Marginal Railroad Main Line Service Assurance Act of 1979
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
Marginal Railroad Main Line Service Assurance Act of 1979 - Amends the Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 to authorize the Secretary of Transportation to provide assistance to railroads for the purpose of maintaining marginal main line railroad operations which would not be otherwise included by a bankrupt railroad as part of a plan for reorganization. Stipulates that such assistance may not exceed 70 percent of the costs of maintaining operations on a marginal main line. Stipulates that in order to be eligible for such assistance: (1) the line must be presently run by a rail carrier under bankruptcy reorganization and the line is not likely to survive the reorganization or be saleable; (2) the region served by such a line is without reasonable rail alternatives; (3) the line is unlikely to be approved for abandonment by the Interstate Commerce Commission under present abandonment criteria; (4) continuation of service over such line is essential; (5) the line may be potentially viable; and (6) the loss of such line would result in more than a 15 percent increase in Federal-State highway expenditures annually. Stipulates that the Secretary must make an annual determination regarding a line's eligibility to receive assistance. Sets forth procedures for the repayment of such assistance in the event the line returns profits in any year. Authorizes appropriations in specified amounts for fiscal years 1980 through 1982 to carry out the provisions of this Act.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on March 15, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 15, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
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 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, 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?
RON MARLENEE (R-MT) introduced it on March 15, 1979. 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 March 15, 1979, 17346 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17346 days ago, on March 15, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 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
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers