information was knowingly provided. If the 
Board determines that such information has been provided unknowingly, 
the Board shall require the applicant to provide correct information 
before the process may resume. If the Board determines that such 
information has been provided knowingly, the Board shall not issue a 
certificate pursuant to that application.''.
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