Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008

A bill to reauthorize Amtrak, and for other purposes.

7/22/2008--Passed House amended. Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 - Title I: Authorizations -
(Sec. 101) Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013 for:
(1) Amtrak capital and operating grants, including capital grants to states, to the Amtrak Office of the Inspector General, and for accessibility improvements and barrier removal for individuals with disabilities;
(2) Amtrak repayment of long-term debt and capital leases; and
(3) the rail cooperative research program. Authorizes appropriations for FY2009 for grants to Amtrak and states participating in the Next Generation Corridor Train Equipment Pool Committee. Authorizes the Secretary of Transportation 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. 102) Authorizes appropriations for costs associated with Amtrak early buyouts.
(Sec. 104) Requires the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), working with Amtrak, the city of Baltimore, the state of Maryland, and non-Amtrak rail operators to:
(1) approve a new rail tunnel alignment in Baltimore that will allow an increase in train speed and service reliability; and
(2) ensure completion of the related environmental review process. Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013.
(Sec. 105) Bars the use of funds to employ unauthorized alien workers.
(Sec. 106) Authorizes the Secretary to make grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority to finance in part the capital and preventive maintenance projects included in its Capital Improvement Program. Conditions the availability of funds, in part, on assurance that each licensed wireless provider serving the public within the rail system has access to the system on an ongoing basis. Authorizes appropriations. Title II: Amtrak Reform and Operational Improvements -
(Sec. 201) Amends federal transportation law to define 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, regional or local authority, or another person 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.
(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 FY2013 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) Requires the FRA Administrator and Amtrak to develop jointly new or improve existing metrics and minimum standards for measuring the performance and service quality of intercity passenger train operations.
(Sec. 208) Requires Amtrak to develop a Northeast Corridor state-of-good-repair capital project spending plan.
(Sec. 209) Directs the Secretary to establish a Northeast Corridor Infrastructure and Operations Advisory Commission. Directs Amtrak to determine the infrastructure and equipment improvements necessary to provide regular Acela service between Washington, DC, and New York City and between New York City and Boston within specified periods of time. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 210) Authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury to make agreements to restructure Amtrak's long-term debt and capital leases.
(Sec. 211) Directs Amtrak to evaluate improvements necessary to make all existing intercity rail stations readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities by 2010. Requires the FRA to monitor and conduct periodic reviews of Amtrak's compliance in making its services and facilities accessible to such individuals.
(Sec. 213) 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. 214) Repeals Amtrak self-sufficiency requirements.
(Sec. 215) Directs the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation (DOT) to assess progress made by Amtrak management and the DOT in implementing this Act.
(Sec. 216) Requires the Comptroller General of the United States to determine the cost and benefits of expanding passenger rail service options in underserved communities.
(Sec. 217) Authorizes the Secretary to make congestion grants to states, or to Amtrak in cooperation with states, for the capital costs of facilities and equipment for high priority rail corridor projects necessary to reduce congestion or facilitate ridership growth in intercity passenger rail transportation.
(Sec. 218) Requires Amtrak to submit to Congress a plan for restoring passenger rail service between New Orleans, Louisiana, and Sanford, Florida. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 219) Directs the FRA to study and report to Congress on:
(1) the extent to which Amtrak freight and passenger rail operations could use biofuel blends to power its fleet of locomotives; and
(2) the feasibility of using biodegradable lubricants by Amtrak freight and passenger railroads. Authorizes appropriations.
(Sec. 221) Subjects Amtrak to Buy American requirements for purchases of $100,000 or more.
(Sec. 222) Directs the Inspector General of the DOT to:
(1) develop metrics standards for evaluating the quality of performance and service of Amtrak intercity passenger rail services, including routes not currently served by Amtrak which might be able to support passenger rail service at a reasonable cost;
(2) identify the five worst performing Amtrak routes; and
(3) recommend to Congress a process for DOT to consider Amtrak and other proposals to serve underperforming routes and routes not currently served by Amtrak.
(Sec. 223) Directs the Amtrak Inspector General to report to Congress on Amtrak's utilization of its facilities, including the Beech Grove Repair facility in Indiana.
(Sec. 224) Directs the Surface Transportation Board (STB) to report to Congress on the effectiveness of preferring Amtrak service over freight transportation service.
(Sec. 225) Directs the Secretary to:
(1) find ways to streamline compliance with specified National Historic Preservation Act requirements for federally-funded railroad infrastructure repair and improvement projects; and
(2) take immediate action to cooperate with named Alaska and North Carolina entities in expediting the decisionmaking process for safety-related projects involving railroad and Southeast High Speed Rail Corridor property and facilities that have disputed historic significance.
(Sec. 226) Expresses the sense of Congress that:
(1) expanded commuter rail service between New Haven, Connecticut, and Springfield, Massachusetts, is an important transportation priority; and
(2) Amtrak should work cooperatively with the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts to enable such expanded service.
(Sec. 227) Directs Amtrak to evaluate for Congress the passenger rail service between Cornwells Heights, Pennsylvania, and New York City and between Princeton Junction, New Jersey, and New York City to determine whether to expand the service on such routes by increasing the frequency of stops or reducing commuter ticket prices. Title III: Intercity Passenger Rail Policy -
(Sec. 301) Authorizes the Secretary to make grants 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) 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. 305) Directs the Comptroller General to compare the U.S. passenger rail system with the passenger rail systems in Canada, Germany, Great Britain, France, China, Spain, and Japan and report findings to specified congressional committees. Title IV: Commuter Rail Transit Enhancement -
(Sec. 401) Authorizes a public transportation authority or rail carrier to submit disputes over trackage use and railroad rights-of-way to the STB for nonbinding mediation.
(Sec. 402) Requires Amtrak to engage in good faith discussions, with commuter rail entities and public transportation authorities operating on the same trackage owned by a rail carrier as Amtrak, with respect to:
(1) the routing and timing of trains to most efficiently move, particularly during peak hours, the maximal number of commuters, intercity, and passenger rail passengers; and
(2) the expansion and enhancement of commuter rail and regional rail public transportation service. Title V: High Speed Rail -
(Sec. 501) Directs the Secretary to establish a high-speed rail corridor program. Authorizes the Secretary to make competitive grants to a state, a group of states, an Interstate Compact, a public agency, or Amtrak to finance capital projects in high-speed rail corridors. Authorizes appropriations for FY2009-FY2013.
(Sec. 502) Directs the Secretary to:
(1) solicit proposals for projects for an initial high-speed rail system between Washington, DC, and New York City (Northeast Corridor), as well as for additional projects on any other corridor; and
(2) examine how to achieve maximum economic development of the Northeast Corridor.
(Sec. 503) Directs the Secretary to conduct an alternatives analysis of the December 1, 1998, extension of the designation of the Southeast High-Speed Rail Corridor, including feasibility analyses of the expansion of the South Central High-Speed Rail Corridor to the Port of Houston, Texas, to Memphis, Tennessee, and south of San Antonio to a location in far south Texas to be chosen at the discretion of the Secretary.
(Sec. 504) Sets forth certain grant conditions for projects funded under this title, including collective bargaining requirements.


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Sponsor

• Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D, NJ]
• and 41 Co-Sponsors
  • Sen. Max Baucus [D, MT]
  • Sen. Joseph Biden [D, DE]
  • Sen. Barbara Boxer [D, CA]
  • Sen. Sherrod Brown [D, OH]
  • Sen. Richard Burr [R, NC]
  • Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D, MD]
  • Sen. Thomas Carper [D, DE]
  • Sen. Robert Casey [D, PA]
  • Sen. Hillary Clinton [D, NY]
  • Sen. Thad Cochran [R, MS]
  • Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME]
  • Sen. Kent Conrad [D, ND]
  • Sen. Christopher Dodd [D, CT]
  • Sen. Byron Dorgan [D, ND]
  • Sen. Richard Durbin [D, IL]
  • Sen. Kay Hutchison [R, TX]
  • Sen. Daniel Inouye [D, HI]
  • Sen. Edward Kennedy [D, MA]
  • Sen. John Kerry [D, MA]
  • Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D, MN]
  • Sen. Herbert Kohl [D, WI]
  • Sen. Carl Levin [D, MI]
  • Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I, CT]
  • Trent Lott
  • Sen. Claire McCaskill [D, MO]
  • Sen. Robert Menéndez [D, NJ]
  • Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D, MD]
  • Sen. Ben Nelson [D, NE]
  • Barack Obama
  • Sen. Mark Pryor [D, AR]
  • Sen. John Rockefeller [D, WV]
  • Sen. Charles Schumer [D, NY]
  • Gordon Smith
  • Sen. Olympia Snowe [R, ME]
  • Sen. Arlen Specter [D, PA]
  • Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow [D, MI]
  • Ted Stevens
  • Sen. Jon Tester [D, MT]
  • John Warner
  • Sen. Jim Webb [D, VA]
  • Sen. Ron Wyden [D, OR]
  close

Committees

• Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
• 3 more
  • Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure
  • House Transportation and Infrastructure
  close

Amendments

This bill has 39 amendments. See All AmendmentsHide All Amendments

Amendments to S.294

Number	Status	Purpose
S.Amdt.97	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3451	Pass	Of a perfecting nature.
S.Amdt.3452	Withdrawn	To amend the Internet Tax Freedom Act to make permanent the moratorium on certain taxes relating to the Internet and to electronic commerce.
S.Amdt.3453	Fail	To prohibit Federal subsidies in excess of specified amounts on any Amtrak train route.
S.Amdt.3454	Offered	Of a perfecting nature.
S.Amdt.3455	Withdrawn	To strike the provisions repealing Amtrak's self-sufficiency requirements.
S.Amdt.3456	Fail	To remove the limitation on the number of Amtrak routes available for competitive bid.
S.Amdt.3457	Pass	To require the development of a strategic plan to facilitate expanded cross-border passenger rail service on the Amtrak Cascades route during the 2010 Olympic Games.
S.Amdt.3458	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3459	Pass	To require a report by the Inspector General of the Department of Transportation on service delays on the Coast Starlight and Amtrak Cascades routes.
S.Amdt.3460	Pass	To ensure that capital investment grants authorized under section 24402 of title 49, United States Code, may be used for passenger rail infrastructure.
S.Amdt.3461	Pass	To direct the Government Accountability Office to conduct a study that compares passenger rail systems in certain developed countries.
S.Amdt.3462	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3463	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3464	Withdrawn	To amend section 24101 of title 49, United States Code, to clarify Amtrak's mission.
S.Amdt.3465	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3467	Fail	To require Amtrak to disclose the Federal subsidy of every ticket sold for transportation on Amtrak.
S.Amdt.3468	Withdrawn	To increase competition in the American rail system by allowing any qualified rail operator or transportation company to compete for passenger rail service.
S.Amdt.3469	Pass	To clarify the level of detail to be included in the modern financial accounting and reporting system required under section 203.
S.Amdt.3470	Withdrawn	To require the Performance Improvement Plan to address reaching financial solvency by eliminating routes and services that do not make a profit.
S.Amdt.3472	Pass	To require Amtrak to conduct a 1-time evaluation of passenger rail service between Chicago and Seattle through Southern Montana.
S.Amdt.3473	Pass	To clarify that the Secretary of Transportation should favor projects that involve the purchase of environmentally sensitive, fuel-efficient, and cost-effective passenger rail equipment in selecting projects to receive capital investment grants to support intercity passenger rail service.
S.Amdt.3474	Fail	To require Amtrak to regularly report to Congress on the profits or losses relating to the provision of food and beverage service and to limit such service on Amtrak rail lines that incur losses.
S.Amdt.3475	Pass	To require Amtrak to publish a comprehensive annual financial report that allocates revenues and costs among each of its routes.
S.Amdt.3476	Pass	To require Amtrak to develop a plan to operate within budgetary limits, including a longterm plan.
S.Amdt.3477	Pass	To give additional consideration to States with limited Amtrak service when considering new intercity passenger rail routes.
S.Amdt.3478	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3479	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3480	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3481	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3482	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3483	Pass	To encourage private sector funding of passenger trains.
S.Amdt.3484	Pass	To include private rail passenger operations on the Next Generation Corridor Equipment Pool Committee.
S.Amdt.3485	Pass	To provide a mission statement for Amtrak, and for other purposes.
S.Amdt.3486	Pass	To require the rail cooperative research program to include research designed to review rail crossing safety improvements, including improvements using new safety technology.
S.Amdt.3487	Offered	Amendment information not available.
S.Amdt.3488	Pass	To express the sense of the Senate regarding the need to maintain Amtrak as a national passenger rail system.
S.Amdt.3489	Pass	To authorize a passenger rail study.
S.Amdt.3490	Offered	Amendment information not available.

Bill Status

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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

Democrats Voting 'Aye'

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Sen. Daniel Akaka [D, HI]
Sen. Max Baucus [D, MT]
Sen. Evan Bayh [D, IN]
Sen. Jeff Bingaman [D, NM]
Sen. Barbara Boxer [D, CA]
Sen. Sherrod Brown [D, OH]
Sen. Robert Byrd [D, WV]
Sen. Maria Cantwell [D, WA]
Sen. Benjamin Cardin [D, MD]
Sen. Thomas Carper [D, DE]
Sen. Robert Casey [D, PA]
Sen. Kent Conrad [D, ND]
Sen. Byron Dorgan [D, ND]
Sen. Richard Durbin [D, IL]
Sen. Russell Feingold [D, WI]
Sen. Dianne Feinstein [D, CA]
Sen. Daniel Inouye [D, HI]
Sen. Tim Johnson [D, SD]
Sen. Edward Kennedy [D, MA]
Sen. John Kerry [D, MA]
Sen. Amy Klobuchar [D, MN]
Sen. Herbert Kohl [D, WI]
Sen. Mary Landrieu [D, LA]
Sen. Frank Lautenberg [D, NJ]
Sen. Patrick Leahy [D, VT]
Sen. Carl Levin [D, MI]
Sen. Blanche Lincoln [D, AR]
Sen. Claire McCaskill [D, MO]
Sen. Robert Menéndez [D, NJ]
Sen. Barbara Mikulski [D, MD]
Sen. Patty Murray [D, WA]
Sen. Ben Nelson [D, NE]
Sen. Bill Nelson [D, FL]
Sen. Mark Pryor [D, AR]
Sen. John Reed [D, RI]
Sen. Harry Reid [D, NV]
Sen. John Rockefeller [D, WV]
Sen. Ken Salazar [D, CO]
Sen. Charles Schumer [D, NY]
Sen. Arlen Specter [D, PA]
Sen. Debbie Ann Stabenow [D, MI]
Sen. Jon Tester [D, MT]
Sen. Jim Webb [D, VA]
Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse [D, RI]

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Republicans Voting 'Aye'

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Sen. Lamar Alexander [R, TN]
Sen. Robert Bennett [R, UT]
Sen. Thad Cochran [R, MS]
Norm Coleman
Sen. Susan Collins [R, ME]
Sen. Bob Corker [R, TN]
Sen. John Cornyn [R, TX]
Sen. Michael Crapo [R, ID]
Elizabeth Dole
Pete Domenici
Sen. Charles Grassley [R, IA]
Charles Hagel
Sen. Orrin Hatch [R, UT]
Sen. Kay Hutchison [R, TX]
Trent Lott
Sen. Richard Lugar [R, IN]
Sen. Mel Martinez [R, FL]
Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R, AK]
Sen. Pat Roberts [R, KS]
Sen. Richard Shelby [R, AL]
Gordon Smith
Sen. Olympia Snowe [R, ME]
Ted Stevens
John Warner

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Others Voting 'Aye'

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Sen. Joseph Lieberman [I, CT]
Sen. Bernard Sanders [I, VT]

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Democrats Voting 'Nay'

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Close

Republicans Voting 'Nay'

Close

Wayne Allard
Sen. John Barrasso [R, WY]
Sen. Christopher Bond [R, MO]
Sen. Samuel Brownback [R, KS]
Sen. Jim Bunning [R, KY]
Sen. Richard Burr [R, NC]
Sen. Saxby Chambliss [R, GA]
Sen. Thomas Coburn [R, OK]
Larry Craig
Sen. Jim DeMint [R, SC]
Sen. John Ensign [R, NV]
Sen. Michael Enzi [R, WY]
Sen. Lindsey Graham [R, SC]
Sen. Judd Gregg [R, NH]
Sen. James Inhofe [R, OK]
Sen. John Isakson [R, GA]
Sen. Jon Kyl [R, AZ]
Sen. Mitch McConnell [R, KY]
John Sununu
Sen. John Thune [R, SD]
Sen. David Vitter [R, LA]
Sen. George Voinovich [R, OH]

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Others Voting 'Nay'

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Close

Democrats Voting 'Abstain'

Close

Sen. Joseph Biden [D, DE]
Sen. Hillary Clinton [D, NY]
Sen. Christopher Dodd [D, CT]
Sen. Thomas Harkin [D, IA]
Barack Obama
Sen. Ron Wyden [D, OR]

Close

Republicans Voting 'Abstain'

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Sen. John McCain [R, AZ]
Sen. Jefferson Sessions [R, AL]

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Others Voting 'Abstain'

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See Full Voting History (6 votes)Hide Voting History     Show All Actions (37 actions)Hide Actions

Voting History

Date	Chamber	Question	Aye	Nay	Result
October 30, 2007	Senate	S.294 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 On Passage of the Bill (S.294 as Amended )	70	22	Bill Passed	See Vote
October 30, 2007	Senate	S.294 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 On the Amendment (DeMint Amdt. No.3467 )	27	65	Amendment Rejected	See Vote
October 30, 2007	Senate	S.294 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 On the Cloture Motion (Motion to Invoke Cloture on S.294 )	79	13	Cloture Motion Agreed to	See Vote
October 30, 2007	Senate	S.294 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 On the Amendment (Coburn Amdt. No.3474 )	24	67	Amendment Rejected	See Vote
October 25, 2007	Senate	S.294 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 On the Amendment (Sununu Amdt. No. 3456 as Modified )	27	64	Amendment Rejected	See Vote
October 25, 2007	Senate	S.294 Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 On the Amendment (Sununu Amdt. No. 3453 )	28	66	Amendment Rejected	See Vote

All Bill Actions

• Jul 23, 2008: Message on House action received in Senate and at desk: House amendment to Senate bill and House requests a conference.
• Jul 22, 2008: The Speaker appointed conferees - from the Committee on Science and Technology for consideration of secs. 105 and 305 of the Senate bill, and modifications committed to conference: Gordon, Wu, and Gingrey.
• Jul 22, 2008: The Speaker appointed conferees - from the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for consideration of the Senate bill and the House amendment, and modifications committed to conference: Oberstar, Brown, Corrine, Cummings, Capuano, Bishop (NY), Napolitano, Lipinski, Braley (IA), Arcuri, Mica, Petri, LaTourette, Brown (SC), Shuster, Diaz-Balart, M., and Westmoreland.
• Jul 22, 2008: On motion that the House instruct conferees Agreed to by voice vote.
• Jul 22, 2008: The previous question was ordered without objection.
• Jul 22, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with 1 hour of debate on the Heller (NV) motion to instruct conferees on S. 294. The instructions contained in the motion seek to require the managers on the part of the House to insist on the provisions contained in section 221 of the House amendment.
• Jul 22, 2008: On motion that the House insist upon its amendment, and request a conference Agreed to without objection.
• Jul 22, 2008: Mr. Heller moved that the House instruct conferees.
• Jul 22, 2008: Mr. Oberstar asked unanimous consent that the House insist upon its amendment, and request a conference.
• Passed by voice vote in the House on Jul 22, 2008. On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
• Jul 22, 2008: Mr. Oberstar moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
• Jul 22, 2008: Considered under suspension of the rules.
• Jul 22, 2008: DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 294.
• Nov 01, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
• Oct 31, 2007: Received in the House.
• Oct 31, 2007: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
• Oct 31, 2007: Message on Senate action sent to the House.
• Oct 30, 2007: Considered by Senate.
• Oct 30, 2007: Cloture on the bill invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 79 - 13. Record Vote Number: 398.
• Passed roll in the Senate on Oct 30, 2007. Passed Senate with amendments by Yea-Nay Vote. 70 - 22. Record Vote Number: 400.
• Oct 29, 2007: Considered by Senate.
• Oct 26, 2007: Considered by Senate.
• Oct 26, 2007: Cloture motion on the bill presented in Senate.
• Oct 25, 2007: Considered by Senate.
• Oct 24, 2007: Committee reported amendments agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
• Oct 24, 2007: Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
• Added to calendar on May 22, 2007: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 158..
• May 22, 2007: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Reported by Senator Inouye with amendments. With written report No. 110-67.
• Apr 25, 2007: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Date of scheduled consideration. SR-253. 2:30 p.m.
• Apr 25, 2007: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably.
• Added to calendar on Apr 25, 2007: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Ordered to be reported with amendments favorably..
• Feb 27, 2007: Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security. Date of scheduled hearing. SR-253. 10:00 a.m.
• Feb 27, 2007: Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation Subcommittee on Surface Transportation and Merchant Marine Infrastructure, Safety and Security. Hearings held.
• Introduced on Jan 16, 2007.
• Jan 16, 2007: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S579-580)
• Jan 16, 2007: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
• Jan 16, 2007: Introductory remarks on measure. (CR S579-580)

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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. ...

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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 ...

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Source: York News Times (subscription), NE

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October 31, 2007 Nebraska Amtrack Service Under Attack

Nebraska’s Senator Ben Nelson applauded the passage of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2007 (S. 294). “Particularly for rural states ...

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Source: Southwest Nebraska News, NE

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January 06, 2009 Transport Source: Amtrak and America

In 2007, the Senate passed a similar bill, S. 294: Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act. Those bills now have to be worked out in conference. The House bill would establish a $2.5 billion capital fund to provide ...

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Source: Transport Source

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December 26, 2008 Chuck's Viewpoint: 2008 Christmas in Phoenix

Phoenix is Growing Up · Light Rail Needed · Today is Tax Day · Rutgers Team Forgives Imus · Imus Is Forgiven · S. 294 The Passenger Rail Investment and Improveme... ► February (2). Response to Senator Gould re: light

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Source: Chuck's Viewpoint

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December 26, 2008 Chuck's Viewpoint: There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Phoenix is Growing Up · Light Rail Needed · Today is Tax Day · Rutgers Team Forgives Imus · Imus Is Forgiven · S. 294 The Passenger Rail Investment and Improveme... ► February (2) ...

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Source: Chuck's Viewpoint

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