Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB311: AN ACT relating to railroad crossings.
Status: Signed into law, April 23, 2026
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 277 to require each railroad company to destroy or remove obstructive vegetation at intersections with public roads or highways; direct the Transportation Cabinet or local government to remove obstructive vegetation if the railroad company fails to do so after receiving written notice from the cabinet or local government; establish procedures for reimbursement by the railroad company for the vegetation removal.
What the bill says
An act relating to railroad crossings.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT relating to railroad crossings. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 277 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: (1) Every railroad company shall destroy or remove obstructive vegetation upon its right-of-way at each public railroad-highway grade crossing, for a distance of two hundred fifty (250) feet in each direction, that is: (a) More than thirty (30) inches and less than twenty (20) feet above the height of the crossing; (b) Within twenty (20) feet from the nearest rail or, if the railroad's right-ofway is less than twenty (20) feet from the nearest rail, the entire width of the right-of-way, except for vegetation within five (5) feet of private property; and (c) Within two hundred fifty (250) feet of the centerline of the roadway where it intersects the centerline of the nearest track at the crossing. (2) A railroad company shall not be authorized or required to enter private property to remove vegetation located on private property to comply with subsection (1) of this section. (3) If terrain, elevation, track or road curvature, rolling stock, structures, or other objects or conditions at or near the public railroad-highway grade crossing make compliance with subsection (1) of this section impossible, impractical, or unnecessary, the railroad company may petition …
Sponsors
- Josh Calloway (R, HD-010) · primary sponsor
- Nancy Tate (R, HD-027)
- Shane Baker (R, HD-085)
- Tina Bojanowski (D, HD-032)
- Steve Bratcher (R, HD-025)
- Beverly Chester-Burton (D, HD-044)
- Jennifer Decker (R, HD-058)
- Steven Doan (R, HD-069)
- Anne Donworth (D, HD-076)
- Myron Dossett (R, HD-009)
- Robert Duvall (R, HD-017)
- Daniel Fister (R, HD-056)
Latest actions
- : signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 195)
- : delivered to Governor
- : enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- : enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- : passed 98-0
- : House concurred in Committee Substitute (1)
- : posted for passage for concurrence in Senate
- : to Rules (H)
- : received in House
- : 3rd reading, passed 38-0 with Committee Substitute (1)
Votes
- House: Final Passage RCS# 488 (April 15, 2026): 98 yea, 0 nay, passed
- Senate: Floor Vote (SCS 1) RSN# 4181 (April 14, 2026): 38 yea, 0 nay, passed
- House: Pass RCS# 256 (March 16, 2026): 93 yea, 1 nay, passed
Subjects: State Agencies, Traffic Safety, Transportation, Local Mandate
Common questions
- What is HB311?
- HB311 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to railroad crossings.
- What does HB311 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to railroad crossings.
- What is the status of HB311?
- Signed into law as of April 23, 2026. Latest action: signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 195) (April 23, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB311?
- Josh Calloway (R, HD-010), with 11 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB311?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb311.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.