[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2165 Introduced in House (IH)]






108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2165

To prohibit the use of Federal funds for double tracking of the Pacific 
 Surfliner corridor through the Historic Mission District and downtown 
area of San Juan Capistrano and along the coastal beaches of Dana Point 
                           and San Clemente.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 20, 2003

 Mr. Cox (for himself and Mr. Calvert) introduced the following bill; 
       which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and 
                             Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To prohibit the use of Federal funds for double tracking of the Pacific 
 Surfliner corridor through the Historic Mission District and downtown 
area of San Juan Capistrano and along the coastal beaches of Dana Point 
                           and San Clemente.

    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 ``Coastal and Historic Communities 
Protection Act of 2003''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

     The Congress finds the following:
            (1) Since 1888, Southern Californians have been served by a 
        railroad line that traverses scenic beaches and historic 
        resources in south Orange County, California. Officials of the 
        California High Speed Rail Authority and the California 
        Department of Transportation have proposed plans that could 
        facilitate construction of an additional set of tracks on the 
        coastal Pacific Surfliner corridor accommodating future high-
        speed rail cars. With 1,700,000 rail passengers traveling in 
        the corridor in 2002, double tracking the line would increase 
        train traffic to an unacceptable level. It can threaten the 
        environmental and economic stability of the local communities, 
        and jeopardize the region's coastal and historic resources.
            (2) The proposed double tracking plans of the California 
        High Speed Rail Authority and the California Department of 
        Transportation are inconsistent with the spirit and intent of 
        the National Costal Zone Management Act of 1972 as amended by 
        The Coastal Zone Protection Act of 1996 (16 U.S.C. 1451 note).
            (3) The cities of Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, and San 
        Clemente, and the Orange County Transportation Authority 
        overwhelmingly oppose double tracking of the existing Pacific 
        Surfliner Corridor through the Historic Mission District and 
        downtown area of San Juan Capistrano and along the coastal 
        beaches of Dana Point and San Clemente.
            (4) Because our Nation's transportation priorities should 
        correspond to the wishes of the taxpayers who fund these 
        projects, the active participation of these cities in the 
        decision making process is imperative to strengthen the local, 
        State, and Federal partnership that administers the route that 
        is eventually chosen.

SEC. 3. PROHIBITION ON USE OF FEDERAL FUNDS FOR DOUBLE TRACKING OF THE 
              PACIFIC SURFLINER CORRIDOR THROUGH THE HISTORIC MISSION 
              DISTRICT AND DOWNTOWN AREA OF SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO AND 
              ALONG THE COASTAL BEACHES OF DANA POINT AND SAN CLEMENTE.

    (a) In General.--After the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Secretary of Transportation may not provide funds to study, design, 
engineer, or construct double tracking of the Pacific Surfliner 
corridor through the Orange County, California coastal and historic 
cities of Dana Point, San Juan Capistrano, and San Clemente.
    (b) Funds for Pacific Surfliner.-- No provision contained herein 
shall prohibit the Secretary of Transportation from authorizing the 
expenditures of funds to support Pacific Surfliner service in the 
corridor consistent with the provisions of the Rail Passenger Service 
Act of 1970.

SEC. 4. DEFINITION.

    For purposes of this Act, the term ``double tracking'' means the 
establishment of a second set of rail tracks on, under, or above an 
existing right-of-way, wherever coastal or historic resources, in the 
cities of San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano, or Dana Point, may be 
affected.
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