Bill · S. 174· Senate(119-S-174)
Amtrak Transparency Act
- Introduced
- 1/21/2025
- Last activity
- 1/21/2025 — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Sponsored by
- Deb Fischer
- Cosponsors
- None
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Amtrak Transparency Act aims to improve the transparency of Amtrak operations. This bill proposes changes to how the Board of Directors conducts its meetings by requiring advance notice and public agendas. It also mandates that the Board hold annual meetings with representatives from various States. Additionally, the act requires the public disclosure of discretionary bonuses paid to certain employees. Finally, it establishes rules for disclosing specific vendor agreements to States.
Yes· 3 of 5
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?+7
The bill mandates public posting of meeting agendas, disclosure of discretionary bonuses, and transparency of vendor agreements.
Does this improve buses, trains and other public transport?+3
The bill improves oversight and transparency for Amtrak, which manages passenger rail services.
Would people in cities be better off under this?+2
Improved oversight of Amtrak can lead to better service management for those relying on rail transit.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Increased Board Accountability: The Board must post a meeting announcement and an anticipated agenda on a publicly accessible website at least 30 days before any meeting occurs (Section 2).
-
Improved State Coordination: The Board is required to convene a meeting at least once a year with the head of the Department of Transportation for every State that has a long-distance or State-supported route (Section 2).
-
Financial Transparency of Leadership: Amtrak will be required to publicly disclose the amount of every discretionary bonus paid to any officer or non-bargaining unit employee (Section 3).
-
State Oversight of Vendor Contracts: Amtrak must disclose vendor agreements valued at $250,000 or more for services related to State-supported routes upon request from a State or its committee (Section 4).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No specific negative impacts are explicitly stated within the text of the bill.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Improves Government Transparency+7
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Good For Urban Residents+2Good For Low Income Households+1
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Improves Public Transit+3
- Economy And Finance
- Improves Consumer Protection+2
- 1/21/2025
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
- Introduced in Senate