[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 162 (Tuesday, November 16, 1999)]
[Senate]
[Page S14613]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. KERREY (for himself and Mr. Grassley):
  S. 1922. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide 
a tax credit for modifications to intercity buses required under the 
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; to the Committee on Finance.


  tax credit for modifications to intercity buses required under the 
                    americans with disabilities act

 Mr. KERREY. Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation 
to give privately owned, over-the-road bus operators, the assistance 
they need to equip their buses with wheelchair lifts. These operators 
provide vital intercity bus services to millions of Americans who have 
access to no other form of public transportation, most particularly in 
rural areas. The legislation I am introducing today passed the Senate 
earlier this year as part of a larger tax bill and enjoyed bipartisan 
support. Indeed I am delighted that Senator Grassley has agreed to join 
me as a cosponsor of this bill.
  In keeping with the Americans with Disabilities Act, the Department 
of Transportation (DOT) is requiring that a wheelchair lift be 
installed on every new over-the-road bus operating intercity bus 
service. In addition, comparable requirements are being imposed on over 
the road buses providing charter service. This largely unfunded mandate 
is estimated to cost the industry $25 million a year in acquisition and 
training costs alone. In some years, that $25 million figure is 
expected to exceed the entire profit for the industry.
  DOT's new requirement serves the important public purpose of ensuring 
that disabled persons in wheelchairs will have access to over-the-road 
buses. Yet the cost of this requirement poses a significant threat to 
the continuation of this service for millions of rural and low-income 
Americans. Over-the-road buses serve roughly 4,000 communities that 
have no other form of intercity public transportation. Additionally, 
with an average fare of $34, they are the only form of affordable 
transportation available for millions of passengers.
  The legislation we are introducing today provides over-the-road bus 
operators with a 50-percent tax credit for the unsubsidized costs of 
complying with the DOT requirement. This tax credit gives them the 
support that they need to ensure both that disabled people in 
wheelchairs have access to over-the-road bus service and that that 
service remains available to the millions of passengers who rely on 
that service.
  I urge my colleagues to join us in supporting this 
legislation.
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