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Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008
A bill to reauthorize Amtrak, and for other purposes.
Other Bill Titles (6 more) 10/30/2007--Passed Senate amended. Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 - Title I: Authorizations -
(Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for FY2007-FY2012 for:
(1) Amtrak capital and operating grants, including capital grants to states;
( the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA);
(3) Amtrak repayment of long-term debt and capital leases;
(4) payment into the Railroad Retirement Account that portion of Amtrak's Railroad Retirement Tier II Tax which exceeds the Tier II annuities paid to Amtrak retirees; and
(5) the rail cooperative research program. Authorizes appropriations for FY2008 for:
(1) grants to Amtrak and states participating in the Next Generation Corridor Train Equipment Pool Committee; and
(2) Amtrak to evaluate improvements necessary to make all existing intercity rail stations readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation (Secretary) to withhold up to one-half of 1% of certain funds for the costs of project management oversight of capital projects carried out by Amtrak.
(Sec. 103) Authorizes appropriations for costs associated with Amtrak early buyouts. Title II: Amtrak Reform and Operational Improvements - Amends federal transportation law to make certain Amtrak reforms and operational improvements.
(Sec. 201) Defines the national rail passenger transportation system as:
(1) Amtrak's Boston-Washington Northeast Corridor;
(2) high-speed corridors designated by the Secretary once they have been improved for high-speed service;
(3) long-distance routes (of greater than 750 miles) operated on the date of enactment of this Act; and
(4) short-distance routes operated by Amtrak or a non-Amtrak recipient of federal capital assistance. Authorizes Amtrak and a state to agree on the operation of an intercity route or service not included in the national rail transportation system. Declares that this Act does not preclude Amtrak from restoring, improving, or developing non-high-speed intercity passenger rail service. Provides that:
(1) the mission of Amtrak is to provide efficient and effective intercity passenger rail mobility consisting of high quality service that is trip-time competitive with other intercity travel options and that is consistent with certain goals; and
(2) one of Amtrak's goals shall be to provide redundant or complimentary intercity transportation service to ensure mobility in a natural disaster or other times where travel options are not adequately available.
(Sec. 202) Replaces the Amtrak Reform Board with a reconstituted Board of Directors of Amtrak, with revised composition requirements.
(Sec. 203) Authorizes the Amtrak Board of Directors to employ an independent financial consultant with experience in railroad accounting to assist Amtrak in improving Amtrak's financial accounting and reporting system and practices. Requires the Amtrak Board to:
(1) implement a modern financial accounting and reporting system;
(2) submit to Congress each fiscal year through FY2012 a report that allocates Amtrak's revenues and costs to each of its routes and lines of business; and
(3) develop a five-year financial plan.
(Sec. 205) Directs the Secretary to establish substantive and procedural requirements for grant requests, including a 30-day approval process.
(Sec. 206) Directs the Amtrak Board to develop and implement a single methodology for allocating train route operating and capital costs among states and Amtrak.
(Sec. 207) Directs the FRA to obtain the services of an independent auditor or consultant to develop and recommend objective methodologies for intercity passenger routes and services. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 208) Requires the FRA Administrator and Amtrak to jointly develop new or improve existing metrics and minimum standards for measuring the performance and service quality of intercity passenger train operations.
(Sec. 209) Authorizes the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to:
(1) investigate the causes of any passenger train performance of under 80% for any two consecutive calendar quarters;
(2) determine if delays or failure to achieve minimum standards can be attributed to a rail carrier's failure to prefer Amtrak over freight transportation; and
(3) assess damages upon a host rail carrier for such delays or failures. Allows Amtrak, an intercity passenger rail operator, freight railroads that host Amtrak trains, or an entity (state) for which Amtrak operates intercity passenger rail service to petition the STB directly for an investigation of such delays or failures. Authorizes the STB to:
(1) establish and collect fees from any entity that files a complaint or otherwise requests its services; and
(2) increase the number of its employees by up to 15 for the five fiscal year period beginning with FY2008.
(Sec. 210) Requires Amtrak to evaluate the financial and operating performance of long distance passenger rail routes, and develop and publish a performance improvement plan. (Sec. 210A) Requires the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to submit to Congress a report on service delays on the Coast Starlight (between Seattle, Washington, and Los Angeles, California) and the Amtrak Cascades (between Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and Eugene, Oregon) rail routes and recommendations for improving the on-time performance of such routes.
(Sec. 211) Directs the FRA to establish an alternative passenger rail service program under which a rail carrier or carriers that own a route over which Amtrak operates may petition FRA to become a passenger rail carrier for that route in lieu of Amtrak.
(Sec. 212) Directs the Secretary to develop an employee transition assistance program for Amtrak employees adversely affected by the cessation of a long distance or any other route previously operated by Amtrak. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 213) Requires Amtrak to develop a Northeast Corridor state-of-good-repair plan.
(Sec. 214) Directs the Secretary to establish a Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission and a Northeast Corridor Safety and Security Committee. Requires Amtrak and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation (RIDOT) to agree by no later than December 15, 2007, on access fees and other charges to be charged for RIDOT's operation of the South County commuter rail service on the Northeast Corridor between Providence and Wickford Junction, Rhode Island. Directs Amtrak to conduct studies to determine the infrastructure and equipment improvements necessary to provide regular Acela service between Washington, D.C. and New York City and between New York City and Boston within specified periods of time.
(Sec. 215) Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to make agreements to restructure Amtrak's long-term debt and capital leases.
(Sec. 216) Directs Amtrak to evaluate improvements necessary to make all existing intercity rail stations readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.
(Sec. 217) Encourages the Amtrak Board to develop an incentive pay program for Amtrak management employees.
(Sec. 218) Permits a state to make an agreement with Amtrak to use facilities and equipment of, or have services provided by, Amtrak under terms agreed to by the state and Amtrak to enable the state to utilize an entity other than Amtrak to provide services required for operation of the route.
(Sec. 219) Repeals Amtrak self-sufficiency requirements. Authorizes the Secretary and other federal agencies to establish facilities and procedures to conduct preclearance of passengers on Amtrak trains entering the United States from Canada.
(Sec. 220) Encourages Amtrak to increase its operation of trains funded by, or in partnership with, the private sector to minimize the need for federal subsidies.
(Sec. 221) Requires Amtrak to develop and implement a plan to improve on-board service.
(Sec. 222) Directs the Inspector General of DOT to assess progress made by Amtrak management and the DOT in implementing this Act.
(Sec. 223) Requires the FRA to conduct a study, and report the results to Congress, on the extent to which Amtrak could use biodiesel fuel blends to power its fleet of locomotives.
(Sec. 224) Expresses the sense of the Senate that Amtrak should maintain a national passenger rail system that connects the continental United States from coast to coast and from border to border.
(Sec. 225) Requires the Comptroller General of the General Accountability Office (GAO) to conduct a study to determine the cost and benefits of expanding passenger rail service options in underserved communities. Title III: Intercity Passenger Rail Policy -
(Sec. 301) Authorizes the Secretary to make grants, meeting specified requirements, to an applicant state, group of states, Interstate Compact, or public agency to assist in financing the capital costs of facilities, infrastructure, and equipment necessary to provide intercity passenger rail transportation.
(Sec. 302) Authorizes states to prepare and maintain a state rail plan that:
(1) sets forth state policy involving freight and passenger rail transportation (including commuter rail operations); and
(2) includes a long-range rail investment program. Requires the Secretary to prescribe procedures for the review of state rail plans.
(Sec. 303) Directs Amtrak to establish a Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee to design, develop specifications for, and procure standardized next-generation corridor equipment.
(Sec. 304) Sets forth additional duties of the FRA Administrator, including to provide assistance to states in developing state rail plans, and to develop a long-range national rail plan. Requires the Administrator to develop a schedule for achieving specific, measurable performance goals.
(Sec. 305) Directs the Secretary to establish a rail cooperative research program to address intercity rail passenger and freight rail services, including ways to expand the transportation of international trade traffic, enhance the efficiency of intermodal interchange at ports and other intermodal terminals, and increase availability of rail service for seasonal freight needs. Directs the Secretary to establish an advisory board to recommend research, technology, and technology transfer activities related to rail passenger and freight transportation.
(Sec. 306) Directs the Comptroller General to complete a study that compares the U.S. passenger rail system with the passenger rail systems in Canada, Germany, Great Britain, and Japan. Title IV: Miscellaneous -
(Sec. 401) Requires Amtrak to develop a strategic plan on expanded cross-border passenger rail service between the United States and Canada (Amtrak Cascades) during the 2010 Olympic Games.
... moreSee Full Bill Text
Amendments
This bill has 39 amendments. See All Amendments
Bill Status
| Introduced |  | Voted on by Senate | | Voted on by House |  | Considered By President | | Bill Becomes Law |
| January 16, 2007 | October 30, 2007 | July 22, 2008 |
Latest Vote
| October 30, 2007Roll call number 400 in the Senate | |||
| Question: On Passage of the Bill (S.294 as Amended ) | |||
| Required percentage of 'Aye' votes: 1/2 (50%) | Percentage of 'aye' votes: 70% | Result: Bill Passed | |
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In the News
February 07, 2008 Should Amtrak receive more federal funding?
Another way is to support S.294, The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act, which passed the Senate and is now in the House. ...
November 13, 2007 We need to keep trains on the plains
A bipartisan bill, S. 294, the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007, passed the Senate in October with an objective to improve the overall ...
October 31, 2007 Senate signs off on long-term Amtrak funding bill
Yesterday, the Senate passed the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 (S. 294) by a 70-22 vote. The bill would authorize billions of ...
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October 07, 2008 Yaz izlenimleri - Verimli yaz
S. 294-295.). Keza üzerinden atlanılmayacak bir yazar Åöhret BatlaÅ âKoÅarken YavaÅlar gibiâ adlı romanında bu kuÅaÄın çocuklarını hem sakınıp, hem devrimci yapmaya uÄraÅtıklarından,
Source: EYLEMSEL YETKE
September 12, 2008 Hotline #570
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) procedurally blocks S. 294 conference; Business coalition demands S. 294 passage.
September 12, 2008 Hotline #570
Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) procedurally blocks S. 294 conference; Business coalition demands S. 294 passage.
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