On May 31, 2023, the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on certification of signal employees. The proposed rule, or Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM), is the official document that announces and explains the agency’s plan to address a problem or accomplish a goal. All proposed rules must be published in the Federal Register to notify the public. The proposed rule and the comments received on it form the basis of the final rule.

Currently, the NPRM on certification of signal employees is in the comment period. Following the comment period and review, it is expected that the FRA will issue a final rule and put that final rule into effect. 

The BRS will be submitting comments as an organization to ensure signal professionals in the field have their voices heard and issues raised. If you have any questions or issues, please contact BRS Director of Research, Chris Hand, at c.hand@brs.org. 

Below is a link to the NPRM