The Transportation Legislation Review Committee has introduced Senate Bill 25-052, titled "Railroad Investigative Report Confidentiality." This bill aims to enhance transparency in railroad operations by modifying the confidentiality requirements of investigative reports. Key provisions include:
Repeal of Blanket Confidentiality: The bill removes the existing mandate that all investigative reports of railroads prepared for the Public Utilities Commission (PUC) remain confidential.
Rule-Making Authority for Confidentiality: It grants the PUC the authority to establish rules that keep ongoing investigations and security-related information confidential, ensuring sensitive details are protected during active inquiries.
Public Access to Final Reports: Final investigative reports will not be confidential, allowing public access to completed investigations.
Timely Information Release: The PUC is required to promptly release information when public awareness is necessary to protect safety, health, or welfare.
This legislative effort seeks to balance the need for public transparency with the protection of sensitive information during active railroad investigations.
Summary
Transportation Legislation Review Committee. Current law
requires investigative reports of railroads made for the public utilities commission to be kept confidential. The bill repeals this requirement and replaces it with a grant of rule-making authority to make ongoing investigations and security information confidential. The confidentiality rules must not make final reports of investigations confidential and must require the timely release of information if public knowledge of the information would protect the public safety, health, or welfare.
