Federal Public Transportation Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
Federal Public Transportation Act of 1980 - Amends the Urban Mass Transportation Act of 1964 to direct the Secretary of Transportation to submit to the appropriate committees of Congress prior to July 1, 1980 an interim allocation plan for the modernization or rehabilitation of rail mass transportation facilities and equipment. Directs the Secretary to submit a final allocation plan for such modernization and rehabilitation prior to January 1, 1982 to become final unless disapproved by the committees. Authorizes the Secretary to purchase equipment for use in public transportation service. Directs the Secretary to transfer the ownership of such equipment to States or local public bodies. Requires the public bodies receiving such equipment to provide at least 20 percent of the net project costs. Authorizes appropriations for the purposes of such Act through fiscal year 1985. Requires the Secretary to notify the appropriate committees of Congress 30 days prior to announcing an intention to obligate for a project. Sets forth the formula the Secretary shall use in apportioning funds available in a fiscal year for making grants for the purchase of buses and related equipment and facilities. Directs the Secretary to investigate unsafe conditions in any transit system financed under this Act. Directs the Secretary to require States or local public agencies to submit a plan for correcting such unsafe conditions. Permits the Secretary to withhold financial assistance under this Act until such plan is approved or implemented. Authorizes the Secretary to establish safety criteria and standards for such investigations. Requires any commuter rail passenger service which is operated by the National Railroad Passenger Corporation to continue through fiscal year 1985 to be operated and funded as it was on January 1, 1980. Authorizes appropriations for the payment of the operating and capital expenses of such service for fiscal years 1981 through 1985.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on February 18, 1980. 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 February 18, 1980: Referred to Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- 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?
HARRISON WILLIAMS (D-NJ) introduced it on February 18, 1980. 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 February 18, 1980, 17006 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17006 days ago, on February 18, 1980.
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
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers