49 U.S.C. § 103
Section 103 · Federal Railroad Administration
Current version, with additions and removals from the August 21, 2002 version.
(a) In General.—The Federal Railroad Administration is an administration in the Department of Transportation.
(c) Safety as Highest Priority.—In carrying out its duties, the Administration shall consider the assignment and maintenance of safety as the highest priority, recognizing the clear intent, encouragement, and dedication of Congress to the furtherance of the highest degree of safety in railroad transportation.
(e) Deputy Administrator.—The Administration shall have a Deputy Administrator who shall be appointed by the Secretary. The Deputy Administrator shall carry out duties and powers prescribed by the Administrator.
(f) Chief Safety Officer.—The Administration shall have an Associate Administrator for Railroad Safety appointed in the career service by the Secretary. The Associate Administrator shall be the Chief Safety Officer of the Administration. The Associate Administrator shall carry out the duties and powers prescribed by the Administrator.
(2) the duties and powers related to railroad policy and development under subsection (j); and
(j) Additional Duties of the Administrator.—The Administrator shall—
(1) provide assistance to States in developing State rail plans prepared under chapter 227 and review all State rail plans submitted under that section; 1
(2) develop a long-range national rail plan that is consistent with approved State rail plans and the rail needs of the Nation, as determined by the Secretary in order to promote an integrated, cohesive, efficient, and optimized national rail system for the movement of goods and people;
(3) develop a preliminary national rail plan within a year after the date of enactment of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008;
(4) develop and enhance partnerships with the freight and passenger railroad industry, States, and the public concerning rail development;
(5) support rail intermodal development and high-speed rail development, including high speed rail planning;
(6) ensure that programs and initiatives developed under this section benefit the public and work toward achieving regional and national transportation goals; and
(7) facilitate and coordinate efforts to assist freight and passenger rail carriers, transit agencies and authorities, municipalities, and States in passenger-freight service integration on shared rights of way by providing neutral assistance at the joint request of affected rail service providers and infrastructure owners relating to operations and capacity analysis, capital requirements, operating costs, and other research and planning related to corridors shared by passenger or commuter rail service and freight rail operations.
(k) Performance Goals and Reports.—
(1) Performance goals.—In conjunction with the objectives established and activities undertaken under subsection (j) of this section, the Administrator shall develop a schedule for achieving specific, measurable performance goals.
(2) Resource needs.—The strategy and annual plans shall include estimates of the funds and staff resources needed to accomplish each goal and the additional duties required under subsection (j).
(3) Submission with president's budget.—Beginning with fiscal year 2010 and each fiscal year thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, at the same time as the President's budget submission, the Administration's performance goals and schedule developed under paragraph (1), including an assessment of the progress of the Administration toward achieving its performance goals.