HB5554 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 14884 DRH 49904 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
HB5554

Introduced 01/27/06, by Rep. Jay C. Hoffman

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

625 ILCS 5/18c-7503

from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-7503

Amends the Chapter of the Illinois Vehicle Code containing the Illinois Commercial Transportation Law. Provides that a rail carrier may not restrict or hinder any inspection or investigation by an employee or an authorized representative of rail carrier employees that is necessary to determine compliance with applicable safety laws and regulations. Provides that the Illinois Commerce Commission shall require and enforce that an authorized representative of rail carrier employees has reasonable access to railroad property to perform any necessary inspection or investigation. Effective immediately.

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning transportation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Section 18c-7503 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/18c-7503) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 18c-7503)

Sec. 18c-7503. Trespassing on railroad property.

(1) Trespassing on railroad property prohibited.

(a) General prohibition. Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, no person may:

(i) walk, ride, drive or be upon or along the right of way or rail yard of a rail carrier within the State, at a place other than a public crossing;

(ii) enter or be upon any railroad property;

(iii) without lawful authority or the railroad carrier's consent, ride on the outside of a train or inside a passenger car, locomotive, or freight car, including a box car, flatbed, or container;

(iv) willfully lead or contrive any animal to go upon the railroad's rights of way for any reason other than to pass over such rights of way at a marked public crossing; or

(v) throw or cause to be thrown on to the railroad's rights of way any waste paper, ashes, household waste, glass, metal, tires, refuse, or rubbish.

(b) Exceptions. This subsection shall not apply to:

(i) fare paying passengers on trains or employees of a rail carrier;

(ii) railroad employees and an authorized representative of rail carrier employees, while performing required duties in accordance with reasonable rail carrier company guidelines; however, a rail carrier may not restrict or hinder any inspection or investigation by an employee or an authorized representative of rail carrier employees that is necessary to determine compliance with applicable safety laws and regulations;

(iii) a person going upon the right of way or into the rail yard to save human life or to remove an object that a reasonable person would believe poses an imminent threat to human life or limb;

(iv) a person being on the station grounds or in the depot of the rail carrier for the purpose of transacting business;

(v) a person, his family, or his employees or agents going across a farm crossing, as defined in this Chapter, for the purpose of crossing from one part to another part of a farm he owns or leases, where the farm lies on both sides of the right of way;

(vi) a person having written permission from the rail carrier to go upon the right of way or into the rail yard;

(vii) representatives of local, State, and federal governmental agencies in performance of their official duties; and

(viii) a person having written permission from the rail carrier to go in or be upon railroad property.

(c) Access by an authorized representative of rail carrier employees. In accordance with subdivision (b)(ii) of this subsection (1), the Commission shall require and enforce that an authorized representative of rail carrier employees has reasonable access to railroad property to perform inspections or investigations that are necessary to determine a rail carrier's compliance with applicable safety laws and regulations.

(2) Penalties.

(a) Any person found in violation of item (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) of paragraph (a) of subsection (1) shall be guilty of a Class C misdemeanor for a first offense. In addition to such other sanctions as may be deemed appropriate by the court, the person shall be subject to a mandatory fine of not less than $150 or more than $500, or to imprisonment for not less than 5 days nor more than 30 days, or both. For each subsequent offense, the person shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor. In addition to such sanctions as may be deemed appropriate by the court, the person shall be subject to a mandatory fine of not less than $500 nor more than $1,000, or to imprisonment for not less than 10 days or more than one year, or both.

(b) Any person found in violation of item (v) of paragraph (a) of subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offense and in addition to such sanctions as may be deemed appropriate by the court shall be subject to a fine of not less than $100 nor more than $500, or community service of not less than 8 hours nor more than 50 hours, or both. If damage to any railroad property or bodily injury occurs to another as a result of a violation of item (v) of paragraph (a) of subsection (1), that person shall be charged with the offense of Malicious Removal of or Damage to Railroad Property or Freight pursuant to Section 18c-7502.

(c) Local authorities shall impose fines as established in paragraphs (a) and (b) of this subsection (2) for persons found in violation of this Section or any similar local ordinance.

(3) Definitions. For purposes of this Section:

"Authorized representative of rail carrier employees" means a person duly authorized by the labor organization certified to represent a class or craft of railroad employees under the applicable State or federal laws.

"Passenger" means a person who is traveling by train with lawful authority and who does not participate in the train's operation. The term "passenger" does not include stowaways.

"Railroad" means any form of nonhighway ground transportation that runs on rails or electromagnetic guideways, including:

(i) commuter or other short-haul railroad passenger service in a metropolitan or urban area; and

(ii) high-speed ground transportation systems that connect metropolitan areas; but does not include rapid transit operations in an urban area that are not connected to the general railroad system of transportation.

"Railroad carrier" means a person providing railroad transportation.

"Railroad property" means all tangible property owned, leased, or operated by a railroad carrier including a right of way, track, bridge, yard, shop, station, tunnel, viaduct, trestle, depot, warehouse, terminal, or any other structure, appurtenance, or equipment owned, leased, or used in the operation of any railroad carrier including trains, locomotives, engines, railroad cars, work equipment, rolling stock, or safety devices. "Railroad property" does not include a railroad carrier's administrative buildings or offices, office equipment, or intangible property such as software or other information.

"Right of way" means the track or roadbed owned, leased, or operated by a rail carrier which is located on either side of its tracks and which is readily recognizable to a reasonable person as being railroad property or is reasonably identified as such by fencing or appropriate signs.

"Yard" means a system of parallel tracks, crossovers, and switches where railroad cars are switched and made up into trains, and where railroad cars, locomotives, and other rolling stock is kept when not in use or when awaiting repair.

(Source: P.A. 90-655, eff. 7-30-98; 90-691, eff. 1-1-98; 91-532, eff. 1-1-00.)

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon becoming law.