Where does rail-safety legislation stand since the East Palestine derailment, and who is lobbying for and against it? Map the bills, sponsors, and coalition, cited to the official record.

Rail-Safety Legislation Post–East Palestine

Status: Rail-safety bills remain stalled in committee across both the 118th and 119th Congresses, though the Trump administration has revived the issue in 2026. The most prominent measure, S. 576 (Railway Safety Act of 2023), was reported by Senate committee in December 2023 but never advanced to a floor vote. Its House companion, H.R. 1674, remains referred to subcommittee. In the 119th Congress, Rep. Deluzio (D-PA-17) reintroduced related bills: H.R. 854 (DERAIL Act) and H.R. 7748 (Railway Safety Act of 2026), both referred to committee as of March 2026.

Key Bills & Sponsors

Bill	Sponsor	Status	Cosponsors	Focus
S. 576	Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH)	Reported (118th)	11	Two-person crew mandate, hazmat train definitions, wayside defect detectors, tank-car phase-out
H.R. 1674	Rep. Christopher Deluzio (D-PA-17)	Referred (118th)	17	Companion to S. 576
H.R. 5871	Rep. Melanie Stansbury (D-NM-1)	Referred (118th)	51	Rail Worker and Community Safety Act—broader worker protections
H.R. 854 (DERAIL Act)	Rep. Deluzio (D-PA-17)	Referred (119th)	16	Expands high-hazard flammable train (HHFT) definition; 24-hour derailment reporting
H.R. 7748	Rep. Deluzio (D-PA-17)	Referred (119th)	15	Railway Safety Act of 2026 reintroduction

Bipartisan Coalition (118th Congress)

S. 576 cosponsors include:

• Republicans: Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) (original cosponsor, now Vice President), Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO), Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS)
• Democrats: Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)

H.R. 1674 cosponsors include cross-party members from NY, PA, NJ, and OR, including Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) and Rep. Nick LaLota (R-NY).

Lobbying Activity

Supporting/Monitoring (Union & Worker Groups):

• International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers: $1.45M (2025 Q3–Q4) — filed in support of S. 576 and H.R. 928 (Surface Transportation Reauthorization)
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters: $1.76M (2024–2025) — lobbied on H.R. 1674, S. 576, H.R. 5871, and related rail-worker bills
• Transportation Trades Department, AFL-CIO: $1.54M (2024) — focused on crew size, hazmat transport, rail-worker protections

Monitoring/Opposing (Rail Carriers & Shippers):

• Union Pacific Corporation: $1.41M (2024) — filed on S. 576, H.R. 1674, and related bills; noted concerns about "2-man crew site"
• BNSF Railway Company: $1.28M (2024) — monitored S. 576 and related rail-safety legislation
• CSX Corporation: $851K (2024) — filed on H.R. 1674, S. 576, and related bills
• Association of American Railroads: $1.28M (2024) — filed on S. 576, H.R. 1674, and related bills; noted concerns about "2-man crew" and "preserving economic balance"

Chemical & Hazmat Shippers:

• American Chemistry Council: $5.83M (2024) — largest disclosed spender on H.R. 5871; filed on H.R. 1674 and S. 576
• Shell USA: $1.62M (2024) — filed on H.R. 1674 and S. 576
• BASF Corporation: $430K (2024) — noted support for "rail safety enhancements" while flagging "needs and impacts to shippers"

Political Dynamics (2026)

News coverage reveals a fracture within the GOP over the two-person crew mandate:

• Trump administration & populist Republicans (including VP Vance) are pushing the bill into the surface transportation reauthorization as a priority.
• Free-market conservatives and consumer groups oppose the crew mandate, arguing it raises shipping costs without proven safety benefit and protects union jobs.
• The bill was added to the House transportation package in May 2026 with cross-party support, but remains contested in Senate negotiations.

Sources

• S. 576 (Railway Safety Act of 2023)
• H.R. 1674 (Railway Safety Act of 2023)
• H.R. 5871 (Rail Worker and Community Safety Act)
• H.R. 854 (DERAIL Act, 119th Congress)
• H.R. 7748 (Railway Safety Act of 2026)
• Politico: White House pushes Congress to pass Vance's rail safety bill
• The Hill: Vance-championed rail safety bill fractures GOP
• Boston Herald: Consumer groups push back on rail safety bill