I 

119TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 188 

To require that the Amtrak Board of Directors comply with the open meetings 

requirements of section 552b of title 5, United States Code, and for 

other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2025 

Mr. NEHLS (for himself and Mr. GRAVES) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 

A BILL 

To require that the Amtrak Board of Directors comply with 

the open meetings requirements of section 552b of title 

5, United States Code, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Amtrak Transparency 

5 and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. OPEN MEETINGS. 

7 Section 24301(e) of title 49, United States Code, is 

8 amended— 


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1 (1) by striking ‘‘Section 552 of title 5, this 

2 part’’ and inserting the following: 

3 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in para4 graph (3), sections 552 and 552b of title 5, this 

5 part’’; 

6 (2) in the second sentence by striking ‘‘Section 

7 552 of title 5, United States Code, applies’’ and in8 serting the following: 

9 ‘‘(2) TIMING OF APPLICATION.—Except as pro10 vided in paragraph (3), sections 552 and 552b of 

11 title 5 apply’’; and 

12 (3) by adding at the end the following: 

13 ‘‘(3) SCOPE OF APPLICATION.— 

14 ‘‘(A) INFORMATION.—The requirements of 

15 the second sentence of section 552b(b) of title 

16 5 shall not apply to any portion of an Amtrak 

17 meeting and subsections (d) and (e) of section 

18 552b of title 5 shall not apply to any informa19 tion pertaining to any portion of an Amtrak 

20 meeting otherwise required by section 552b of 

21 title 5 to be disclosed to the public in any case 

22 in which Amtrak properly determines that such 

23 portion or portions of the meeting or the disclo24 sure of such information is likely to involve— 


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1 ‘‘(i) contract negotiations, including 

2 negotiations for contract procurements and 

3 agreements, the disclosure of which would 

4 imperil or compromise the competitive po5 sition of Amtrak; 

6 ‘‘(ii) collective bargaining agreements 

7 or any terms and conditions that are pro8 posed for inclusion in any collective bar9 gaining agreement, including the negotia10 tion of terms and conditions with employ11 ees or representatives of employees of Am12 trak; and 

13 ‘‘(iii) with respect to any individual 

14 who is a prospective officer, employee, or 

15 contractor or an officer, employee, or con16 tractor employed or appointed by Amtrak, 

17 matters involving the employment, appoint18 ment, termination of employment, terms 

19 and conditions of employment, evaluation 

20 of the performance of, promotion or dis21 ciplining of any such individual, unless all 

22 such individuals whose rights could be ad23 versely affected request in writing that the 

24 matter or matters be discussed at a public 

25 meeting. 


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1 ‘‘(B) ADDITIONAL APPLICATION.—In addi2 tion to the information described in subpara3 graph (B), the information described in section 

4 552b(c) shall apply to Amtrak meetings.’’. 

Æ 


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