OH HB361

Requires railroad companies to submit incident reports to the Public Utilities Commission when they violate restrictions on blocking railroad crossings under section 5589.21, with submission timeframes and format determined by commission rules.

Mandates the Public Utilities Commission compile annual reports by July 1st showing aggregated incident data for each railroad company, including number of violations and total time railroad crossings were blocked.

Increases penalties for violating railroad crossing blockage restrictions to first-degree misdemeanor charges with fines of $5,000 for first violation within 30 days and $10,000 for subsequent violations within 30 days.

Provides that railroad companies submitting incident reports are not subject to penalties solely based on the report submission if no charges or citations have been filed.

Exempts the Public Utilities Commission from regulatory restrictions that normally require removal of two existing restrictions before adopting new regulatory restrictions under this legislation.