Kristian Stout Quoted in Deseret News on Railway Safety Act Debate
A Deseret News article examines the debate surrounding the Railway Safety Act as Congress advances new rail-safety mandates. The article quotes ICLE Director of Innovation Policy Kristian Stout on how the legislation could lock in outdated technology, impose significant compliance costs, and discourage the innovation that has contributed to long-term improvements in freight-rail safety. Read the full article here.
Kristian Stout, director of innovation policy at the International Center for Law & Economics, said the act would limit innovation in railway safety technology.
“A federal rule written today would codify 2026-era technology and, given the FRA’s (Federal Railroad Administration) multiyear rulemaking timelines, likely be obsolete before it takes effect,” he wrote in an article published by the center.
“Its rigid specifications would risk discouraging the innovation that has driven decades of safety gains, while its most visible provisions appear driven more by special interests less than evidence on safety.”