[Congressional Record Volume 170, Number 187 (Tuesday, December 17, 2024)]
[House]
[Pages H7276-H7277]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
THINK DIFFERENTLY TRANSPORTATION ACT
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
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.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows:
S. 4107
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 ``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.''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Edwards). Pursuant to the rule, the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro) and the gentleman from
California (Mr. DeSaulnier) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from New York.
General Leave
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks
and include extraneous material in the Record on S. 4107.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentleman from New York?
There was no objection.
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am very proud to stand again in support of my bill,
the Think Differently Transportation Act, as it returns to the floor
after minor amendments that were made in the Senate.
After passing this bill today, the bill will head to the President's
desk to be signed into law. This bill is one of several initiatives
that passed the House to build off of the work I began as Dutchess
County executive in New York State, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY initiative.
This was a call to action to create a supportive and welcoming
environment for those living with intellectual, developmental, and
physical disabilities. The Think Differently Transportation Act does
just that.
The bill requires that Amtrak submit to Congress and the President an
annual report with an expected timeline for bringing Amtrak trains and
stations into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Amtrak stations and trains should be fully accessible to all
Americans with disabilities and of every ability, and fully compliant,
of course, with Federal law.
Mr. Speaker, the ADA was passed in 1990 and established a 20-year
timeframe for intercity rail stations to be accessible to those with
disabilities. As of July 2023, sadly, Amtrak has only brought 30
percent of their 385 stations that they are responsible for into ADA
compliance. Of course, this is unacceptable, and it is the reason that
this bill is necessary.
The Think Differently Transportation Act is strongly supported by
Republicans and Democrats, and it allows Congress to have the
appropriate oversight of Amtrak to ensure it complies with its
obligations under the law. The bill is a big step forward that Congress
can take to address accessibility barriers to traveling by rail.
I certainly thank Senator Duckworth for taking up the bill and her
support in the Senate and, of course, working to ensure its adoption
there.
Mr. Speaker, I urge strong support of this legislation, and I reserve
the balance of my time.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the Think Differently
Transportation Act, a bipartisan bill that will advance accessibility
to Amtrak-served stations.
Amtrak received $22 billion in the bipartisan infrastructure law, or
BIL, to buy new equipment, invest in station accessibility, and reduce
the backlog of capital projects and operating needs.
In the BIL, Congress directed Amtrak to make all of the stations that
Amtrak serves accessible. The Think Differently Transportation Act, as
led by Senator Tammy Duckworth and passed by the Senate, will require
Amtrak to report annually to Congress on the accessibility status for
all of the more than 500 stations Amtrak serves, not just the ones
where it has the responsibility under the Americans with Disabilities
Act.
Thanks to the BIL, Amtrak is investing in new equipment and upgrading
stations. We need assurances that these investments are taking into
account people with disabilities, as required under the ADA. This bill
helps to do just that.
This bill differs slightly from the House companion version of the
Think Differently Transportation Act, sponsored by Representative
Molinaro, which I am proud to cosponsor and that the House has
previously passed.
This version included a requirement that Amtrak report on
accessibility of its railcars in addition to stations. While that
requirement has been left out of this version, we are hopeful that
Amtrak will also include these updates on how their equipment is and
will be accessible to people with all types of disabilities.
My friend, the late Representative Donald Payne, Jr., whose 66th
birthday would have been today, cosponsored and helped write the House
companion version of the Think Differently Transportation Act, and I am
pleased that this bill, soon to become law, will be part of his legacy.
Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support S. 4107, the
Think Differently Transportation Act, and I reserve the balance of my
time.
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I am
prepared to close. I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. DeSAULNIER. Mr. Speaker, I thank Mr. Molinaro, as well, and I
think of Don Payne at this moment. I am pleased to support the Think
Differently Transportation Act, and I encourage my colleagues to do the
same.
Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MOLINARO. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time to
close.
Mr. Speaker, first, let me extend my appreciation to my colleague for
his support and cosponsorship of the legislation.
I, too, wish to extend our prayers and love to the family of Donald
Payne, but I also am grateful for Representative Payne's leadership on
this very issue.
[[Page H7277]]
As I mentioned, this is an important opportunity for the disability
community to ensure that the barriers that they face to accessing
Amtrak trains and stations are taken down.
When I first came to Congress, I actually couldn't believe that
Amtrak hadn't adequately met the ADA requirements as Congress had
previously mandated, and so we immediately got to work on this very
piece of legislation.
It is certainly gratifying to see the bill now about to become law
because it addresses injustices for those with intellectual, physical,
and developmental disabilities when they travel by train.
As this might be one of the last times I speak before the House, Mr.
Speaker, I wish to express my appreciation to Members on both sides of
the aisle. There are so many individuals with intellectual, physical,
and developmental disabilities, like my very own daughter, who have yet
to have been granted full access to the quality of life that so many
others get to enjoy.
If Congress can continue to take incremental and, in some cases, bold
steps to break down barriers and create opportunities for those of
every ability, we can truly ensure that the rights, privileges, and
opportunities that are granted and protected by this House, our
Constitution, and this very government are extended to those too often
overlooked. Those living with disabilities face some of the greatest
challenges of any American, and we ought to find new ways to break down
those barriers and create opportunities for them.
Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the support of this bill, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the
gentleman from New York (Mr. Molinaro) that the House suspend the rules
and pass the bill, S. 4107.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
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