[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 146 (Saturday, October 8, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[Congressional Record: October 8, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
HIGH-SPEED RAIL DEVELOPMENT ACT OF 1994--MESSAGE FROM THE HOUSE
Mr. BUMPERS. Mr. President, I ask that the Chair lay before the
Senate a message from the House of Representatives on a bill (H.R.
4867) to authorize appropriations for high-speed rail transportation,
and for other purposes.
The President pro tempore laid before the Senate the following
message from the House of Representative:
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representatives
(H.R. 4867) entitled ``An Act to authorize appropriations for
high-speed rail transportation, and for other purposes'', do
pass with the following amendments:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
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 percent of the publicly financed costs
associated with eligible activities.
``(2) No less than 20 percent 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.
``Sec. 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.
``Sec. 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;
``(5) the term `State'' means any of the several States,
the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the Northern Mariana
Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and any
other territory or possession of the United States;
``(6) 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) Authorizations 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.
Mr. GORTON. Mr. President, I would like to lend my enthusiastic
endorsement for the Swift Rail Development Act, a bill that could not
be more appropriately named.
During my years in the Congress, I have had the privilege and
pleasure to work with my colleague, Representative Al Swift. While we
are of different parties, I have always enjoyed working with him as a
legislative partner. But most especially, I have enjoyed his insight
and his friendship. Al has a long list of achievements. And the bill
before the Senate today is just one of many in a long list. Perhaps,
one of my proudest legislative accomplishments is one that I share with
Al, to require airbags in automobiles.
The bill before the Senate today used to be known as the high speed
rail bill. Forevermore, it will be the Swift rail bill, an appropriate
honor to the author of this bill.
Transportation alternatives available to Northwesterners are few, but
the need for them is acute. The main stretch of highway connecting
Vancouver, BC, to Eugene, OR, is heavily used by vehicles carrying both
commuters and freight. Several years back, this corridor was designated
one of five national high speed rail corridors. This legislation will
speed up development of this corridor, which is critically important to
the hundreds of commuters who desperately need another, more efficient
way of getting around the Northwest. I appreciate having the
opportunity to work with Al to ensure that the Northwest corridor's
needs were addressed by the language in this bill.
The excitement over the high speed rail demonstration run between
Portland and Bellingham is testament to the support this program will
receive. Once we have high speed rail up and running in the Northwest,
I am certain we will wonder how we ever got along without it.
Mr. BUMPERS. I move that the Senate concur in the House amendment.
The PRESIDENT pro tempore. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
The motion was agreed to.
Mr. BUMPERS. I move to reconsider the vote.
Mr. LOTT. I move to lay that on the table.
The motion to lay on the table was agreed to.
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