A bill for an act relating to the operation of railroad trains by a crew of two or more persons, and providing penalties.

HF 494 requires class I and class II rail carriers (federal categories based on annual revenue) to operate passenger and freight trains with at least two qualified railroad employees on staff. The bill directly affects major freight and passenger rail companies operating in Iowa that meet the federal revenue thresholds. Violators face escalating penalties: $500-$1,000 for a first offense, $500-$5,000 for a second offense, and $5,000-$10,000 for third or subsequent offenses within a three-year period. These penalties are calculated based only on violations occurring within the three years prior to the most recent offense.