[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 178 (Tuesday, December 3, 2024)]
[Senate]
[Page S6788]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  THINK DIFFERENTLY TRANSPORTATION ACT

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate 
proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 485, S. 4107.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (S. 4107) to require Amtrak to report to Congress 
     information on Amtrak compliance with the Americans with 
     Disabilities Act of 1990 with respect to trains and stations.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, 
which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 
Transportation, with an amendment to strike out all after the enacting 
clause and insert the part printed in italic as follows:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Think Differently 
     Transportation Act''.

     SEC. 2. REPORT ON AMTRAK ADA COMPLIANCE.

       Section 24315(b) of title 49, United States Code, is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1)--
       (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking ``and'' at the end;
       (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end 
     and inserting a semicolon; and
       (C) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(D) shall include an action plan for bringing Amtrak-
     served stations that are not in compliance with the Americans 
     with Disabilities Act of 1990 (42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq.) into 
     compliance with such Act, as required by the settlement 
     agreement entered into in 2020 between Amtrak and the 
     Department of Justice;
       ``(E) shall include a status report on--
       ``(i) Amtrak-served stations for which Amtrak is solely 
     responsible for compliance with such Act based on a station 
     assessment carried out by Amtrak, including a timeline for 
     any required compliance with such Act, as required by the 
     settlement agreement;
       ``(ii) Amtrak-served stations for which Amtrak has a shared 
     responsibility for compliance with such Act based on a 
     station assessment carried out by Amtrak or by the party 
     responsible for such compliance, including a timeline for any 
     required compliance with such Act for the portions of the 
     station for which Amtrak is the responsible party consistent 
     with the terms of the settlement agreement, identifying who 
     is responsible for compliance (and the status of the 
     compliance of each responsible party with such Act) for such 
     portions and the timeline for compliance in cases in which 
     Amtrak is not the responsible party; and
       ``(iii) the status of compliance with such Act for all 
     Amtrak-served stations for which Amtrak is not the 
     responsible party, nor is responsible for a portion of the 
     station, and identify the entity or entities that have 
     responsibility for compliance with such Act, based on a 
     station assessment carried out by Amtrak or the party 
     responsible under such Act.''; and
       (2) by adding at the end the following:
       ``(3) Amtrak may meet the requirements described in clauses 
     (ii) and (iii) of paragraph (1)(E) by demonstrating that 
     Amtrak took reasonable measures to obtain cooperation from 
     responsible entities.
       ``(4) Amtrak shall submit the action plan and status report 
     required under subparagraphs (D) and (E) of paragraph (1)--
       ``(A) annually while the settlement agreement referred to 
     in paragraph (1)(D) is in effect; and
       ``(B) every 5 years beginning on the first day the 
     settlement is no longer in effect.''.

  Mr. SCHUMER. I further ask that the committee-reported substitute 
amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a 
third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered 
made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The committee-reported amendment, in the nature of a substitute, was 
agreed to.
  The bill (S. 4107), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a 
third reading, was read the third time, and passed.

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