Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act

House Bill

H.R. 3705

119th Congress

Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act

Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 35 - 0.

Introduced:Jun 4, 2025

Primary Sponsor

Chellie Pingree

Representative

Democratic

ME-1

Cosponsors

0

Quick Stats

Policy Area

Transportation and Public Works

Summary

This bill would require railroads to report train accidents that result in significant damage, even if the accident causes a fire alongside the tracks. The goal is to improve safety and oversight of the railroad industry.

Latest Action

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

SponsorChellie Pingree (D-ME)

Introduced6/4/2025

StatusOrdered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 35 - 0.

ChamberHouse

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Vote Prediction

Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act

This bill would require railroads to report train accidents that result in significant damage, even if the accident causes a fire alongside the tracks. The goal is to improve safety and oversight of the railroad industry.

Community Breakdown

Pass

0%

Fail

0%

0 predictions

This bill would require railroads to report train accidents that result in significant damage, even if the accident causes a fire alongside the tracks. The goal is to improve safety and oversight of the railroad industry.

Bill Number: 3705
Sponsor: Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Introduced: 6/4/2025
Status: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 35 - 0.
Policy Area: Transportation and Public Works

Data from Congress.gov

AI-generated summary

Fact Sheet

Title: Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act
Bill Number: 3705
Sponsor: Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Status: Ordered to be Reported by the Yeas and Nays: 35 - 0.
Introduced: 6/4/2025
Summary: This bill would require railroads to report train accidents that result in significant damage, even if the accident causes a fire alongside the tracks. The goal is to improve safety and oversight of the railroad industry.

Data from Congress.gov

AI Summary

Plain-English explanation of this bill

This bill would require railroads to report train accidents that result in significant damage, even if the accident causes a fire alongside the tracks. The goal is to improve safety and oversight of the railroad industry.

Last updated: 12/30/2025

Official Summary

Congressional Research Service summary

<html><body>Helping Oversee and Ward off Infrastructure Emergencies Act or the HOWIE Act This bill requires the Federal Railroad Administration to issue regulations to 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. Specifically, a railroad must report (1) a train accident resulting in damage (based on a preliminary gross estimate) of $150,000 or more to railroad and nonrailroad property; or (2) a train accident resulting in damage of $25,000 or more to a passenger train, including railroad and nonrailroad property. </body></html>

Key Points

Main provisions of the bill

Railroads must report train accidents that cause at least $150,000 in damage to railroad and non-railroad property.
Railroads must also report accidents that cause at least $25,000 in damage to passenger trains and related property.
The bill aims to increase transparency and accountability around train accidents, including those that start fires near the tracks.

How This Impacts Americans

Potential effects on citizens and communities

If this bill becomes law, it would affect all major railroad companies in the United States. They would be required to report more train accidents, providing the government and public with more information about safety issues in the industry. This could lead to improved regulations and practices to prevent future accidents and fires.

Policy Areas

Primary Policy Area

Transportation and Public Works

Related Subjects

Accidents

Administrative law and regulatory procedures

Department of Transportation

Railroads

Transportation safety and security

Scope & Jurisdiction

Jurisdiction Level

federal

Congressional Session

119th Congress

Citation Reference

3705, 119th Congress (2025). "Fog Observations and Geographic Forecasting Act". Source: Voter's Right Platform. https://votersright.org/bills/118-hr-3705