In the Senate of the United States,
August 18, 1994.
Resolved, That the bill from the House of Representa-
tives (H.R. 4867) entitled ‘‘An Act to authorize appropria-
tions for high-speed rail transportation, and for other pur-
poses’’, do pass with the following
AMENDMENTS:
Strike out all after the enacting clause and insert:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘High-Speed Ground
Transportation Development Act of 1994’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS; PURPOSE.
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds that—
(1) high-speed rail offers safe and transportation
in certain densely traveled corridors linking major
metropolitan areas in the United States;
(2) high-speed rail may have environmental ad-
vantages over certain other forms of intercity trans-
portation;
(3) Amtrak’s Metroliner service between Wash-
ington, District of Columbia, and New York, New
York, the United States premier high-speed rail serv-
ice, has shown that Americans will use high-speed
rail when that transportation option is available;
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(4) new high-speed rail service should not receive
Federal subsidies for operating and maintenance ex-
penses;
(5) State and local governments should take the
prime responsibility for the development and imple-
mentation of high-speed rail service;
(6) the private sector should participate in fund-
ing the development of high-speed rail systems;
(7) in some intercity corridors, Federal planning
assistance may be required to supplement the funding
commitments of State and local governments and the
private sector to ensure the adequate planning, in-
cluding reasonable estimates of the costs and benefits,
of high-speed rail systems;
(8) improvement of existing technologies can fa-
cilitate the development of high-speed rail systems in
the United States; and
(9) Federal assistance is required for the im-
provement, adaptation, and integration of tech-
nologies for commercial application in high-speed rail
service in the United States.
(b) PURPOSE.—The purpose of this Act is to encourage
far-sighted State, local, and private efforts in the analysis
and planning for high-speed rail systems in appropriate
intercity travel corridors.
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SEC. 3. NATIONAL HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE PRO-
GRAM.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part C of subtitle IV of title 49,
United States Code (relating to passenger transportation),
is amended by adding at the end the following new chapter:
‘‘CHAPTER 251—HIGH-SPEED RAIL ASSISTANCE
‘‘§ 25101. Corridor planning
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may provide finan-
cial assistance to an applicant, based upon the criteria set
forth in subsection (d) of this section, to fund corridor plan-
ning under subsection (b)(1) of this section.
(b) ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES.—
‘‘(1) A corridor planning activity is eligible for
financial assistance under subsection (c) if the Sec-
retary determines that it is necessary to establish ap-
propriate engineering, operational, financial, envi-
ronmental, or socioeconomic projections for the estab-
lishment of high-speed rail service in the corridor and
that it leads toward development of a prudent finan-
cial and institution plan for implementation of spe-
cific high-speed rail improvements. Eligible corridor
planning activities include—
‘‘(A) environmental assessments;
‘‘(B) feasibility studies emphasizing com-
mercial technology improvements or applica-
tions;
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‘‘(C) Economic analyses, including rider-
ship, revenue and operating expense forecasting;
‘‘(D) assessing the impact on rail employ-
ment of developing high-speed rail corridors;
‘‘(E) assessing community economic im-
pacts;
‘‘(F) interface with State and metropolitan
area transportation planning and corridor plan-
ning with other States;
‘‘(G) operational planning;
‘‘(H) route selection analyses;
‘‘(I) preliminary engineering and design;
‘‘(J) identification of specific improvements
to a corridor, including electrification, line
straightening, grade crossing closings, and other
right-of-way improvements, bridge rehabilitation
and replacement, use of advanced locomotives
and rolling stock, ticketing, interface with other
modes of transportation, parking and other
means of passenger access, track, signal, station
and other capital works, and use of intermodal
terminals;
‘‘(K) preparation of financing plans and
prospectuses; and
‘‘(L) creation of public/private partnerships.
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‘‘(2) No financial assistance shall be provided
under this section for corridor planning with respect
to the main line of the Northeast Corridor, between
Washington, District of Columbia, and Boston, Mas-
sachusetts.
‘‘(c) CORRIDOR PLANNING ASSISTANCE.—
‘‘(1) The Secretary may provide under this sub-
section financial assistance to an applicant for cor-
ridor planning for up to 50 percent of the publicly fi-
nanced costs associated with eligible activities.
‘‘(2) No less than 20 percent of publicly financed
costs associated with eligible activities shall come
from State and local sources, which State and local
sources cannot include funds from any Federal pro-
gram.
‘‘(d) CRITERIA FOR DETERMINING FINANCIAL ASSIST-
ANCE.—Selection by the Secretary of applicants for finan-
cial assistance under this section shall be based on such cri-
teria as the Secretary considers appropriate, including—
‘‘(A) the relationship or inclusion of the corridor
in the Secretary’s national high-speed ground trans-
portation policy;
‘‘(B) the extent to which the proposed planning
focuses on systems which will achieve sustained speeds
of 125 miles per hour or greater;
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‘‘(C) the integration of the corridor into metro-
politan area and Statewide transportation planning;
‘‘(D) the potential interconnection of the corridor
with other parts of the Nation’s transportation sys-
tem, including the interconnection with other coun-
tries;
‘‘(E) the anticipated effect of the corridor on the
congestion of other modes of transportation;
‘‘(F) whether the work to be funded will aid the
efforts of State and local governments to comply with
the Clean Air Act;
‘‘(G) the past and proposed financial commit-
ments and other support of State and local govern-
ments and the private sector to the proposed high-
speed rail program, including the acquisition of roll-
ing stock;
‘‘(H) the estimated level of ridership;
‘‘(I) the estimated capital cost of corridor im-
provements, including the cost of closing, improving,
or separating highway-rail grade crossing;
‘‘(J) rail transportation employment impacts;
‘‘(K) community economic impacts;
‘‘(L) the extent to which the projected revenues of
the high-speed rail service to be planned, along with
any financial commitments of State or local govern-
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ments and the private sector, are expected to cover
capital costs and operating and maintenance ex-
penses; and
‘‘(M) whether a route has been selected, specific
improvements identified, and capacity studies com-
pleted.
‘‘§ 25102. High-speed rail technology improvements
‘‘(a) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary is authorized to un-
dertake activities for the improvement, adaptation, and in-
tegration of technologies for commercial application in
high-speed rail service in the United States.
‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENTS.—In carrying out activi-
ties authorized in subsection (a), the Secretary may provide
financial assistance to any United States private business,
educational institution located in the United States, State
or local government or public authority, or agency or the
Federal Government.
‘‘(c) CONSULTATION WITH OTHER AGENCIES.—In
carrying out activities authorized in subsection (a), the Sec-
retary shall consult with such other governmental agencies
as may be necessary concerning the availability of appro-
priate technologies for commercial application in high-
speed rail service in the United States.
‘‘§ 25103. Definitions.
‘‘For purposes of this chapter—
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‘‘(1) the term ‘applicant’ means a public agency,
or a group of such public agencies, seeking financial
assistance under this title;
‘‘(2) the term ‘financial assistance’ includes
grants, contracts, and cooperative agreements;
‘‘(3) the term ‘high-speed rail’ means rail pas-
senger transportation expected to reach and maintain
speeds of 125 miles per hour or greater;
‘‘(4) the term ‘publicly funded costs’ means the
costs funded after April 29, 1993, by Federal, State,
and local governments;
‘‘(5) the term ‘State’’ means any of the several
States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the
Northern Mariana Islands, the Virgin Islands, Guam,
American Samoa, and any other territory or posses-
sion of the United States;
‘‘(6) the term ‘United States private business’
means a business entity organized under the laws of
the United States, or of a State, and conducting sub-
stantial business operations in the United States.
‘‘§ 25104. Safety regulations
‘‘The Secretary shall promulgate such safety regula-
tions as may be necessary for high-speed rail services.’’.
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SEC. 4. COLUMBUS AND GREENVILLE RAILWAY.
(a) REDEMPTION OF OUTSTANDING OBLIGATIONS AND
LIABILITIES.—Notwithstanding any other provision of law,
the Secretary of Transportation, or the Secretary of the
Treasury, if a holder of any of the obligations, shall allow
the Delta Transportation Company, doing business as the
Columbus & Greenville Railway, to redeem the obligations
and liabilities of such company which remain outstanding
under sections 505 and 511 of the Railroad Revitalization
and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976 (45 U.S.C. 825 and
831, respectively).
(b) VALUE.—For purposes of subsection (a), the value
of each of the obligations and liabilities shall be an amount
equal to the value established under the Federal Credit Re-
form Act of 1990 (2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.).
SEC. 5. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.
(a) AUTHORIZATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 1995.—There
is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Trans-
portation $29,000,000 for financial assistance authorized
under sections 25101 and 25102 of title 49, United States
Code.
(b) AUTHORIZATION FOR FISCAL YEAR 1996.—There
is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary—
(1) $40,000,000 for financial assistance author-
ized under section 25101 of title 49, United States
Code; and
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(2) $30,000,000 for financial assistance author-
ized under section 25102 of title 49, United States
Code.
(c) AUTHORIZATIONS FOR FISCAL YEAR 1997.—There
is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of Trans-
portation—
(1) $40,000,000 for financial assistance author-
ized under section 25101 of title 49, United States
Code; and
(2) $30,000,000 for financial assistance author-
ized under section 25102 of title 49, United States
Code.
(d) ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES OF SECRETARY.—Of
the amounts authorized to be appropriated under sub-
sections (a), (b) and (c), the Secretary of Transportation
may reserve the funds necessary for payment of the admin-
istrative expenses incurred by the Secretary in carrying out
the Secretary’s responsibilities under chapter 251 of title
49, United States Code.
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(e) FUNDS
TO REMAIN AVAILABLE.—Funds made
available under this section shall remain available until ex-
pended.
Amend the title so as to read: ‘‘An Act to authorize
appropriations for high-speed ground transportation, and
for other purposes.’’.
Attest:
Secretary.