I 
116TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 7681 
To establish the Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund to ensure a safe, 
sustainable, convenient transportation option for the people of the United 
States, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JULY 20, 2020 
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself, Mr. LAWSON of Florida, Mr. 
SCHNEIDER, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, and Mr. RUSH) introduced the following 
bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infra-
structure, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a 
period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To establish the Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund to 
ensure a safe, sustainable, convenient transportation op-
tion for the people of the United States, and for other 
purposes. 
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 ‘‘Intercity Passenger 
Rail Trust Fund Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) An effective transportation system for the 
Nation requires dedicated, predictable Federal fund-
ing for various capital and operating expenses, as 
demonstrated by the Highway Trust Fund, which 
supports all Federal highway programs, most public 
transit programs, and many Federal transportation 
safety programs. 
(2) Intercity passenger rail is the only surface 
transportation mode in the United States that— 
(A) does not receive any Federal funding 
through a trust fund for capital investment; 
and 
(B) is completely dependent on annual dis-
cretionary appropriations for both its capital ex-
penses and its operating costs. 
(3) In fiscal year 2019, Amtrak experienced 
record ridership, a historic low-operating loss, and a 
record capital spend rate. 
(4) In markets with sufficient infrastructure 
and train frequency, Amtrak has proven to be an ef-
fective mode of transportation when compared to 
commercial air and bus service and private auto-
mobile use. 
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(5) Intercity passenger rail offers substantial 
safety, energy, and environmental advantages over 
most other transportation modes, but decades of in-
sufficient capital funding has drastically limited the 
role that intercity passenger rail can play in the Na-
tion’s overall transportation network. 
(6) There are critical capital needs on both the 
Northeast Corridor and the National Network, in-
cluding infrastructure, fleet, stations and facilities. 
(7) Adding to the urgency of all these needs, 
due to changing demographics, population growth, 
urbanization, and changing travel trends, intercity 
passenger rail will be needed to help move our Na-
tion into the future. 
(8) For these reasons, an Intercity Passenger 
Rail Trust Fund is needed now, more than ever, to 
ensure a safe, sustainable, convenient transportation 
option for the people of the United States. 
SEC. 3. INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL TRUST FUND. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at 
the end the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 9512. INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL TRUST FUND. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—There is established in the 
Treasury a fund to be known as the ‘Intercity Passenger 
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Rail Trust Fund’, consisting of such amounts as may be 
appropriated or credited to the fund as provided in this 
section. 
‘‘(b) TRANSFER
TO INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL 
TRUST FUND.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—There is hereby appro-
priated to the Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund 
for fiscal year 2021, and for each fiscal year there-
after, an amount equal to 50 percent of the average 
annual amounts appropriated to the Highway Trust 
Fund under section 9503 for fiscal years 2008 
through 2020. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORIZATION
OF
APPROPRIATION
OF 
ADDITIONAL SUMS.—There are hereby authorized to 
be appropriated to the Intercity Passenger Rail 
Trust Fund such additional sums as may be re-
quired to make the expenditures referred to in sub-
section (c). 
‘‘(c) EXPENDITURES FROM
THE INTERCITY PAS-
SENGER RAIL TRUST FUND.—Amounts in the Intercity 
Passenger Rail Trust Fund shall be available for obliga-
tion without further appropriations action for making ex-
penditures to carry out section 24314 of title 49.’’. 
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(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for subchapter A of chapter 98 of such Code is amended 
by adding at the end the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 9512. Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund.’’ 
SEC. 4. INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL TRUST FUND EXPEND-
ITURES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 243 of title 49, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after section 24313 
the following: 
‘‘SEC. 24314. INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL TRUST FUND EX-
PENDITURES. 
‘‘(a) EXPENDITURES FROM
THE INTERCITY PAS-
SENGER RAIL TRUST FUND.—Amounts deposited into the 
Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund each fiscal year pur-
suant to section 9512(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986 shall be available for obligation, without further ap-
propriation, consistent with the ratios set forth in sub-
section (b). Amounts made available under this section 
shall remain available until expended. 
‘‘(b) INTERCITY PASSENGER RAIL TRUST FUND EX-
PENDITURE RATIOS.—The Secretary may use amounts 
deposited into the Intercity Passenger Rail Trust Fund 
each fiscal year to award grants to Amtrak, in accordance 
with the process described in section 24319. Of the grant 
funds awarded pursuant to this subsection— 
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