Systemic Passenger Infrastructure and Network Overhaul through Financial Freedom Act - Transfers from the National Railroad Passenger Corporation (Amtrak) to the Secretary of Transportation title to all Amtrak property necessary for the operation of the main line of the Northeast Corridor between the District of Columbia and Boston, Massachusetts. Directs the Secretary to complete a competitive selection of an entity to maintain and dispatch service on the main line of the Northeast Corridor until the disposition and orderly transition of such operations.
Directs the Comptroller General to report to the Secretary on the capital requirements needed to ensure that the Northeast Corridor can be operated in a financially viable manner.
Requires the Secretary to choose the following option most appropriate for the disposition of Amtrak operations along the Northeast Corridor: (1) transfer of such operations to an interstate compact of Northeast Corridor states; (2) transfer of the operations to a new quasi-governmental corporation or to a private sector corporation; or (3) retention of ownership by the Secretary, with competitive franchising, by one or more entities, of the management and dispatching of service.
Requires the Secretary to retain, and Amtrak to transfer to the Secretary, all amounts appropriated by the federal government for Amtrak for FY2006.
[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3851 Introduced in House (IH)]
109th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 3851
To provide for the competitive operation of the Northeast rail corridor
using State and private sector initiatives.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 21, 2005
Mr. Mica (for himself and Mr. Westmoreland) introduced the following
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and
Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To provide for the competitive operation of the Northeast rail corridor
using State and private sector initiatives.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Systemic Passenger Infrastructure
and Network Overhaul through Financial Freedom Act''.
SEC. 2. INTERIM DIRECTED SERVICE.
(a) Transfer of Ownership.--Effective on the date of the enactment
of this Act--
(1) title to all property of the National Railroad
Passenger Corporation necessary for the operation of the main
line of the Northeast Corridor between the District of Columbia
and Boston, Massachusetts, shall transfer to the Secretary of
Transportation; and
(2) the note and mortgage described in section 24907 of
title 49, United States Code, is canceled, in consideration for
the transfer described in paragraph (1).
(b) Interim Operations.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
ensure the continuation of maintenance and dispatching of service on
the main line of the Northeast Corridor between the District of
Columbia and Boston, Massachusetts, until directed service is initiated
under subsection (c). The Secretary is authorized to use personnel of
the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to carry out this
subsection.
(c) Directed Service.--Not later than 3 months after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Transportation shall
complete a competitive selection of an entity or entities to maintain
and dispatch service on the main line of the Northeast Corridor between
the District of Columbia and Boston, Massachusetts, and shall take such
actions as are necessary to initiate and maintain such directed service
until the disposition of such operations pursuant to section 3, and for
such additional time as is necessary to ensure the orderly transition
of operations under those sections. In carrying out this subsection,
the Secretary and any entity or entities selected by the Secretary
shall have the powers and authorities, including access rights, of the
National Railroad Passenger Corporation with respect to the service
involved.
SEC. 3. NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.
(a) Comptroller General Analysis.--Not later than 1 year after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General shall
transmit to the Secretary of Transportation a report analyzing the
capital requirements needed to ensure that the Northeast Corridor can
be operated in a financially viable manner.
(b) Determination of Appropriate Disposition.--Not later than 2
years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary, after
considering the prospects of financial viability, including capital
requirements as reported under subsection (a) and proposed financing
options, shall determine which of the following options is most
appropriate for the disposition of the operations (and all necessary
supporting property) described in section 2(b) and (c) with respect to
the Northeast Corridor:
(1) Transfer of such operations to an interstate compact,
entered into under section 410 of the Amtrak Reform and
Accountability Act of 1997, consisting of the States of the
Northeast Corridor.
(2) Transfer of such operations to a new quasi-governmental
corporation or to a private sector corporation.
(3) Retention of ownership by the Secretary of
Transportation, with competitive franchising, by 1 or more
entities, of the management and dispatching of service.
The Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a report on the
determination made under this subsection.
(c) Implementation.--Not later than 6 months after a determination
is made under subsection (b), the Secretary shall implement the
appropriate disposition as so determined.
SEC. 4. FUNDING.
(a) Retention of Amounts.--The Secretary of Transportation shall
retain all amounts appropriated by the Federal Government for fiscal
year 2006 for the National Railroad Passenger Corporation that have not
been provided to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and such
amounts shall be available to the Secretary for carrying out this Act.
(b) Transfer of Amounts.--The National Railroad Passenger
Corporation shall transfer to the Secretary of Transportation all
amounts appropriated by the Federal Government for fiscal year 2006 and
provided to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and such
amounts shall be available to the Secretary for carrying out this Act.
SEC. 5. NONAPPLICABILITY OF PROVISION.
A local governmental authority (as defined in section 5302(a)(6) of
title 49, United States Code) shall not be subject to any obligation
under any arrangement pursuant to section 5333(b) of title 49, United
States Code, with respect to employees of the National Railroad
Passenger Corporation providing services to such authority pursuant to
a contract between the authority and the National Railroad Passenger
Corporation.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads.
Llama 3.2 · runs locally in your browser
Ask anything about this bill. The AI reads the full text to answer.
Enter to send · Shift+Enter for new line