Train EATS Act

Train Establishment of Appetizing Table Service Act or the Train EATS Act 

This bill requires Amtrak to provide a range of dining services to passengers on overnight routes.

Specifically, Amtrak must make available (1) traditional dining (i.e., table service), to the extent practicable; and (2) an alternative food and beverage service that is more affordable than traditional dining.

On each overnight route, Amtrak must offer any traditional dining capacity not otherwise used by first-class or business-class passengers to passengers in coach class for a fee.

In addition, Amtrak must ensure that traditional dining on overnight routes includes (1) a healthy meal option, and (2) the option for passengers to preorder meals that satisfy their dietary restrictions.

The Department of Transportation must issue any necessary regulations.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 264 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 264

   To amend title 49, United States Code, to require Amtrak to make 
    traditional dining and an alternative, more affordable food and 
beverage service available to passengers on overnight routes of Amtrak, 
                        and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 2025

  Mr. Cohen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
             Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 49, United States Code, to require Amtrak to make 
    traditional dining and an alternative, more affordable food and 
beverage service available to passengers on overnight routes of Amtrak, 
                        and for other purposes.

    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 ``Train Establishment of Appetizing 
Table Service Act'' or the ``Train EATS Act''.

SEC. 2. FOOD AND BEVERAGE SERVICE REQUIREMENTS ON OVERNIGHT ROUTES OF 
              AMTRAK.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 243 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following new section:
``Sec. 24324. Food and beverage service requirements on overnight 
              routes of Amtrak.
    ``(a) In General.--On each covered route, Amtrak shall make 
available--
            ``(1) to the extend practicable, in accordance with 
        subsection (b), traditional dining; and
            ``(2) to all passengers an alternative food and beverage 
        service that is more affordable than traditional dining.
    ``(b) Priority of Traditional Dining Capacity.--On each covered 
route on which traditional dining is available, Amtrak shall offer any 
traditional dining capacity not otherwise used by passengers in First 
Class or Business Class to passengers traveling in Coach Class (or 
other base fare class ticket) for a fee on a first-come, first-serve 
basis.
    ``(c) Traditional Dining Meal Options.--Amtrak shall ensure that 
traditional dining on a covered route includes--
            ``(1) a healthy meal option; and
            ``(2) upon pre-order from a passenger to whom traditional 
        dining is offered, meals that satisfy the dietary restrictions 
        of the passenger.
    ``(d) Regulations.--The Secretary of Transportation shall issue 
such regulations as are necessary to carry out this section.
    ``(e) Definitions.--In this section:
            ``(1) Covered route.--The term `covered route' means a rail 
        passenger transportation route operated by Amtrak that is 
        scheduled to depart and arrive on different dates.
            ``(2) Healthy meal option.--The term `healthy meal option' 
        means a meal the nutritional contents of which are consistent 
        with the Dietary Guidelines for Americans established under 
        section 301 of the National Nutrition Monitoring and Related 
        Research Act of 1990 (7 U.S.C. 5341).
            ``(3) Traditional dining.--With respect to rail passenger 
        transportation, the term `traditional dining' means a food and 
        beverage service--
                    ``(A) for which a passenger is seated at a table in 
                a car designated solely for such food and beverage 
                service to order and eat a meal; and
                    ``(B) that is serviced by wait staff.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendments.--The analysis for chapter 243 of title 49, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
item:

``24324. Food and beverage service requirements on overnight routes of 
                            Amtrak.''.
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