Train Furtherance of Outstanding Onboard Dining Act or the Train FOOD Act
This bill directs Amtrak to establish an advisory committee to provide internal review for Amtrak's implementation of the Amtrak Food and Beverage Working Group (FBWG) recommendations to improve onboard food and beverage service.
The Amtrak advisory committee must submit an annual report to Congress on the status of Amtrak's implementation of each of the FBWG recommendations. The advisory committee's annual reports must be publicly available on an Amtrak website.
In addition, the Government Accountability Office must submit a report to Congress describing Amtrak's progress in implementing each FBWG report recommendation.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 265 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 265
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require Amtrak to submit to
Congress an annual report with respect to the implementation of certain
recommendations of the Amtrak Food and Beverage Working Group for
improving the food and beverage service 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 submit to
Congress an annual report with respect to the implementation of certain
recommendations of the Amtrak Food and Beverage Working Group for
improving the food and beverage service 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 Furtherance of Outstanding
Onboard Dining Act'' or the ``Train FOOD Act''.
SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT OF IMPLEMENTATION BY AMTRAK OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF
AMTRAK FOOD AND BEVERAGE WORKING GROUP.
(a) Annual Amtrak Report.--Section 24321 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new
subsections:
``(d) Implementation Advisory Committee.--
``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the Train Furtherance of Outstanding Onboard
Dining Act, Amtrak shall establish an advisory committee to
provide internal review with respect to the implementation by
Amtrak of the recommendations contained in the report under
subsection (b).
``(2) Membership.--The advisory committee shall consist of
individuals representing--
``(A) Amtrak;
``(B) the labor organizations representing Amtrak
employees who prepare or provide on-board food and
beverage service;
``(C) nonprofit organizations representing Amtrak
passengers; and
``(D) States that are providing funding for State-
supported routes.
``(3) Termination.--The advisory committee shall terminate
on the date on which Amtrak submits the final report required
under subsection (e)(1).
``(e) Annual Implementation Status Report.--
``(1) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the Train Furtherance of Outstanding Onboard
Dining Act and annually thereafter until such time as all
recommendations contained in the report under subsection (b)
are implemented by Amtrak or determined by Amtrak to be
impractical or impossible to implement, Amtrak shall--
``(A) submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report on the status of the
implementation of each such recommendation; and
``(B) make the report available on a publicly
accessible website of Amtrak.
``(2) Report contents.--Each report under paragraph (1)
shall include--
``(A) a description of the progress made by Amtrak
in implementing each recommendation contained in the
report under subsection (b);
``(B) identification of each such recommendation
for which implementation is complete;
``(C) identification of each such recommendation
that Amtrak determines to be impractical or impossible
to implement;
``(D) for each recommendation identified under
subparagraph (C)--
``(i) the justification for the
determination that the recommendation is
impractical or impossible to implement; and
``(ii) if the justification is all, or in
part, attributable to insufficient funding, an
estimated cost of implementing the
recommendation;
``(E) a description of how, if at all, food and
beverage service of Amtrak has changed--
``(i) if in the initial report, since the
date of enactment of the Train Furtherance of
Outstanding Onboard Dining Act; and
``(ii) if in a subsequent report, since the
date on which the previous report was
finalized; and
``(F) comments submitted by the advisory committee
to Amtrak regarding the information included under
subparagraphs (A) through (E).''.
(b) GAO Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report describing the progress made by Amtrak in
implementing each recommendation contained in the report under section
24321(b) of title 49, United States Code.
<all>
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
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