ASLRRA: More co-sponsors sign on to 45G short-line tax modernization bill

Hundreds of freight-rail industry representatives converged on Capitol Hill last week to meet with members of Congress about legislation and regulatory issues of interest to Class Is, short lines, suppliers and contractors.

A 25-year tradition, this year's Railroad Day on Capitol Hill participants met with lawmakers and/or their staff in more than 300 offices on May 7 to discuss the freight-rail industry perspective when considering legislation such as the surface transportation reauthorization, tax policy and annual appropriations, according to the American Short Line and Regional Railroad Association (ASLRRA).

Results of the day included additional co-sponsors of the Short Line Tax Credit (45G) Modernization Act, with 63 cosponsors of the House version of the bill and six on the Senate version, said ASLRRA spokesperson Amy Krouse in an email.

South Dakota is the first state with 100% of its delegation on board, she said. 

According to ASLRRA, railroaders and other rail business representatives called upon lawmakers to:

• maintain and extend tax policies that provide incentives for private investment in infrastructure, such as the 45G tax credit;

• restore the Highway Trust Fund to a user-based system;

• oppose increases to truck size and weight limits;

• advance permitting reforms; and

• guarantee full and consistent funding for rail grant programs, including the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI), Railroad Crossing Elimination (RCE) and Railway-Highway Crossings (Section 130) programs.

“With important legislation being taken up in the coming months, it is the right time to educate lawmakers about the actions they can take to ensure that the nation’s freight-rail system continues to be a growth engine, delivering safe and efficient service for tens of thousands of energy, agriculture, manufacturing and industrial customers across the nation," said ASLRRA President Chuck Baker in a press release.