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Read. Follow. Verify.Kentucky bill requires two-person crews on freight trains and sets civil penalties for violations
Last action · January 14, 2026: to Transportation (H)Sponsors: A. Tackett Laferty and 1 other
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What This Bill Proposed
Freight trains and s operating in Kentucky must have a crew of at least two individuals in the operating cab, with specific exceptions for yard movements and switching. Railroad companies that willfully violate this requirement face tiered civil penalties ranging from $1,000 to $15,000.
Freight rail operators face mandatory crew sizing rules and escalating financial penalties paid to the state road fund, while rail workers gain codified staffing minimums inside operating cabs.
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Railroad companies
Railroad companies must comply with minimum crew size rules in operating cabs and pay civil penalties for willful violations.
Freight train crews
Train operators and crew members are guaranteed a minimum of two individuals in the operating cab during freight movements, subject to exemptions.
Key Facts
- Freight trains or light engines moving freight must have a crew of at least two individuals located in the operating cab.
- Crew size requirements do not apply to short movements within a railroad yard or mechanical facility, en route switching, or work requiring the conductor to perform other assigned duties.
- Railroad companies that willfully violate the crew size requirement face civil penalties of $1,000 to $2,000 for a first offense.
- Second offenses within a three-year period carry civil penalties between $5,000 and $7,500.
Show all 6 facts
- Third or subsequent offenses within a three-year period carry civil penalties between $10,000 and $15,000.
- Civil penalties collected for crew size violations are distributed to the road fund.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum crew size required for freight trains under this measure?
Are there any exceptions to the two-person crew requirement?
What happens if a railroad company violates the crew requirement?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Jan 14, 2026HouseCommitteeto Transportation (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedintroduced in House to Committee on Committees (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
apps.legislature.ky.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 65)
- Controversy70Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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