HOWIE Act

In plain language: Helping Oversee and Ward off Infrastructure Emergencies Act or the HOWIE Act This bill directs the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to revise current railroad accident reporting requirements to include additional causes of damage. Specifically, FRA must require a railroad to report a train accident that results in damage if the railroad has a reasonable suspicion that an action carried out by the railroad caused the damage. An accident includes any incident that causes a fire, including a brush fire, alongside a railroad track.

Provisional: our plain-language summary, pending review.