Metro Accountability and Investment Act
Bill: H.R.694 | Sponsor: Rep. Connolly, Gerald E. (D-VA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Metro Accountability and Investment Act
This bill reauthorizes for FY2022-FY2031 authority for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to finance in part the capital and preventive maintenance projects included in its Capital Improvement Program.
It conditions the availability of funds, in part, on the WMATA Board of Directors certifying to DOT that it has adopted and will keep certain resolutions in effect for the entire funding period, including (1) establishing an independent budget authority, procurement authority, and hiring authority for its Office of the General Inspector; (2) ensuring its Inspector General (IG) can obtain legal advice from a counsel reporting directly to the IG; (3) requiring the IG to submit recommendations for corrective action to the General Manager and the Board of Directors of WMATA; (4) requiring the IG to publish such recommendations on its website; (5) requiring the WMATA Board of Directors to provide written notification to Congress at least 30 days in advance of the removal of an IG; and (6) prohibiting the WMATA Board of Directors from removing its Inspector General without a 30-day written notification that documents specific reasons for removal, including an abuse of authority.

To amend the Passenger Rail Investment Improvement Act of 2008 to 
 prohibit certain funding to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
  Authority until certain conditions are met, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Metro Accountability and Investment 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REAUTHORIZATION FOR CAPITAL AND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE PROJECTS 
              FOR WASHINGTON METROPOLITAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY.

    Section 601 of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 
2008 (Public Law 110-432) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b) by striking ``The Federal'' and 
        inserting ``Except as provided in subsection (f)(2), the 
        Federal'';
            (2) by striking subsections (d) through (f) and inserting 
        the following:
    ``(d) Required Board Approval.--No amounts may be provided to the 
Transit Authority under this section until the Transit Authority 
certifies to the Secretary of Transportation that--
            ``(1) a board resolution has passed on or before July 1, 
        2021, and is in effect for the period of July 1, 2022, through 
        June 30, 2031, that--
                    ``(A) establishes an independent budget authority 
                for the Office of Inspector General of the Transit 
                Authority;
                    ``(B) establishes an independent procurement 
                authority for the Office of Inspector General of the 
                Transit Authority;
                    ``(C) establishes an independent hiring authority 
                for the Office of Inspector General of the Transit 
                Authority;
                    ``(D) ensures the Inspector General of the Transit 
                Authority can obtain legal advice from a counsel 
                reporting directly to the Inspector General;
                    ``(E) requires the Inspector General of the Transit 
                Authority to submit recommendations for corrective 
                action to the General Manager and the Board of 
                Directors of the Transit Authority;
                    ``(F) requires the Inspector General of the Transit 
                Authority to publish any recommendation described in 
                subparagraph (E) on the website of the Office of 
                Inspector General of the Transit Authority, except that 
                the Inspector General may redact personally 
                identifiable information and information that, in the 
                determination of the Inspector General, would pose a 
                security risk to the systems of the Transit Authority;
                    ``(G) requires the Board of Directors of the 
                Transit Authority to provide written notice to the 
                Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the 
                House of Representatives and the Committee on Banking, 
                Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate not less than 
                30 days before the Board of Directors removes the 
                Inspector General of the Transit Authority, which shall 
                include the reasons for removal and supporting 
                documentation; and
                    ``(H) prohibits the Board of Directors from 
                removing the Inspector General of the Transit Authority 
                unless the Board of Directors has provided a 30-day 
                written notification as described in subparagraph (G) 
                that documents--
                            ``(i) a permanent incapacity;
                            ``(ii) a neglect of duty;
                            ``(iii) malfeasance;
                            ``(iv) a conviction of a felony or conduct 
                        involving moral turpitude;
                            ``(v) a knowing violation of a law or 
                        regulation;
                            ``(vi) gross mismanagement;
                            ``(vii) a gross waste of funds;
                            ``(viii) an abuse of authority; or
                            ``(ix) inefficiency; and
            ``(2) the Code of Ethics for Members of the WMATA Board of 
        Directors passed on September 26, 2019, remains in effect, or 
        the Inspector General of the Transit Authority has been 
        consulted on any modifications to the Code of Ethics by the 
        Board.
    ``(e) Authorizations.--
            ``(1) In general.--There are authorized to be appropriated 
        to the Secretary of Transportation for grants under this 
        section--
                    ``(A) for fiscal year 2022, $150,000,000;
                    ``(B) for fiscal year 2023, $155,000,000;
                    ``(C) for fiscal year 2024, $160,000,000;
                    ``(D) for fiscal year 2025, $165,000,000;
                    ``(E) for fiscal year 2026, $170,000,000;
                    ``(F) for fiscal year 2027, $175,000,000;
                    ``(G) for fiscal year 2028, $180,000,000;
                    ``(H) for fiscal year 2029, $185,000,000;
                    ``(I) for fiscal year 2030, $190,000,000; and
                    ``(J) for fiscal year 2031, $200,000,000.
            ``(2) Set aside for office of inspector general of transit 
        authority.--From the amounts in paragraph (1), the Transit 
        Authority shall provide at least 7 percent for each fiscal year 
        to the Office of Inspector General of the Transit Authority to 
        carry out independent and objective audits, investigations, and 
        reviews of Transit Authority programs and operations to promote 
        economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, and to prevent and 
        detect fraud, waste, and abuse in such programs and 
        operations.''; and
            (3) by redesignating subsection (g) as subsection (f).
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