WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) was formally appointed to his subcommittees on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. He is a member of both the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, and the Subcommittee on Aviation.
The Congressman’s first hearings and actions as a member of the committee begin today. A wide-ranging group of national and Western Pennsylvania leaders shared their excitement about Congressman Deluzio’s appointment to the Transportation & Infrastructure (T&I) Committee last week.
“I am thrilled to be a member of the T&I subcommittees that have jurisdiction over our nation’s railroads, pipelines, hazardous materials, and aviation system,” said Rep. Deluzio. “Much of my first term in Congress has focused on fighting for rail safety in the aftermath of the East Palestine train derailment, and my membership on these subcommittees provides me even more opportunities to continue the fight to make freight rail safer for all of us and to drive growth and investment at Pittsburgh International Airport.”
The Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials has jurisdiction over the economic and safety regulation of railroads and the agencies that administer those regulations. Economic regulation is administered by the five-member Surface Transportation Board (STB). This independent agency also has the authority to address national emergencies as they affect the nation’s rail transportation system.
The Subcommittee also has jurisdiction over the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, which is responsible for providing regulations and safety oversight of pipelines and pipeline facilities, as well as overseeing the transportation of hazardous materials.
Issues and agencies under the jurisdiction of the Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee include:
- Economic regulation of railroads
- Surface Transportation Board (STB)
- Railroad safety, including safety practices, equipment, and reporting
- Federal Railroad Administration (FRA)
- Railroad development programs, such as high-speed rail research and development
- Rail infrastructure programs
- Rail security
- Amtrak
- Amtrak Inspector General
- Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission
- Railroad retirement (regarding the benefit aspects) and unemployment
- Railroad Retirement Board, which administers the retirement and unemployment programs unique to railroads
- Railroad Retirement Board Inspector General
- National Railroad Retirement Investment Trust
- Railway Labor Act
- The National Mediation Board, which administers the Railway Labor Act
- Federal Employers’ Liability Act, which is the railroad worker-compensation statute
- Hazardous materials transportation
- Pipeline transportation safety
- Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA)
The Subcommittee on Aviation has jurisdiction over all aspects of civil aviation, including safety, infrastructure, labor, and international issues. Within this scope of responsibilities, the Subcommittee has jurisdiction over the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), a modal administration within the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT). This jurisdiction covers all programs within the FAA as well as aviation programs of the USDOT with respect to economic regulation of air carriers and passenger airline service. While jurisdiction over the NTSB is shared with other subcommittees, the Subcommittee on Aviation traditionally takes the lead on NTSB-related issues.
Issues within the jurisdiction of the Subcommittee on Aviation include:
- Air traffic control modernization
- Airport capacity
- Airport Improvement Program grants
- Airspace
- Airline competition and antitrust issues
- Aviation safety
- Aviation security (issues that affect commerce and safety)
- Commercial aviation and air carrier operations
- Commercial space transportation
- Airline consumer protection
- Environmental requirements
- Essential Air Service and other small-community air service programs
- General aviation
- Unmanned aircraft systems
- International aviation
- National Mediation Board
- National Transportation Safety Board
- War risk insurance
- Use of navigable airspace