Bill · H.R. 769· House(119-HR-769)
All Aboard Act
- Introduced
- 1/28/2025
- Last activity
- 1/29/2025 — Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
- Sponsored by
- Josh Gottheimer
- Cosponsors
- - 0 - 2
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The All Aboard Act directs the Secretary of Transportation to create regulations requiring Amtrak to refund passengers for canceled or significantly delayed trips. A refund is required if a trip is canceled or delayed by more than three hours due to a failure of Amtrak, provided the cause was not uncontrollable by them. The bill also requires Amtrak to move away from its current "run-to-fail" maintenance model. Amtrak must submit a report on alternative maintenance strategies and implement a new strategy within two years. Finally, the bill establishes penalties by withholding Federal funds if Amtrak fails to comply with these new rules.
Yes· 3 of 6
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?+7
The bill mandates refunds for passengers when Amtrak-related failures cause cancellations or significant delays.
Does this improve buses, trains and other public transport?+5
The bill requires Amtrak to transition from a run-to-fail maintenance model to a more proactive asset maintenance strategy.
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?+3
The refund mandate provides financial recourse for passengers impacted by transportation failures.
The opposite
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?-2
The bill creates a mechanism to withhold Federal funds from Amtrak for noncompliance, which could affect federal outlays.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Refunds for Disruptions: Passengers who purchase covered rail transportation are entitled to a refund equal to the rate paid if their trip is canceled or delayed by more than three hours due to an Amtrak failure (Section 2(a)).
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Timely Reimbursement: The bill establishes specific timelines for receiving funds, such as within 7 days for those who used credit, vouchers, or rewards points (Section 2(c)(1)(A)(i)).
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Improved Maintenance Standards: By banning the "run-to-fail" maintenance model, the bill requires Amtrak to implement a new asset maintenance strategy within two years (Section 2(b)). This aims to replace a system where equipment is only retired once it can no longer function or exceeds its estimated lifespan (Section 2(c)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Dispute Delays: If Amtrak disputes that a cancellation or delay was its failure, passengers may have to wait for a final determination through procedures established by the Secretary before receiving a refund (Section 2(c)(1)(B)).
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Limited Refund Scope: Refunds are not required if the cancellation or delay is caused by forces or persons that are uncontrollable by Amtrak (Section 2(b)(1)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Low Income Households+3Good For Middle Class Households+3Good For Urban Residents+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+7Reduces Government Spending-2
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Public Transit+5
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+2
- 3/11/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 1/29/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
- 1/28/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Brian FitzpatrickRepublican · Pennsylvania
Thomas KeanRepublican · New Jersey