RAIL VEHICLES ACCESS ADVISORY COMMITTEE

1. PURPOSE: This charter establishes the “Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee” 

(Committee) for the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access 

Board) in accordance with the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), as amended, 5 

U.S.C. App. 2. 

2. AUTHORITY: The establishment of the Committee is in the public interest and 

supports the Access Board in performing its duties and responsibilities under Section 

504 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), 42 U.S.C. 12204, and Section 502 of the 

Rehabilitation Act, 29 US.C. 792, which requires the Board to establish and maintain 

accessibility guidelines for transportation vehicles subject to the ADA.

3. SPONSOR AND OFFICE SUPPORT: The Committee shall report to the Access Board as 

its sponsor. Support services shall be provided or arranged by the Access Board.

4. SCOPE AND OBJECTIVES: The Access Board issued accessibility guidelines for 

transportation vehicles in 1991 and amended the guidelines in 1998 to include 

additional requirements for over-the-road buses (i.e., buses characterized by an 

elevated passenger deck located over a baggage compartment). 56 FR 45530, 

September 6, 1991; 63 FR 51694, September 28, 1998. The Access Board’s 

transportation vehicle guidelines are codified at 36 CFR part 1192. The guidelines apply 

to the acquisition of new, used, and remanufactured transportation vehicles, and the 

remanufacture of existing transportation vehicles to the extent required by regulations 

issued by the Department of Transportation. The portion addressing transportation 

vehicles using fixed guideway systems (e.g., rapid rail, light rail, commuter rail, and 

intercity rail) has not been revised or updated since 1991. The Committee shall advise 

the Access Board on matters related to the revision and update of the guidelines 

addressing transportation vehicles using fixed guideway systems subject to the ADA. 

The Committee shall act solely in an advisory capacity to the Access Board and shall 

neither exercise any program management responsibility nor make decisions directly 

affecting the matters on which it provides advice.

5. DUTIES AND FUNCTIONS: Consistent with the scope and objectives described in 

paragraph 4 of this charter, the Committee is authorized to make recommendations to 

the Access Board on the rulemaking for revising and updating the portion of the 

guidelines which address transportation vehicles that use fixed guideway systems.
Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee Charter

Page 2

6. MEMBERSHIP: The membership will be balanced in terms of points of view 

represented, including manufacturers of transportation vehicles that use fixed guideway 

systems, transportation providers that operate fixed guideway systems, individuals with 

disabilities, and other interested parties. Representatives of each of these interests 

shall be selected by the Chairperson of the Access Board and appointed as Committee 

members for the duration of the Committee’s existence. Federal agencies may serve as 

ex-officio members on the committee.

7. SUBCOMMITTEES: The Committee, with the approval of the Designated Federal 

Officer (DFO), may form subcommittees for any purpose consistent with this charter. 

The subcommittees shall report to the Committee.

8. CHAIRPERSON: The Chairperson of the Committee shall be appointed by the 

Chairperson of the Access Board. The Chairperson of any subcommittees shall be 

appointed by the Chairperson of the Committee.

9. DESIGNATED FEDERAL OFFICER: A full time member of the Access Board staff will 

serve as the DFO. The DFO will approve all of the advisory committee’s and 

subcommittee’s meetings, prepare and approve all meeting agendas, attend all 

committee and subcommittee meetings, adjourn any meeting when the DFO 

determines adjournment to be in the public interest, and chair meetings when directed 

to do so by the Chairperson of the Access Board.

10. MEETINGS: Meetings shall be held as necessary at the call of the Chairperson of the 

Committee, with the approval of the DFO. Meetings shall be open to the public and 

timely notice of each meeting shall be published in the Federal Register. Meetings shall 

be conducted and records of the proceedings kept, as required by applicable laws and 

regulations.

11. RECORDKEEPING: The records of the committee, formally and informally 

established subcommittees, or other subgroups of the committee shall be handled in 

accordance with the General Records Schedule 26, Item 2 or other applicable Access 

Board records disposition schedules. These records shall be available for public 

inspection and copying, subject to the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552.

11. COMPENSATION OF MEMBERS: The Access Board will not compensate Committee 

members for their service. Committee members will be responsible for their own 

expenses for participation in the Committee, except that the Access Board may pay for a 

member’s reasonable travel expenses if the member certifies a lack of adequate 
Rail Vehicles Access Advisory Committee Charter

Page 3

financial resources to participate in the Committee and the Access Board determines 

that the member’s participation in the Committee is necessary to assure adequate 

representation of the various interests potentially affected by the accessibility 

guidelines.

12. ESTIMATED ANNUAL COSTS: The costs for the Committee, excluding the cost of 

Board staff, are estimated at $50,000. The estimated annual person years of staff 

support required is 0.08 at an estimated annual cost of $16,000.

13. DURATION: The Committee will terminate a maximum of two years from the date 

of filing this charter with the appropriate Committees of Congress, unless the 

Committee is renewed or terminated sooner.

January 9, 2013

Board Approval Date

March 18, 2013

Date Filed with Congress