NEWS RELEASE
Rep. Jeff Brand
Minnesota House of Representatives
District 18A – 651-296-8634– rep.jeff.brand@house.mn.gov
501 State Office Building, St. Paul, MN 55155
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: Marlee Schlegel
651-296-9873 or marlee.schlegel@house.mn.gov
April 4, 2024
Rep. Brand’s Legislation to Improve Railway Safety Procedures Passes in House Transportation Policy Bill
SAINT PAUL, Minn. - Tonight, the Minnesota House passed the 2024 Transportation Policy Bill. Included in the package is legislation authored by Rep. Jeff Brand (DFL – Saint Peter) to expedite railroad safety procedures in the event of an incident involving the discharge of oil or other hazardous substances.
Currently, upon discovery of an incident, crews are required to notify the Fire Chief before contacting emergency services. This bill changes the requirement and allows contact to be made through the local 911 call center, shortening the window between the incident and response.
“In the face of an emergency, the first call should be for help,” said Rep. Jeff Brand. “By making this reporting adjustment, we’ll safe precious moments, potentially stopping a disaster from getting worse.”
Currently, Rep. Brand is carrying several other pieces of legislation to improve public and worker safety on Minnesota’s railways, including limiting train lengths, setting labor standards, and investing in wayside detectors.
###