Florida Senate - 2026                                    SB 1310
       
       
        
       By Senator Rodriguez
       
       
       
       
       
       40-01339-26                                           20261310__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to railroad safety; amending s.
    3         351.03, F.S.; requiring certain governmental entities
    4         to install and maintain specified detection and
    5         monitoring systems at public railroad-highway grade
    6         crossings by a specified date; requiring the
    7         Department of Transportation to adopt specified rules
    8         and provide technical support to governmental
    9         entities; specifying requirements for the detection
   10         and monitoring systems; authorizing installation and
   11         maintenance of such systems to be funded through
   12         certain sources; requiring certain governmental
   13         entities to submit a specified report to the
   14         department by a specified date and each year
   15         thereafter; requiring the department to compile such
   16         reports and submit a summary report to the Legislature
   17         by a specified date and biennially thereafter;
   18         providing an effective date.
   19          
   20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   21  
   22         Section 1. Present subsection (5) of section 351.03,
   23  Florida Statutes, is redesignated as subsection (6), and a new
   24  subsection (5) is added to that section, to read:
   25         351.03 Railroad-highway grade-crossing warning signs and
   26  signals; audible warnings; exercise of reasonable care; blocking
   27  highways, roads, and streets during darkness.—
   28         (5)(a) Beginning January 1, 2027, the governmental entity
   29  having jurisdiction over or maintenance responsibility for the
   30  highway or street on which a public railroad-highway grade
   31  crossing is established, updated, or modified shall install and
   32  maintain detection and monitoring systems at each such crossing.
   33  The Department of Transportation shall adopt rules establishing
   34  minimum technical and performance standards and criteria for the
   35  use of such systems, including criteria for prioritizing high
   36  risk crossings for the installation of such systems, and shall
   37  provide technical assistance to governmental entities during
   38  installation. Such systems must include all of the following
   39  technology:
   40         1. Detection of pedestrians, vehicles, or other
   41  obstructions within the crossing area.
   42         2. Real-time analysis of conditions to identify potential
   43  safety hazards.
   44         3. Real-time transmission of warnings or alerts to train
   45  crews and other authorized railroad personnel responsible for
   46  train operations.
   47         4. Coordination with, and compatibility to the extent
   48  practicable with, railroad safety systems, including positive
   49  train control systems.
   50         (b) Installation and maintenance of the systems specified
   51  in paragraph (a) may be funded through grants, state
   52  appropriated funds, public-private partnerships, or federal
   53  funds. The department may provide financial assistance or
   54  incentives to governmental entities responsible for public
   55  railroad-highway grade crossings to support the installation and
   56  maintenance of detection and monitoring systems required under
   57  this subsection.
   58         (c) By October 1, 2027, and each year thereafter, each
   59  governmental entity responsible for a public railroad-highway
   60  grade crossing at which detection and monitoring systems are
   61  installed pursuant to this subsection shall submit an annual
   62  report to the department containing data generated by such
   63  systems, including hazard detections, warnings or alerts issued,
   64  and any safety hazards prevented. By January 1, 2028, and
   65  biennially thereafter, the department shall compile the local
   66  governmental entity reports and submit a summary report to the
   67  President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of
   68  Representatives.
   69         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2026.