HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF RAILROADS.

SEC. 407. HISTORIC PRESERVATION OF RAILROADS.(a) Study; Other Actions.—The Secretary of Transportation shall—(1) conduct a study, in consultation with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, the National Conference of State Historic Preservation Officers, the Department of the Interior, appropriate representatives of the railroad industry, and representative stakeholders, on ways to streamline compliance with the requirements of section 303 of title 49, United States Code, and section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f) for federally funded railroad infrastructure repair and improvement projects;(2) take immediate action to cooperate with the Alaska Railroad, the Alaska State Historic Preservation Office, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Department of the Interior, in expediting the decisionmaking process for safety-related projects of the railroad involving property and facilities that have disputed historic significance; and(3) take immediate action to cooperate with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, the North Carolina State Historic Preservation Office, the Virginia State Historic Preservation Office, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, and the Department of the Interior, in expediting the decisionmaking process for safety-related railroad projects of the North Carolina Department of Transportation and the Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor involving property and facilities that have disputed historic significance.(b) Report.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, 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, a report on the results of the study conducted under subsection (a)(1) and the actions directed under subsection (a)(2) and (3). The report shall include recommendations for any regulatory or legislative amendments that may streamline compliance with the requirements described in subsection (a)(1) in a manner consistent with railroad safety and the policies and purposes of section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (16 U.S.C. 470f), section 303 of title 49, United States Code, and section 8(d) of Public Law 90–543 (16 U.S.C. 1247(d)).