Joni Ernst (R-IA)
Keeping China Off the Rails Act of 2026
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Keeping China Off the Rails Act of 2026," seeks to amend title 49 of the United States Code. It focuses on establishing specific manufacturing and content requirements for railroad freight cars. These requirements specifically target cars operating on the United States general railroad system of transportation that are used for transporting Department of Defense cargo. The bill outlines a phased timeline for when these requirements apply to different production years of railcars.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Specific Standards for Defense Cargo: The bill creates new requirements specifically for railroad freight cars transporting Department of Defense cargo (Section 2, subsection d). This establishes specific standards for cars used to move goods arranged for or by the Armed Forces.
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Protections for Sensitive Operations: An exception is provided for railcars used for clandestine purposes where the cargo is believed to be unknown to a country of concern (Section 2, subsection e, paragraph 1). This could protect specific military or intelligence-related movements.
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Protection for Uninformed Owners: An exception is also made if the railroad freight car owner has not been notified in advance that Department of Defense cargo is being shipped in that car (Section 2, subsection e, paragraph 2).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Increased Regulatory Requirements for Railcars: The bill introduces specific requirements for railroad freight cars used for Department of Defense cargo through a phased timeline (Section 2, subsection d). This imposes specific manufacturing or content standards that vary based on when the car was produced and when the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2027 is enacted.
- 8/6/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate