s 1516 bill

[Daniel]

When is this bill going to be voted on? If it passes, what would happen to the 1.45 billion that was passed a few days ago?

 

[daveyb99]

The report from the hearing is out.

check it out by searching for S1516 at

Thomas Search

 

[MontanaJim]

is either crossing better than on the EB through Glacier Park?

 

[Trogdor]

When is this bill going to be voted on? If it passes, what would happen to the 1.45 billion that was passed a few days ago?

Supposedly, S.1516 could be up for a vote very soon. However, with the Senate (or House), it's hard to say exactly when something will come up for a vote. Something might happen in the mean time that causes them to wait a while, or maybe not.

If S.1516 passes, it then has to go to the House, and if it passes, then it has to be signed into law.

Even if that happens, nothing will happen to the $1.45 billion that the Senate approved last week (and even that still has to go to a conference committee with the House, and the actual final figure may wind up being lower than the $1.45 billion the Senate approved, and once the House and Senate agree on a figure, and it goes back to the full House and full Senate for final approval, it still has to be signed into law).

S.1516 is an authorization bill. Authorizations bring no money with them. The $1.45b (or more likely a bit less) is an appropriation. The appropriation is where the actual money comes from. However, it's (theoretically) easier to get money appropriated when there's an authorization.

However, authorization is not a guarantee of appropriation, and lack of authorization isn't a guarantee that there won't be an appropriation. In fact, Amtrak has been operating for about three years now without any authorizing legislation. On the other hand, from 1997-2002, during the term of the ARAA, congress had authorized $5 billion in subsidies to Amtrak, but only appropriated half that much.

Therefore, even if S1516 passes and becomes law, we're still not out of the woods.

 

[Tom]

Why does the bill have an act for studying just the resurrection of the Pioneer and no other train? Why no other new corridors instead?

 

[Sam Damon]

A consultant is in someone's pocket.

Seriously, who knows?

 

[sechs]

Politics.

You study to have my train brought back, I'll let your train run next year.

 

[Daniel]

If this bill passed Congress and LD trains were cut, where would the money go? If this bill passed, would it prevent LD trains from getting cut?

 

[Tom]

The bill has a clause that says if the OTP of a train is affected by freight interferance, the FRA will enforce strict penalties on the freight RR. Do you guys think that this would force freight RRs to give Amtrak priority for the first time so Amtrak trains will run mostly without delay? Would this clause work? Could this bill change passenger rail forever? Comments please!

 

[PRR 60]

...On the other hand, from 1997-2002, during the term of the ARAA, congress had authorized $5 billion in subsidies to Amtrak, but only appropriated half that much.

Amtrak during the period of 1997-2002 received the full amount promised: about half by direct appropriation and the remainder through the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997 that refunded to Amtrak taxes that were paid by the predecessor railroads: kind of a financial slight-of-hand. Amtrak, through those two means, received the full ARAA authorization for that period.

 

[Daniel]

Is there any news on when this is going to get voted on? Where can I find out? How come there isn't more fanfare for this bill? I mean 1.8 b/year for over 6 years should make Amtrak fans ecstatic. Would there be enough money to start new routes as well?

 

[Tom]

Any update on when this bill is voted on? I thought it would be after Thanksgiving.