Transportation Department Docket FRA-2022-0019 Proposed Rule

2026-14160: Certification of Dispatchers; Extension of Comment Period

Comment Period Closed

Public comment closed · opened July 14, 2026.

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Summary

On May 15, 2026, FRA published an NPRM proposing to rescind FRA's May 21, 2024 final rule requiring the certification of dispatchers. By this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period by 30 days.

The agency’s own summary, as published.

The rule, in full

608 words as published, July 14, 2026. View the original →

Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 133 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026) [Federal Register Volume 91, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 14, 2026)] [Proposed Rules] [Pages 43068-43069] From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] [FR Doc No: 2026-14160] ----------------------------------------------------------------------- DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Railroad Administration 49 CFR Part 245 [Docket No. FRA-2022-0019, Notice No. 6] RIN 2130-AD03 Certification of Dispatchers; Extension of Comment Period

Agency

Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), Department of Transportation (DOT).

Action

Notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM); extension of comment period. -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Summary

On May 15, 2026, FRA published an NPRM proposing to rescind FRA's May 21, 2024 final rule requiring the certification of dispatchers. By this notice, FRA is extending the NPRM's comment period by 30 days.

Dates

The comment period for the proposed rule published May 15, 2026, at 91 FR 27901, is extended. Comments should be received on or before August 13, 2026.

Addresses

Comments: Comments related to Docket No. FRA-2022-0019, Notice No. 5, may be submitted by going to https://www.regulations.gov and following the online instructions for submitting comments. Instructions: All submissions must include the agency name, docket name, and docket number or Regulatory Identification Number (RIN) for this rulemaking (2130-AD03). Note that all comments received will be posted without change to https://www.regulations.gov, including any personal information provided. Please see the Privacy Act heading in the SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section of this document for Privacy Act information related to any submitted comments or materials. Docket: For access to the docket to read background documents or comments received, go to https://www.regulations.gov and follow the online instructions for accessing the docket.

For Further Information Contact

Curtis Dolan, Railroad Safety Specialist, Dispatch Operating Practices, telephone: (470) 522-6633 or email: [email protected]; or Michael C. Spinnicchia, Attorney Adviser, Office of the Chief Counsel, telephone: (202) 713-7671 or email: [email protected].

Supplementary Information

In a July 1, 2026 petition, the Brotherhood of Railroad Signalmen (BRS) requested a 60-day extension of the comment period for FRA's NPRM proposing to rescind the agency's May 21, 2024 final rule requiring the certification of signal employees.\1\ BRS stated additional time was needed to evaluate the impacts of rescinding the rule and develop comprehensive comments supported by technical, operational, and historical information. Since FRA is granting a 30-day extension of the comment period for the NPRM proposing the rescission of the Certification of Signal Employees final rule, the agency determined a similar 30-day extension is warranted for the comment period for the NPRM proposing the rescission of the Certification of Dispatchers final rule. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- \1\ FRA-2022-0020-0052. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The comment period for this NPRM is scheduled to close on July 14, 2026. As FRA is partially granting BRS's request, the comment period is now extended to August 13, 2026, which is a total of 30 days. Privacy Act In accordance with 5 U.S.C. 553(c), DOT solicits comments from the public to better inform its rulemaking process. DOT posts these comments, without edit, to https://www.regulations.gov, as described in the system of records notice, DOT/ALL-14 FDMS, accessible through www.dot.gov/privacy. To facilitate comment tracking and [[Page 43069]] response, we encourage commenters to provide their name, or the name of their organization; however, submission of names is completely optional. Whether or not commenters identify themselves, all timely comments will be fully considered. If you wish to provide comments containing proprietary or confidential information, please contact the agency for alternate submission instructions. Authority: 49 U.S.C. 20103, 20107, 20162, 21301, 21304, 21311; 28 U.S.C. 2461 note; 49 CFR 1.89; and Pub. L. 110-432, sec. 402, 122 Stat. 4884. Issued in Washington, DC. Carolyn R. Hayward-Williams, Director, Office of Railroad Systems and Technology. [FR Doc. 2026-14160 Filed 7-13-26; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4910-06-P

What this changes

Amends 1 part of the Code of Federal Regulations — the standing rules this notice rewrites.

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