H.R. 8012 explained · 119th Congress · Pending in Congress
HOWIE Act
Cosponsors: none · per Congress.gov, 2026-10-09
Introduced: 2026-03-19
Latest action (2026-03-20): Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
What H.R. 8012 does, in plain terms
Helping Oversee and Ward off Infrastructure Emergencies Act or the HOWIE Act This bill directs the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) to revise current railroad accident reporting requirements to include additional causes of damage. Specifically, FRA must 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.
Official summary by the Congressional Research Service, via Congress.gov.
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