I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6347 
To make certain entities ineligible to contract with any agency or instrumen-
tality of a State or local government for any high-speed rail project 
that is funded, either partially or fully, by the Federal Government. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 29, 2010 
Mr. KLEIN of Florida (for himself and Mr. DEUTCH) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure 
A BILL 
To make certain entities ineligible to contract with any agen-
cy or instrumentality of a State or local government 
for any high-speed rail project that is funded, either 
partially or fully, by the Federal Government. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Holocaust Account-
ability and Corporate Responsibility Act of 2010’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
The Congress finds the following: 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:16 Oct 13, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6347.IH
H6347
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS
(1) Substantial Federal funding, including 
roughly $8 billion through the American Recovery 
and Reinvestment Act (Public Law 111–5), has been 
or will be awarded to various States to make high- 
speed rail in the United States a reality. Significant 
additional Federal funding for high-speed rail is an-
ticipated in the coming years. 
(2) Design, engineering, construction, oper-
ation, and maintenance of the rail lines, among 
other responsibilities, will be provided by any num-
ber of entities following competitive bidding proc-
esses at the various State levels. 
(3) High-speed rail offers tremendous economic, 
environmental, and other benefits. Specifically, high- 
speed rail will reduce travel time between population 
centers, remove millions of tons of carbon and other 
greenhouse gasses from the atmosphere, and provide 
jobs in engineering, construction, operations, mainte-
nance, and other areas. 
(4) Given the substantial amount of Federal 
funds involved, it is critical that proper due diligence 
be performed on prospective bidders and it is imper-
ative that companies receiving such Federal funds 
represent our shared commitment to human rights, 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:16 Oct 13, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6347.IH
H6347
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS
respect, decency, and corporate ethics and responsi-
bility. 
(5) Certain entities that have expressed an in-
terest in competing for high-speed rail grants in a 
number of States have engaged in conduct which re-
quires public disclosures and scrutiny. 
(6) Between March 1942 and August 1944, 
75,000 Jews and thousands of other ‘‘undesirables’’ 
were deported from France to extermination and 
death camps on trains operated for profit by certain 
companies that have expressed an intent to compete 
for contracts relating to high-speed rail projects. 
United States airmen who were shot down over 
France were among the persons deported on these 
trains to those extermination and death camps such 
as Auschwitz and Buchenwald. 
(7) Tragically, the victims who were on these 
trains, many of whom now reside in the United 
States, and their families have yet to receive any 
measure of justice. Nonetheless, these victims and 
their families are facing the prospect that their Fed-
eral tax dollars may be awarded to a company re-
sponsible for transporting them and their loved ones 
to extermination and death camps for profit. 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:16 Oct 13, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6347.IH
H6347
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) DIRECT INVOLVEMENT.—The term ‘‘direct 
involvement’’ means ownership or operation of the 
trains on which individuals were deported to exter-
mination camps, death camps, or any facility used 
for the purpose of transiting individuals to extermi-
nation or death camps, during the period beginning 
on January 1, 1942, and ending on December 31, 
1944. 
(2) ENTITY.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘‘entity’’ 
means any corporation, affiliate, or other entity 
that controls, is controlled by or is under com-
mon control with, or that is a member of a 
partnership or a consortium with, an entity that 
certifies that it had any direct involvement de-
scribed in section 4(a). 
(B) PRESUMPTION OF CONTROL.—An enti-
ty shall be presumed to be in control of another 
corporation or entity if it directly or indirectly 
controls more than 50 percent of the voting se-
curities of the other corporation or entity. 
(C) 
EQUITY
INTEREST
BY
FOREIGN 
STATE.—Such term shall apply irrespective of 
whether or not any equity interest in the entity 
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:16 Oct 13, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6347.IH
H6347
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS
is or was owned by a foreign state or govern-
ment, and if an equity interest in the entity is 
or was owned by such a foreign state, such 
term shall refer to the corporate entity itself 
and not to such foreign state. 
(3) PROPERTY.—The term ‘‘property’’ means 
any personal belongings owned or controlled by the 
victims of the deportations which may have been 
taken or confiscated in connection with the deporta-
tions, including jewelry, books, artifacts, precious 
metals, and currency. 
(4) RECORDS.—The term ‘‘records’’ includes 
any documents, correspondence, memoranda, re-
ceipts, invoices, presentations, audits, and any other 
related materials. 
(5) STATE.—The term ‘‘State’’ means each of 
the several States, the District of Columbia, and any 
commonwealth, territory, or possession of the United 
States. 
SEC. 4. CERTAIN ENTITIES INELIGIBLE FOR FEDERALLY 
FUNDED HIGH-SPEED RAIL CONTRACTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Any entity that applies for a con-
tract with any agency or instrumentality of a State or local 
government for any high-speed rail project (including the 
design, engineering, construction, manufacture, or oper-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:16 Oct 13, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6347.IH
H6347
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS
ation of a high-speed rail network or any components 
thereof) that is funded, either partially or fully, by the 
Federal Government shall certify to such agency, in ad-
vance of submitting a formal bid to such agency, whether 
or not such entity had any direct involvement in the depor-
tation of any individuals to extermination camps, death 
camps, or any facility used for the purpose of transiting 
individuals to extermination or death camps, during the 
period beginning on January 1, 1942, and ending on De-
cember 31, 1944. 
(b) DISCLOSURES.—If an entity certifies that it had 
any direct involvement described in subsection (a), the en-
tity shall certify and disclose to the agency or instrumen-
tality of a State or local government the following: 
(1) Whether the entity has any records related 
to the deportations in its possession, custody, or con-
trol. If an entity acknowledges that it has any such 
records, it shall describe in detail the full contents 
of such records and the specific locations where such 
records are maintained. 
(2) Whether the entity has any property taken 
or confiscated in connection with such deportations 
in its possession, custody or control. If an entity ac-
knowledges that it has any such property, it must 
describe in detail the specific property in its posses-
VerDate Mar 15 2010 
22:16 Oct 13, 2010
Jkt 099200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H6347.IH
H6347
emcdonald on DSK2BSOYB1PROD with BILLS