SB 1091
Requires railroads to provide counseling services or other critical incident stress debriefing services to railroad employees involved in serious accidents
Sponsor:
LR Number:
3983S.03I
Last Action:
2/14/2008 - Second Read and Referred S Small Business, Insurance & Industrial Relations Committee
Journal Page:
S247
Title:
Calendar Position:
Effective Date:
August 28, 2008

Current Bill Summary

SB 1091 - Under this act, every railroad corporation is required to provide to railroad operating crew members involved in an accident, which results in loss of life or serious bodily injury, counseling services or other critical incident stress debriefing services within 48 hours of the accident. The engineer or other operating crew member involved in the accident shall be relieved from duty at the site of the accident with full compensation for all wages he or she would have earned had he or she continued on their scheduled tour of duty. The engineer or other operating crew member involved in the accident shall be allowed the option to remain off duty for up to 72 hours after they are relieved from duty. The act requires the railroad corporation to immediately notify all crew members involved in such incidents of their rights conferred by the act to exercise the option to remain off duty. The railroad corporation shall not harass, coerce, intimidate, or in any other manner try to convince or force any crew member to not exercise the option to remain off duty. Any railroad corporation that punishes or disciplines any employee for exercising the option to remain off duty under this act shall be subject to a penalty or forfeiture of not less that $500 nor more than $2,000 for each offense. A railroad corporation shall be exempt from the provisions of this act if it has an arrangement or a collective bargaining agreement in place which provides for equivalent critical incident stress debriefing services.

STEPHEN WITTE

Amendments