Congress·In Committee·H.R. 2515

American Tank Car Modernization Act of 2025

Rail Safety: New Tracking Sensors for Freight Cars

Mar 31, 2025·View on Congress.gov·Read full text

Next up: A house committeeNo action in 15 months

This bill is currently in the early stages of the legislative process and is being reviewed by a House subcommittee. It is actively moving through the committee system, but no further votes or hearings have been scheduled yet.

Legislative Progress

House

Senate

President

Law

Could go either way

The bill has bipartisan support and addresses high-profile rail safety concerns, but it is in the early stages of the legislative process.

Key Points

The bill creates a $400 million grant program to help railcar owners install high-tech sensors and tracking devices. These tools provide real-time data on a car's location and mechanical health to help prevent accidents.
Priority for the new technology goes to tank cars carrying dangerous materials, such as toxic chemicals or flammable liquids. This focus aims to reduce the risk of hazardous spills or explosions in communities near railroad tracks.
The sensors can detect specific safety issues like whether a hand brake is left on, if a hatch is open, or if wheels are getting too hot. By catching these problems early, operators can fix railcars before they cause a derailment.
To protect national security, the bill bans the use of federal funds to buy equipment from companies owned by certain foreign governments. This ensures that the tracking technology used on American railroads is secure.
If passed, the program would run from 2026 through 2029. The Department of Transportation would be required to report back to Congress on how many cars were upgraded and if the technology actually reduced safety incidents.

Impact Analysis

Govbase has not yet run an impact analysis on this legislation.

Milestones

3 milestones3 actions

Mar 31, 2025House

Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Mar 31, 2025House

Referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and in addition to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.

Sent to a congressional committee for expert review. The committee decides whether this bill moves forward.

Mar 31, 2025

Introduced in House

The bill was officially filed and given a number. It now enters the legislative queue.

No votes, news coverage, or related bills recorded for this bill yet.

Source Information

Document Type

Congressional Bill

Official Title

American Tank Car Modernization Act of 2025

Bill NumberHR 2515

Congress119th Congress

ChamberHouse of Representatives

Latest ActionReferred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.

Data Sources

Congress.gov

Official legislative information

Read Full Bill Text

Sponsor

Cosponsors

(2)

D: 2

Analysis generated by AI. Always verify with official sources.