I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3851 
To provide for the competitive operation of the Northeast rail corridor using 
State and private sector initiatives. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 21, 2005 
Mr. MICA (for himself and Mr. WESTMORELAND) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To provide for the competitive operation of the Northeast 
rail corridor using State and private sector initiatives. 
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 ‘‘Systemic Passenger 
Infrastructure and Network Overhaul through Financial 
Freedom Act’’. 
SEC. 2. INTERIM DIRECTED SERVICE. 
(a) TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP.—Effective on the 
date of the enactment of this Act— 
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(1) title to all property of the National Railroad 
Passenger Corporation necessary for the operation 
of the main line of the Northeast Corridor between 
the District of Columbia and Boston, Massachusetts, 
shall transfer to the Secretary of Transportation; 
and 
(2) the note and mortgage described in section 
24907 of title 49, United States Code, is canceled, 
in consideration for the transfer described in para-
graph (1). 
(b) INTERIM OPERATIONS.—The Secretary of Trans-
portation shall ensure the continuation of maintenance 
and dispatching of service on the main line of the North-
east Corridor between the District of Columbia and Bos-
ton, Massachusetts, until directed service is initiated 
under subsection (c). The Secretary is authorized to use 
personnel of the National Railroad Passenger Corporation 
to carry out this subsection. 
(c) DIRECTED SERVICE.—Not later than 3 months 
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
of Transportation shall complete a competitive selection 
of an entity or entities to maintain and dispatch service 
on the main line of the Northeast Corridor between the 
District of Columbia and Boston, Massachusetts, and shall 
take such actions as are necessary to initiate and maintain 
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such directed service until the disposition of such oper-
ations pursuant to section 3, and for such additional time 
as is necessary to ensure the orderly transition of oper-
ations under those sections. In carrying out this sub-
section, the Secretary and any entity or entities selected 
by the Secretary shall have the powers and authorities, 
including access rights, of the National Railroad Pas-
senger Corporation with respect to the service involved. 
SEC. 3. NORTHEAST CORRIDOR. 
(a) COMPTROLLER GENERAL ANALYSIS.—Not later 
than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Comptroller General shall transmit to the Secretary 
of Transportation a report analyzing the capital require-
ments needed to ensure that the Northeast Corridor can 
be operated in a financially viable manner. 
(b) DETERMINATION
OF
APPROPRIATE
DISPOSI-
TION.—Not later than 2 years after the date of the enact-
ment of this Act, the Secretary, after considering the pros-
pects of financial viability, including capital requirements 
as reported under subsection (a) and proposed financing 
options, shall determine which of the following options is 
most appropriate for the disposition of the operations (and 
all necessary supporting property) described in section 
2(b) and (c) with respect to the Northeast Corridor: 
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(1) Transfer of such operations to an interstate 
compact, entered into under section 410 of the Am-
trak Reform and Accountability Act of 1997, con-
sisting of the States of the Northeast Corridor. 
(2) Transfer of such operations to a new quasi- 
governmental corporation or to a private sector cor-
poration. 
(3) Retention of ownership by the Secretary of 
Transportation, with competitive franchising, by 1 
or more entities, of the management and dispatching 
of service. 
The Secretary shall transmit to the Congress a report on 
the determination made under this subsection. 
(c) IMPLEMENTATION.—Not later than 6 months 
after a determination is made under subsection (b), the 
Secretary shall implement the appropriate disposition as 
so determined. 
SEC. 4. FUNDING. 
(a) RETENTION
OF AMOUNTS.—The Secretary of 
Transportation shall retain all amounts appropriated by 
the Federal Government for fiscal year 2006 for the Na-
tional Railroad Passenger Corporation that have not been 
provided to the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, 
and such amounts shall be available to the Secretary for 
carrying out this Act. 
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(b) TRANSFER OF AMOUNTS.—The National Rail-
road Passenger Corporation shall transfer to the Secretary 
of Transportation all amounts appropriated by the Fed-
eral Government for fiscal year 2006 and provided to the 
National Railroad Passenger Corporation, and such 
amounts shall be available to the Secretary for carrying 
out this Act. 
SEC. 5. NONAPPLICABILITY OF PROVISION. 
A local governmental authority (as defined in section 
5302(a)(6) of title 49, United States Code) shall not be 
subject to any obligation under any arrangement pursuant 
to section 5333(b) of title 49, United States Code, with 
respect to employees of the National Railroad Passenger 
Corporation providing services to such authority pursuant 
to a contract between the authority and the National Rail-
road Passenger Corporation. 
Æ 
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