Sen. William R. Haine

Filed: 3/19/2004

 

 


 

 


 
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1
AMENDMENT TO SENATE BILL 1731

2     AMENDMENT NO. ______. Amend Senate Bill 1731 by replacing
3 everything after the enacting clause with the following:
 
4     "Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Crossing of Railroad Right-of-way Act.
 
6     Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act, unless the
7 context otherwise requires:
8     "Commission" means the Illinois Commerce Commission.
9     "Crossing" means the construction, operation, repair, or
10 maintenance of a facility over, under, or across a railroad
11 right-of-way by a public utility.
12     "Direct expenses" includes, but is not limited to, any or
13 all of the following:
14         (1) The cost of inspecting and monitoring the crossing
15 site.
16         (2) Administrative and engineering costs for review of
17 specifications and for entering a crossing on the
18 railroad's books, maps, and property records and other
19 reasonable administrative and engineering costs incurred
20 as a result of the crossing.
21         (3) Document and preparation fees associated with a
22 crossing, and any engineering specifications related to
23 the crossing.
24         (4) Damages assessed in connection with the rights

 

 

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1 granted to a public utility with respect to a crossing.
2     "Facility" means any cable, conduit, wire, pipe, casing
3 pipe, supporting poles and guys, manhole, or other material or
4 equipment, that is used by a public utility to furnish any of
5 the following:
6         (1) Communications services.
7         (2) Electricity.
8         (3) Gas by piped system.
9         (4) Sanitary and storm sewer service.
10         (5) Water by piped system.
11     "Public utility" has the meaning given to that term in the
12 Public Utilities Act.
13     "Railroad" or "railroad corporation" means a railroad
14 corporation that is the owner, operator, occupant, manager, or
15 agent of a railroad right-of-way or the railroad corporation's
16 successor in interest. "Railroad" and "railroad corporation"
17 includes an interurban railway.
18     "Railroad right-of-way" means one or more of the following:
19         (1) A right-of-way or other interest in real estate
20 that is owned or operated by a railroad corporation, the
21 trustees of a railroad corporation, or the successor in
22 interest of a railroad corporation.
23         (2) A right-of-way or other interest in real estate
24 that is occupied or managed by or on behalf of a railroad
25 corporation, the trustees of a railroad corporation, or the
26 successor in interest of a railroad corporation, including
27 an abandoned railroad right-of-way that has not otherwise
28 reverted.
29         (3) Any other interest in a former railroad
30 right-of-way that has been acquired or is operated by a
31 land management company or similar entity.
32     "Special circumstances" means either or both of the
33 following:
34         (1) The existence of characteristics of a segment of

 

 

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1 railroad right-of-way or of a proposed utility facility
2 that increases the direct expenses associated with a
3 proposed crossing.
4         (2) A proposed crossing that involves a significant and
5 imminent likelihood of danger to the public health or
6 safety or that is a serious threat to the safe operations
7 of the railroad or to the current use of the railroad
8 right-of-way, necessitating additional terms and
9 conditions associated with the crossing.
 
10     Section 10. Terms and conditions for a crossing.
11     (a) Notification by a public utility to a railroad required
12 prior to the commencement of any crossing activity shall not
13 exceed 30 days.
14     (b) The railroad and the public utility must maintain and
15 repair its own property within the railroad right-of-way and
16 bear responsibility for its own acts and omissions, except that
17 the public utility shall be responsible for any bodily injury
18 or property damage that typically would be covered under a
19 standard railroad protective liability insurance policy.
20     (c) A public utility shall have immediate access to a
21 crossing for repair and maintenance of existing facilities in
22 case of emergency.
23     (d) Applicable engineering standards shall be complied
24 with for utility facilities crossing railroad rights-of-way.
25     (e) The public utility shall be provided an expedited
26 crossing, absent a claim of special circumstances, after
27 payment by the public utility of the standard crossing fee, if
28 applicable, and submission of completed engineering
29 specifications to the railroad.
30     (f) The public utility and the railroad may agree to other
31 terms and conditions necessary to provide for reasonable use of
32 a railroad right-of-way by a public utility.
33     (g) The Commission may adopt rules prescribing terms and

 

 

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1 conditions in addition to those contained in this Section for a
2 crossing to ensure that any crossing be consistent with the
3 public convenience and necessity and reasonable service to the
4 public.
 
5     Section 15. Crossing fee. Unless otherwise agreed by the
6 parties and subject to Section 20, a public utility that
7 locates its facilities within the railroad right-of-way for a
8 crossing, other than a crossing along the public roads of the
9 State pursuant to the Telephone Line Right of Way Act, shall
10 pay the railroad a one-time standard crossing fee of $750 for
11 each crossing plus the costs associated with modifications to
12 existing insurance contracts of the public utility and the
13 railroad. The standard crossing fee shall be in lieu of any
14 license or any other fees or charges to reimburse the railroad
15 for the direct expenses incurred by the railroad as a result of
16 the crossing. The public utility shall also reimburse the
17 railroad for any actual flagging expenses associated with a
18 crossing in addition to the standard crossing fee.
 
19     Section 20. Powers not limited.
20     (a) Notwithstanding Section 10, rules adopted by the
21 Commission shall not prevent a railroad and a public utility
22 from otherwise negotiating the terms and conditions applicable
23 to a crossing or the resolution of any disputes relating to the
24 crossing.
25     (b) Notwithstanding subsection (a), This Section shall not
26 impair the authority of a public utility to secure crossing
27 rights by easement pursuant to the exercise of the power of
28 eminent domain.
 
29     Section 25. Special circumstances.
30     (a) A railroad or public utility that believes special
31 circumstances exist for a particular crossing may petition the

 

 

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1 Commission for relief. If a petition for relief is filed, the
2 Commission shall determine whether special circumstances exist
3 that necessitate either a modification of the direct expenses
4 to be paid or the need for additional terms and conditions. The
5 Commission may make any necessary findings of fact and
6 determinations related to the existence of special
7 circumstances, as well as any relief to be granted. A
8 determination of the Commission, except for a determination on
9 the issue of damages for the rights granted to a public utility
10 with respect to a crossing, shall be considered final agency
11 action subject to judicial review under the Administrative
12 Review Law. The Commission shall assess the costs associated
13 with a petition for relief equitably against the parties.
14     (b) A railroad or public utility that claims to be
15 aggrieved by a determination of the Commission on the issue of
16 damages for the rights granted to a public utility with respect
17 to a crossing may seek judicial review as provided in the
18 Administrative Review Law.
 
19     Section 30. Authority to cross; emergency relief. Pending
20 Commission resolution of a claim of special circumstances
21 raised in a petition, a public utility may, upon securing the
22 payment of any damages and upon submission of completed
23 engineering specifications to the railroad, proceed with a
24 crossing in accordance with the rules adopted by the
25 Commission, unless the Commission, upon application for
26 emergency relief, determines that there is a reasonable
27 likelihood that either of the following conditions exist:
28         (1) That the proposed crossing involves a significant
29 and imminent likelihood of danger to the public health or
30 safety.
31         (2) That the proposed crossing is a serious threat to
32 the safe operations of the railroad or to the current use
33 of the railroad right-of-way.

 

 

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1     If the Commission determines that there is a reasonable
2 likelihood that the proposed crossing meets either condition,
3 then the Commission shall immediately intervene to prevent the
4 crossing until a factual determination is made.
 
5     Section 35. Conflicting provisions. Notwithstanding any
6 provision law to the contrary, this Act shall apply in all
7 crossings of railroad rights-of-way involving a public utility
8 and shall govern in the event of any conflict with any other
9 provision of law.
 
10     Section 40. Applicability. This Act applies to (i) a
11 crossing commenced prior to the effective date of this Act if
12 an agreement concerning the crossing has expired or is
13 terminated and (ii) a crossing commenced on or after the
14 effective date of this Act.".