Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateKentuckyEnacted
HB 311: AN ACT relating to railroad crossings.
Unknown Sponsor
HB 311 status: Enacted — signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 195) (updated Apr 23, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
65OUT OF 100
Score:65/100 civic fit
Risk:Low Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 45/100
Constitutionality90%
Bipartisan80%
Public opinion85%
Bill summary
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 277 to require each railroad company to destroy or remove obstructive vegetation at intersections with public roads or highways; direct the Transportation Cabinet or local government to remove obstructive vegetation if the railroad company fails to do so after receiving written notice from the cabinet or local government; establish procedures for reimbursement by the railroad company for the vegetation removal.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Positive outlook
60%
Benefits
- Establishes a clear reimbursement framework
- Reduces long-term liability costs from accidents
- Promotes standardized maintenance compliance
Risks
- Adds compliance costs to railroad operators
- Creates administrative costs for local billing
- Requires staff time for site inspection
Society
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
Positive outlook
65%
Benefits
- Explicitly grants state/local oversight authority
- Standardizes notification procedures
- Establishes clear statutory maintenance lines
Risks
- Subjectivity in 'obstructive' definition
- Potential for inconsistent local enforcement
- Administrative friction in notice tracking
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
70%
Benefits
- Significantly improves visibility at crossings
- Reduces risks of vehicle-train collisions
- Standardizes safety-critical maintenance
Risks
- Reliance on periodic notices for safety
- Lag time between notice and remediation
- Does not address vegetation on private crossings
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Analysis based on abstract only, not full statutory text
04
Where it stands
Official recordsigned by Governor (Acts Ch. 195)
- IntroducedComplete
- CommitteeComplete
- Chamber votesComplete
- Final agreementComplete
- GovernorComplete
- EnactedComplete
05
How it affects your district
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06
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