[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 117 (Thursday, August 18, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
        HIGH-SPEED GROUND TRANSPORTATION DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1994

                                 ______


                        EXON AMENDMENT NO. 2570

  Mr. FORD (for Mr. Exon) proposed an amendment to the bill (S. 839) to 
establish a program to facilitate development of high-speed rail 
transportation in the United States, and for other purposes; as 
follows:

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``High-Speed Ground 
     Transportation Development Act of 1994''.

     SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.

       (a) Findings.--The Congress finds that--
       (1) high-speed rail offers safe and transportation in 
     certain densely traveled corridors linking major metropolitan 
     areas in the United States;
       (2) high-speed rail may have environmental advantages over 
     certain other forms of intercity transportation;
       (3) Amtrak's Metroliner service between Washington, 
     District of Columbia, and New York, New York, the United 
     States premier high-speed rail service, has shown that 
     Americans will use high-speed rail when that transportation 
     option is available;
       (4) new high-speed rail service should not receive Federal 
     subsidies for operating and maintenance expenses;
       (5) State and local governments should take the prime 
     responsibility for the development and implementation of 
     high-speed rail service;
       (6) the private sector should participate in funding the 
     development of high-speed rail systems;
       (7) in some intercity corridors, Federal planning 
     assistance may be required to supplement the funding 
     commitments of State and local governments and the private 
     sector to ensure the adequate planning, including reasonable 
     estimates of the costs and benefits, of high-speed rail 
     systems;
       (8) improvement of existing technologies can facilitate the 
     development of high-speed rail systems in the United States; 
     and
       (9) Federal assistance is required for the improvement, 
     adaptation, and integration of technologies for commercial 
     application in high-speed rail service in the United States.
       (b) Purpose.--The purpose of this Act is to encourage far-
     sighted State, local, and private efforts in the analysis and 
     planning for high-speed rail systems in appropriate intercity 
     travel corridors.

     SEC. 3. NATIONAL HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.

       (a) In General.--Part C of subtitle IV of title 49, United 
     States Code (relating to passenger transportation), is 
     amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:

               ``CHAPTER 251--HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE

     ``Sec. 25101. Corridor planning

       ``(a) Authority.--The Secretary may provide financial 
     assistance to an applicant, based upon the criteria set forth 
     in subsection (d) of this section, to fund corridor planning 
     under subsection (b)(1) of this section.
       (b) Eligible Activities.--
       ``(1) A corridor planning activity is eligible for 
     financial assistance under subsection (c) if the Secretary 
     determines that it is necessary to establish appropriate 
     engineering, operational, financial, environmental, or 
     socioeconomic projections for the establishment of high-speed 
     rail service in the corridor and that it leads toward 
     development of a prudent financial and institution plan for 
     implementation of specific high-speed rail improvements. 
     Eligible corridor planning activities include--
       ``(A) environmental assessments;
       ``(B) feasibility studies emphasizing commercial technology 
     improvements or applications;
       ``(C) Economic analyses, including ridership, revenue and 
     operating expense forecasting;
       ``(D) assessing the impact on rail employment of developing 
     high-speed rail corridors;
       ``(E) assessing community economic impacts;
       ``(F) interface with State and metropolitan area 
     transportation planning and corridor planning with other 
     States;
       ``(G) operational planning;
       ``(H) route selection analyses;
       ``(I) preliminary engineering and design;
       ``(J) identification of specific improvements to a 
     corridor, including electrification, line straightening, 
     grade crossing closings, and other right-of-way improvements, 
     bridge rehabilitation and replacement, use of advanced 
     locomotives and rolling stock, ticketing, interface with 
     other modes of transportation, parking and other means of 
     passenger access, track, signal, station and other capital 
     works, and use of intermodal terminals;
       ``(K) preparation of financing plans and prospectuses; and
       ``(L) creation of public/private partnerships.
       ``(2) No financial assistance shall be provided under this 
     section for corridor planning with respect to the main line 
     of the Northeast Corridor, between Washington, District of 
     Columbia, and Boston, Massachusetts.
       ``(c) Corridor Planning Assistance.--
       ``(1) The Secretary may provide under this subsection 
     financial assistance to an applicant for corridor planning 
     for up to 50 per centum of the publicly financed costs 
     associated with eligible activities.
       ``(2) No less than 20 per centum of publicly financed costs 
     associated with eligible activities shall come from State and 
     local sources, which State and local sources cannot include 
     funds from any Federal program.
       ``(d) Criteria for Determining Financial Assistance.--
     Selection by the Secretary of applicants for financial 
     assistance under this section shall be based on such criteria 
     as the Secretary considers appropriate, including--
       ``(A) the relationship or inclusion of the corridor in the 
     Secretary's national high-speed ground transportation policy;
       ``(B) the extent to which the proposed planning focuses on 
     systems which will achieve sustained speeds of 125 miles per 
     hour or greater.
       ``(C) the integration of the corridor into metropolitan 
     area and Statewide transportation planning;
       ``(D) the potential interconnection of the corridor with 
     other parts of the Nation's transportation system, including 
     the interconnection with other countries;
       ``(E) the anticipated effect of the corridor on the 
     congestion of other modes of transportation;
       ``(F) whether the work to be funded will aid the efforts of 
     State and local governments to comply with the Clean Air Act;
       ``(G) the past and proposed financial commitments and other 
     support of State and local governments and the private sector 
     to the proposed high-speed rail program, including the 
     acquisition of rolling stock;
       ``(H) the estimated level of ridership;
       ``(I) the estimated capital cost of corridor improvements, 
     including the cost of closing, improving, or separating 
     highway-rail grade crossing;
       ``(J) rail transportation employment impacts;
       ``(K) community economic impacts;
       ``(L) the extent to which the projected revenues of the 
     high-speed rail service to be planned, along with any 
     financial commitments of State or local governments and the 
     private sector, are expected to cover capital costs and 
     operating and maintenance expenses; and
       ``(M) whether a route has been selected, specific 
     improvements identified, and capacity studies completed.

     ``25102. High-speed rail technology improvements

       ``(a) Authority.--The Secretary is authorized to undertake 
     activities for the improvement, adaptation, and integration 
     of technologies for commercial application in high-speed rail 
     service in the United States.
       ``(b) Eligible Recipients.--In carrying out activities 
     authorized in subsection (a), the Secretary may provide 
     financial assistance to any United States private business, 
     educational institution located in the United States, State 
     or local government or public authority, or agency or the 
     Federal Government.
       ``(c) Consultation With Other Agencies.--In carrying out 
     activities authorized in subsection (a), the Secretary shall 
     consult with such other governmental agencies as may be 
     necessary concerning the availability of appropriate 
     technologies for commercial application in high-speed rail 
     service in the United States.

     ``25103. Definitions.

       ``For purposes of this chapter--
       ``(1) the term `applicant' means a public agency, or a 
     group of such public agencies, seeking financial assistance 
     under this title;
       ``(2) the term `financial assistance' includes grants, 
     contracts, and cooperative agreements;
       ``(3) the term `high-speed rail' means rail passenger 
     transportation expected to reach and maintain speeds of 125 
     miles per hour or greater;
       ``(4) the term `publicly funded costs' means the costs 
     funded after April 29, 1993, by Federal, State, and local 
     governments;
       ``(4) the term `State'' means any of the several States, 
     the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Marian 
     Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any 
     other territory or possession of the United States;
       ``(5) the term `United States private business' means a 
     business entity organized under the laws of the United 
     States, or of a State, and conducting substantial business 
     operations in the United States.''.

     ``Sec. 25104. Safety regulations

       ``The Secretary shall promulgate such safety regulations as 
     may be necessary for high-speed rail services.''.

     SEC. 4. COLUMBUS AND GREENVILLE RAILWAY.

       (a) Redemption of Outstanding Obligations and 
     Liabilities.--Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the 
     Secretary of Transportation, or the Secretary of the 
     Treasury, if a holder of any of the obligations, shall allow 
     the Delta Transportation Company, doing business as the 
     Columbus & Greenville Railway, to redeem the obligations and 
     liabilities of such company which remain outstanding under 
     sections 505 and 511 of the Railroad Revitalization and 
     Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (45 U.S.C. 825 and 831, 
     respectively).
       (b) Value.--For purposes of subsection (a), the value of 
     each of the obligations and liabilities shall be an amount 
     equal to the value established under the Federal Credit 
     Reform Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.).

     SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.

       (a) Authorization For Fiscal Year 1995.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
     Transportation $29,000,000 for financial assistance 
     authorized under sections 25101 and 25102 of title 49 United 
     States Code.
       (b) Authorization For Fiscal Year 1996.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary--
       (1) $40,000,000 for financial assistance authorized under 
     section 25101 of title 49, United States Code; and
       (2) $30,000,000 for financial assistance authorized under 
     section 25102 of title 49, United States Code.
       (c) Authorization for Fiscal Year 1997.--There is 
     authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
     Transportation--
       (1) $40,000,000 for financial assistance authorized under 
     section 25101 of title 49, United States Code; and
       (2) $30,000,000 for financial assistance authorized under 
     section 25102 of title 49, United States Code.
       (d) Administrative Expenses of Secretary.--Of the amounts 
     authorized to be appropriated under subsections (a), (b) and 
     (c), the Secretary of Transportation may reserve the funds 
     necessary for payment of the administrative expenses incurred 
     by the Secretary in carrying out the Secretary's 
     responsibilities under chapter 251 of title 49 United States 
     Code.
       (e) Funds to Remain Available.--Funds made available under 
     this section shall remain available until expended.

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