WASHINGTON, D.C. —Today, Chairman Troy E. Nehls (R-TX-22) of the Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials announced his bill, The Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act, passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Chairman Nehls’ legislation would require Amtrak to be subject to the same requirements of the Government in Sunshine Act, also known as the Sunshine Act, as other federal agencies and government-sponsored style entities. The Sunshine Act requires meetings of certain federal agencies to be open to public observation. Under the Sunshine Act, there are ten exemptions to open meeting requirements.
While Amtrak is not deemed a federal agency, Amtrak is considered a government entity and receives funding from American taxpayers. Despite receiving funding from American taxpayers, meetings of the Amtrak Board of Directors (“the Board”) are often conducted without any opportunity for the American public or stakeholders to observe or comment.
The Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act would apply the requirements of the Sunshine Act to Amtrak. Chairman Nehls’ bill would require Amtrak to notify the public of the time, place, and location of pending meetings and allow for public observations unless closed under an exemption of the Sunshine Act. If a meeting is closed for observation, Amtrak would be required to produce a set of minutes providing a full and accurate summary of matters discussed and actions taken to the public.
“I’m proud to announce that my bill, The Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act, passed the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee,” said Chairman Nehls. “This common-sense legislation would allow the American people to have a say in how their taxpayer dollars are used in government-sponsored style entities like Amtrak. I would like to thank my colleagues for supporting my legislation and look forward to working to get this legislation across the finish line.”
