Cargo Theft Bill on House Radar
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WASHINGTON — A House lawmaker is pressing colleagues to advance legislation that takes aim at cargo theft in the rail sector.
Rep. Dina Titus (D-Nev.), ranking member on the Railroads, Pipelines and Hazardous Materials Subcommittee, argued safety benefits associated with emerging technologies in the rail sector could protect the broader freight industry as well as regional economies.
The recently introduced bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, of which she is a co-sponsor, would facilitate the adoption of such technologies. A Senate companion version was introduced in the spring.
“I held a roundtable to explore this issue earlier this year and co-lead a bipartisan bill that would create a federal task force to help address this issue,” the congresswoman told lawmakers during a subcommittee hearing June 24. She pointed to estimates suggesting cargo theft costs the economy as much as $30 billion annually.
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“In addition to improving federal enforcement, technology to help shippers track railcars and packages in real time could be immensely helpful to combat this growing issue,” Titus added.
Specifically, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act would establish an Organized Retail and Supply Chain Crime Coordination Center at the Department of ýland Security. The center would be tasked with “coordinating federal law enforcement activities related to organized retail and supply chain crime, including investigations of national and transnational criminal organizations that are engaged in organized retail and supply chain crime,” according to the measure.
Committees of jurisdiction have yet to consider the legislation. Versions of the bill were introduced during previous sessions of Congress. Senate sponsors include Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.).
“Large criminal organizations are constantly evolving their tactics to steal goods from retailers and the supply chain in communities across the Silver State,” Masto said during the bill’s introduction earlier this year. She is a member of the Finance Committee. “The rise in organized retail crime has left businesses scrambling, and it is time for Congress to pass this bipartisan legislation to help law enforcement agencies keep our communities safe.”
American Trucking Associations is among stakeholders applauding the legislation. “Directly or indirectly, virtually all trucking companies are victims of cargo theft. Either they are victims of crime, or they are spending so much money to defend against being targeted that they are still victims,” said ATA Chief Economist Bob Costello during a stakeholder roundtable House transportation policymakers hosted April 29.
At the June 24 subcommittee hearing titled “America Builds: The Role of Innovation and Technology in a Safe and Efficient Rail System,” Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), the panel’s chairman, agreed, saying that technological advancements are helping to improve supply chain connectivity. “Our national freight and passenger rail networks are no different from other sectors of the economy,” the chairman said.
In the digital age, Congress and the Trump Administration must ensure rail technology is being implemented in a way that improves safety for rail workers and communities.
Today, will examine the role of technology in the future of rail. — Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure (@TransportDems)
“Innovation and technology are vital to improving the rail industry’s growth and safety outcomes. Ensuring that technological advancements and innovations continue to flourish will require a combination of the right policies, particularly regulatory policies, to incentivize current and future research, development and deployment of new technology,” he added.
Stakeholders also applauded lawmakers’ focus specific to the adoption of emerging applications, such as braking systems, telematics and propulsion technologies. Eric Gebhardt, executive vice president and chief technology officer at Wabtec, observed, “By sustaining investment in rail technology deployment, supporting research and pilots, and modernizing the regulatory framework, Congress can help the rail industry deploy the next generation of lifesaving, efficiency-enhancing technologies.” Gebhardt appeared at the hearing on behalf of the Railway Supply Institute.
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“Congress, through mechanisms such as the proposed Railway Safety bills and future surface transportation reauthorization, can build a regulatory framework that is both rigorous and adaptable,” added Brigham McCown, board chairman at the Alliance for Innovation and Infrastructure. “Observed outcomes in other transportation sectors suggest that performance-based, transparent models can enhance safety, accelerate innovation, and strengthen public trust.”
Following a high-profile freight train derailment in Ohio in 2023, the congressional transportation panels introduced bipartisan freight rail safety measures. Neither the House nor the Senate versions of the rail safety bill advanced to the White House for enactment.
