Amtrak Improvement Act of 1974
Latest action. public lawWhat a bill becomes when enacted, numbered by Congress and order of enactment: Public Law 119-4 is the 4th law of the 119th Congress.Read the full definition (opens a new tab) 93-496.
(LATEST SUMMARY) Amtrak Improvement Act - Provides that the National Railroad Passenger Corporation shall directly perform all maintenance, rehabilitation, repair, and refurbishment of rail passenger equipment. Provides for the facilitation of completion of the Northeast Corridor Project. Provides for the establishment of efficient customs inspection procedures aboard trains operated in international intercity rail passenger service. Increases the amount of annual Federal financial assistance to the Corporation from $334,300,000 to $534,300,000. Increases the amount of unpaid securities, obligations, or loans to the Corporation which may be outstanding at any one time from $500,000,000 to $900,000,000. Provides for an investigation and study of the social advisability, technical feasibility and economic practicability of a high-speed ground transportation system between the cities of Tijuana, Mexico and Vancouver, British Columbia by way of specified cities in Washington, Oregon, and California. Authorizes to be appropriated not more than $8,000,000 for the purpose of carrying out such an investigation and study. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to plan and contruct a model intermodal transportation terminal at Union Station in the District of Columbia. Authorizes the appropriation of not in excess of $7,000,000 to carry out such planning and construction. Prohibits Amtrak from discontinuing, until July 1, 1975, service over any route which was operating on January 1, 1973. Revises the Rail Passenger Service Act of 1970 by providing that a State, regional, or local rail transportation agency must reimburse Amtrak for a fixed percentage (66 2/3) of the losses attributable to additional rail service requested by such agency. Provides that if any railroad or any person controlling one or more railroads owns a number of shares of Amtrak in excess of 33 1/3 percent of the total number of common shares outstanding, such excess number shall, for voting and quorum purposes, be deemed to be not issued and outstanding. Requires the Secretary of Transportation to study and report to the Congress on the potential for integrating rail service provided by Amtrak with other modes of transportation, with particular attention to the transportation needs of rural areas. Requires the Secretary to give priority consideration to providing experimental rail service to the major population areas of the 48 contiguous States which do not have intercity rail passenger service to any large population area. Changes the designation of Under Secretary of Transportation to Deputy Secretary of Transportation.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Public Law" stage on October 28, 1974. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Public law 93-496.
Civibrief does not map this action to a stage in the process. See the official record.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
The latest action on file does not map to a stage Civibrief recognizes, so the page will not name one. The record's own words are the reliable fact here.
The record's latest action, on October 28, 1974: Public law 93-496.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 93rd Congress (1973-74), 651 of the 23,396 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 2.8 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one has no outstanding steps listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
HARLEY STAGGERS (D-WV) introduced it on June 14, 1974. No cosponsors are recorded.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on June 14, 1974, 19081 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 18945 days ago, on October 28, 1974.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 93rd Congress has not finished by January 3, 1975 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HousePublic law 93-496.
- SenateNot stated in the latest action
- PresidentNot stated in the latest action