Bipartisan, bicameral legislation recently introduced in Congress would address violence against railway crews aboard passenger trains.
Under current law, assaults on rail employees are handled by the legal system of the specific jurisdiction where the incident took place, but it isn’t always clear in which jurisdiction the assault occurred or it may be impossible to determine while the train is in motion.
The Passenger Rail Crew Protection Act would make it unlawful for any person to assault a crew member and thereby interfere with the crew member’s performance of duties or lessen the ability of a crew member to perform those duties. Attempting or conspiring to assault a crew member also would be illegal. This would apply on a platform serving such a train or while onboard a passenger train or commuter rail transportation in operation.
“Rail workers deserve the strongest possible protections against any acts of violence or assault,” U.S. Rep. Laura Gillen (D-NY), who co-introduced the bill, said. “They deserve the same federal protections afforded to other essential transportation workers across industries.”
Violators would be subject to a fine or imprisonment for up to eight years, or both. If a dangerous weapon is used during an assault, prison time could be up to 20 years.