<?xml version='1.0' encoding='utf-8'?>
<section article="gle" article_name="Labor and Employment" number="5.5-123" title_number="5.5" title_name="Railroad Safety and Health" subtitle_number="1">
  <level label="a">
    <text>The Commissioner shall impose civil penalties under this title.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>For the purpose of this subsection, a violation is considered to be a serious violation if there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a condition that exists or a practice, means, method, or operation that is in use by the railroad company, unless the railroad company did not know and with the exercise of reasonable diligence could not have known of the violation.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Commissioner may assess a civil penalty against a railroad company that:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>willfully violates this title, an order passed under this title, or a regulation or health and safety standard adopted to carry out this title and the violation is specifically determined to be of a serious nature, an amount not exceeding $10,000 for each violation;</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>receives a citation for a violation of a provision of this title, an order passed under this title, or a regulation or health and safety standard adopted to carry out this title and the violation is specifically determined to be of a serious nature, an amount not exceeding $1,000 for each violation; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="iii">
        <text>receives a citation for a violation of a provision of this title, an order passed under this title, or a regulation or health and safety standard adopted to carry out this title and the violation is specifically determined not to be of a serious nature, an amount not exceeding $500 for each violation.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Commissioner may assess a civil penalty not exceeding $100 against a railroad company for each violation of a requirement for posting imposed under this title.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Commissioner may assess a civil penalty of not less than $100 and not exceeding $500 against a railroad company that violates a maintenance requirement for yard track margins and sidetracks for employee safety under § 5.5-111 of this title.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>Each day of noncompliance with any order that the Commissioner issues under § 5.5-111 of this title shall be considered a separate violation.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Commissioner shall assess against an agent of a railroad company a civil penalty of $100 for each employee that the agent requires to ride more than 5 miles without a seat as required under § 5.5-110(a) of this title, regardless of whether the employee is in active service.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>If a railroad company does not correct a violation for which a citation has been issued within the period set for correction in accordance with § 5.5-116 of this title, the Commissioner may impose a civil penalty not exceeding $100 for each day that the violation continues.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>Before the Commissioner assesses a civil penalty under this section, the Commissioner shall consider the appropriateness of the penalty in relation to:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>the size of the railroad company;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>the gravity of the violation for which the penalty is to be assessed;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>the good faith of the railroad company; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>the history of violations by the railroad company.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Each civil penalty under this section shall be payable into the General Fund of the State 90 days after the violation becomes final and nonreviewable.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Commissioner shall reduce the penalty by 50% if during the 90-day period:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>the railroad company had no reportable accidents attributable to a State or federal regulation; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>the railroad has not committed a willful or serious violation as described in this section.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
