The Battery and Regenerative Braking Act would expand eligibility under the Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements (CRISI) grant program to include commuter rail projects that use regenerative braking and energy storage projects.
Kevin Mullin will support expanding rail grant eligibility for commuter projects that use regenerative braking and energy storage.
Occurrences
Evidence
Mullin’s issue page says he supports federal transportation investment, clean energy, IIJA funding, and has worked to deliver Caltrain electrification funding; it does not identify a rail-grant eligibility expansion for regenerative braking or energy storage commuter projects.
Mullin announced committee approval for H.R.3360, H.R.3459, and H.R.7440 in the surface transportation reauthorization process; the described bills cover driver technology, transit-oriented housing, and SamTrans land-use flexibility, not regenerative-braking rail grant eligibility.
The committee said H.R.8870 invests in roads, bridges, transit, rail transportation, and safety programs, with passenger rail investments and reforms. The release does not cite regenerative braking, energy storage, or commuter rail grant eligibility.
Text search of the 1005-page bill found no matches for “regenerative” or “energy storage.” The commuter-rail references include a GAO study on commuter rail passenger transportation and transfers, not eligibility for regenerative-braking or storage projects.
The section-by-section summary has no matches for “regenerative” or “energy storage.” It describes rail, transit, CMAQ, and other program changes, but not the promised commuter rail grant eligibility expansion.
Assessments
Available federal evidence does not show Mullin delivering or specifically advancing an expansion of rail grant eligibility for commuter projects using regenerative braking and energy storage. His related transportation bills and the 2026 surface transportation package addressed transit, safety, housing, rail, and funding issues, but reviewed bill text and summaries did not include the promised eligibility change. Because he remains in federal office and the record mainly shows absence of confirmation rather than a final failed attempt, the promise is unresolved rather than delivered or never fulfilled.