article: SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Rail Passenger Disaster Family Assistance Act of 2001''. SEC. 2. ASSISTANCE BY NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD TO FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS INVOLVED IN RAIL PASSENGER ACCIDENTS. (a) In General.--Subchapter III of chapter 11 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: ``Sec. 1138. Assistance to families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents ``(a) In General.--As soon as practicable after being notified of a rail passenger accident within the United States involving a rail passenger carrier and resulting in a major loss of life, the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board shall-- ``(1) designate and publicize the name and phone number of a director of family support services who shall be an employee of the Board and shall be responsible for acting as a point of contact within the Federal Government for the families of passengers involved in the accident and a liaison between the rail passenger carrier and the families; and ``(2) designate an independent nonprofit organization, with experience in disasters and posttrauma communication with families, which shall have primary responsibility for coordinating the emotional care and support of the families of passengers involved in the accident. ``(b) Responsibilities of the Board.--The Board shall have primary Federal responsibility for-- ``(1) facilitating the recovery and identification of fatally injured passengers involved in an accident described in subsection (a); and ``(2) communicating with the families of passengers involved in the accident as to the roles of-- ``(A) the organization designated for an accident under subsection (a)(2); ``(B) Government agencies; and ``(C) the rail passenger carrier involved, with respect to the accident and the post-accident activities. ``(c) Responsibilities of Designated Organization.--The organization designated for an accident under subsection (a)(2) shall have the following responsibilities with respect to the families of passengers involved in the accident: ``(1) To provide mental health and counseling services, in coordination with the disaster response team of the rail passenger carrier involved. ``(2) To take such actions as may be necessary to provide an environment in which the families may grieve in private. ``(3) To meet with the families who have traveled to the location of the accident, to contact the families unable to travel to such location, and to contact all affected families periodically thereafter until such time as the organization, in consultation with the director of family support services designated for the accident under subsection (a)(1), determines that further assistance is no longer needed. ``(4) To arrange a suitable memorial service, in consultation with the families. ``(d) Passenger Lists.-- ``(1) Requests for passenger lists.-- ``(A) Requests by director of family support services.--It shall be the responsibility of the director of family support services designated for an accident under subsection (a)(1) to request, as soon as practicable, from the rail passenger carrier involved in the accident a list, which is based on the best available information at the time of the request, of the names of the passengers that were aboard the rail passenger carrier's train involved in the accident. A rail passenger carrier shall use reasonable efforts, with respect to its unreserved trains, and passengers not holding reservations on its other trains, to ascertain the names of passengers aboard a train involved in an accident. ``(B) Requests by designated organization.--The organization designated for an accident under subsection (a)(2) may request from the rail passenger carrier involved in the accident a list described in subparagraph (A). ``(2) Use of information.--The director of family support services and the organization may not release to any person information on a list obtained under paragraph (1) but may provide information on the list about a passenger to the family of the passenger to the extent that the director of family support services or the organization considers appropriate. ``(e) Continuing Responsibilities of the Board.--In the course of its investigation of an accident described in subsection (a), the Board shall, to the maximum extent practicable, ensure that the families of passengers involved in the accident-- ``(1) are briefed, prior to any public briefing, about the accident and any other findings from the investigation; and ``(2) are individually informed of and allowed to attend any public hearings and meetings of the Board about the accident. ``(f) Use of Rail Passenger Carrier Resources.--To the extent practicable, the organization designated for an accident under subsection (a)(2) shall coordinate its activities with the rail passenger carrier involved in the accident to facilitate the reasonable use of the resources of the carrier. ``(g) Prohibited Actions.-- ``(1) Actions to impede the board.--No person (including a State or political subdivision) may impede the ability of the Board (including the director of family support services designated for an accident under subsection (a)(1)), or an organization designated for an accident under subsection (a)(2), to carry out its responsibilities under this section or the ability of the families of passengers involved in the accident to have contact with one another. ``(2) Unsolicited communications.--No unsolicited communication concerning a potential action for personal injury or wrongful death may be made by an attorney (including any associate, agent, employee, or other representative of an attorney) or any potential party to the litigation to an individual (other than an employee of the rail passenger carrier) injured in the accident, or to a relative of an individual involved in the accident, before the 45th day following the date of the accident. ``(3) Prohibition on actions to prevent mental health and counseling services.--No State or political subdivision may prevent the employees, agents, or volunteers of an organization designated for an accident under subsection (a)(2) from providing mental health and counseling services under subsection (c)(1) in the 30-day period beginning on the date of the accident. The director of family support services designated for the accident under subsection (a)(1) may extend such period for not to exceed an additional 30 days if the director determines that the extension is necessary to meet the needs of the families and if State and local authorities are notified of the determination. ``(h) Definitions.--In this section, the following definitions apply: ``(1) Rail passenger accident.--The term `rail passenger accident' means any rail passenger disaster occurring in the provision of-- ``(A) interstate intercity rail passenger transportation (as such term is defined in section 24102); or ``(B) interstate or intrastate high-speed rail (as such term is defined in section 26105) transportation, regardless of its cause or suspected cause. ``(2) Rail passenger carrier.--The term `rail passenger carrier' means a rail carrier providing-- ``(A) interstate intercity rail passenger transportation (as such term is defined in section 24102); or ``(B) interstate or intrastate high-speed rail (as such term is defined in section 26105) transportation, except that such term shall not include a tourist, historic, scenic, or excursion rail carrier. ``(3) Passenger.--The term `passenger' includes-- ``(A) an employee of a rail passenger carrier aboard a train; ``(B) any other person aboard the train without regard to whether the person paid for the transportation, occupied a seat, or held a reservation for the rail transportation; and ``(C) any other person injured or killed in the accident. ``(i) Limitation on Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed as limiting the actions that a rail passenger carrier may take, or the obligations that a rail passenger carrier may have, in providing assistance to the families of passengers involved in a rail passenger accident.''. (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 1137 the following: ``1138. Assistance to families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents.''. SEC. 3. RAIL PASSENGER CARRIER PLANS TO ADDRESS NEEDS OF FAMILIES OF PASSENGERS INVOLVED IN RAIL PASSENGER ACCIDENTS. (a) In General.--Part C of subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter: ``CHAPTER 251--FAMILY ASSISTANCE ``Sec. ``25101. Plans to address needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents. ``Sec. 25101. Plans to address needs of families of passengers involved in rail passenger accidents ``(a) Submission of Plans.--Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this section, each rail passenger carrier shall submit to the Secretary of Transportation and the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board a plan for addressing the needs of the families of passengers involved in any rail passenger accident involving a train of the rail passenger carrier and resulting in a major loss of life. ``(b) Contents of Plans.--A plan to be submitted by a rail passenger carrier under subsection (a) shall include, at a minimum, the following: ``(1) A plan for publicizing a reliable, toll-free telephone number, and for providing staff, to handle calls from the families of the passengers. ``(2) A process for notifying the families of the passengers, before providing any public notice of the names of the passengers, either by utilizing the services of the organization designated for the accident under section 1138(a)(2) of this title or the services of other suitably trained individuals. ``(3) An assurance that the notice described in paragraph (2) will be provided to the family of a passenger as soon as the rail passenger carrier has verified that the passenger was aboard the train (whether or not the names of all of the passengers have been verified) and, to the extent practicable, in person. ``(4) An assurance that the rail passenger carrier will provide to the director of family support services designated for the accident under section 1138(a)(1) of this title, and to the organization designated for the accident under section 1138(a)(2) of this title, immediately upon request, a list (which is based on the best available information at the time of the request) of the names of the passengers aboard the train (whether or not such names have been verified), and will periodically update the list. The plan shall include a procedure, with respect to unreserved trains and passengers not holding reservations on other trains, for the rail passenger carrier to use reasonable efforts to ascertain the names of passengers aboard a train involved in an accident. ``(5) An assurance that the family of each passenger will be consulted about the disposition of all remains and personal effects of the passenger within the control of the rail passenger carrier. ``(6) An assurance that if requested by the family of a passenger, any possession of the passenger within the control of the rail passenger carrier (regardless of its condition) will be returned to the family unless the possession is needed for the accident investigation or any criminal investigation. ``(7) An assurance that any unclaimed possession of a passenger within the control of the rail passenger carrier will be retained by the rail passenger carrier for at least 18 months. ``(8) An assurance that the family of each passenger or other person killed in the accident will be consulted about construction by the rail passenger carrier of any monument to the passengers, including any inscription on the monument. ``(9) An assurance that the treatment of the families of nonrevenue passengers will be the same as the treatment of the families of revenue passengers. ``(10) An assurance that the rail passenger carrier will work with any organization designated under section 1138(a)(2) of this title on an ongoing basis to ensure that families of passengers receive an appropriate level of services and assistance following each accident. ``(11) An assurance that the rail passenger carrier will provide reasonable compensation to any organization designated under section 1138(a)(2) of this title for services provided by the organization. ``(12) An assurance that the rail passenger carrier will assist the family of a passenger in traveling to the location of the accident and provide for the physical care of the family while the family is staying at such location. ``(13) An assurance that the rail passenger carrier will commit sufficient resources to carry out the plan. ``(14) An assurance that the rail passenger carrier will provide adequate training to the employees and agents of the carrier to meet the needs of survivors and family members following an accident. ``(15) An assurance that, upon request of the family of a passenger, the rail passenger carrier will inform the family of whether the passenger's name appeared on any preliminary passenger manifest for the train involved in the accident. ``(c) Limitation on Liability.--A rail passenger carrier shall not be liable for damages in any action brought in a Federal or State court arising out of the performance of the rail passenger carrier in preparing or providing a passenger list, or in providing information concerning a train reservation, pursuant to a plan submitted by the rail passenger carrier under subsection (b), unless such liability was caused by conduct of the rail passenger carrier which was grossly negligent or which constituted intentional misconduct. ``(d) Definitions.--In this section-- ``(1) the terms `rail passenger accident' and `rail passenger carrier' have the meanings such terms have in section 1138 of this title; and ``(2) the term `passenger' means a person aboard a rail passenger carrier's train that is involved in a rail passenger accident. ``(e) Limitation on Statutory Construction.--Nothing in this section may be construed as limiting the actions that a rail passenger carrier may take, or the obligations that a rail passenger carrier may have, in providing assistance to the families of passengers involved in a rail passenger accident.''. (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of chapters for subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding after the item relating to chapter 249 the following new item: ``251. FAMILY ASSISTANCE................................... 25101''. Passed the House of Representatives February 14, 2001. Attest: JEFF TRANDAHL, Clerk.
summary: Rail Passenger Disaster Family Assistance Act of 2001 - Amends Federal transportation law to require the Chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, as soon as practicable after being notified of a rail passenger accident involving a major loss of life, to: (1) designate and publicize the name and phone number of a Board employee who shall be a director of family support services responsible for acting as a point of contact within the Federal Government for the families of passengers involved in a rail passenger accident, and a liaison between the rail passenger carrier and the families; and (2) designate an independent nonprofit organization (with experience in disasters and post-trauma communication with families) which shall have primary responsibility for coordinating the emotional care and support of the families of passengers involved in such accidents.Declares it shall be the responsibility of the director of family support services to request, as soon as practicable, from the rail passenger carrier involved in an accident a list of the names of the passengers who were aboard the carrier's train. Authorizes a designated organization also to request such list from such carrier. Prohibits the director of family support services and a designated organization from releasing list information to any person, except that information about a passenger may be provided to the passenger's family to the extent considered appropriate by the director or organization. Requires the Board, in the course of its investigation of an accident, to ensure, to the maximum extent practicable, that the families of passengers involved in the accident are: (1) briefed, prior to any public briefing about the accident and any other findings from the investigation; and (2) individually informed of and allowed to attend any public hearings and meetings of the Board about such accident.Prohibits: (1) a person (including a State or political subdivision) from impeding the ability of the Board (including the director of family support services) or the designated organization to carry out its responsibilities under this Act, or the ability of the families of passengers involved in an accident to have contact with one another; (2) unsolicited communication concerning a potential action for personal injury or wrongful death to be made by an attorney or any potential party to the litigation to an individual (other than an employee of the rail passenger carrier) injured in an accident, or to a relative of an individual involved in such accident, before the 45th day following the date of the accident; and (3) a State or political subdivision from preventing the employees, agents, or volunteers of an organization from providing mental health and counseling services in the 30-day period beginning on the date of an accident.Directs each rail passenger carrier to submit to the Secretary of Transportation and the Chairman of the Board a plan for addressing the needs of the families of passengers involved in a rail passenger accident resulting in a major loss of life. Shields a rail passenger carrier from liability for damages (except for gross negligence or intentional misconduct) in any action brought in a Federal or State court arising out of the carrier's performance in preparing or providing a passenger list, or in providing information concerning a train reservation, pursuant to the carrier's plan.