This bill provides states with the authority to adopt or enact any law, regulation, order, or other requirement limiting the duration that a railroad carrier may block a grade rail crossing. Specifically, this bill states that federal transportation laws do not preempt a state from adopting or enacting these limits.
As background, state and federal courts have generally found that state laws regarding obstructed crossings are preempted by one or more federal laws, thereby rendering the state laws unenforceable.