06 LC 21
8832
House
Resolution 1537
By:
Representative Jones of the
44th
A
RESOLUTION
Creating
the House Study Committee on Rail Crossing Safety; and for other
purposes.
WHEREAS,
following an investigation of a deadly collision of a train and a school bus
that took the lives of three children in Tennessee in 2002, the National
Transportation Safety Board recommended that states make it a high priority to
improve safety at ungated railroad crossings used by school buses;
and
WHEREAS,
vehicles and trains collide an average of nine times a day; and
WHEREAS,
nationally, there were more than 3,400 reported collisions at railroad grade
crossings in 2004 resulting in nearly 400 fatalities and more than 1,300
injuries; and
WHEREAS,
childreńs
lives can and will be saved if states adopt the simple safety measures that the
National Transportation Safety Board recommended; and
WHEREAS,
it is vital that officials at the state level be possessed of all relevant
information regarding rail crossings over which local school bus routes
traverse.
NOW,
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES that there is created
the House Study Committee on Rail Crossing Safety to be composed of seven
members as follows: two members of the House of Representatives, to be appointed
by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; one member appointed by the
commissioner of transportation; one member appointed by the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen; one member appointed by the United
Transportation Union; and the following members appointed by the Governor: one
school superintendent and one representative of a rail carrier doing business in
Georgia. The Speaker shall appoint a chairperson. The chairperson shall call
all meetings of the committee.
BE
IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the committee shall undertake a study of the
conditions, needs, issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and
recommend any actions or legislation which the committee deems necessary or
appropriate. The committee may conduct such meetings at such places and at such
times as it may deem necessary or convenient to enable it to exercise fully and
effectively its powers, perform its duties, and accomplish the objectives and
purposes of this resolution. The legislative members of the committee shall
receive the allowances authorized for legislative members of interim legislative
committees and the nonlegislative members shall receive the travel allowance
allowed for members of the General Assembly, but shall receive the same for not
more than ten days unless additional days are authorized. The funds necessary
to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from the funds
appropriated to the House of Representatives. In the event the committee makes
a report of its findings and recommendations, with suggestions for proposed
legislation, if any, such report shall be made on or before December 31, 2006.
The committee shall stand abolished on December 31, 2006.