The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REPORTS HARMONIZATION ACT” mentioning the U.S. Dept. of Transportation was published in the House of Representatives section on pages H10516-H10517 on Dec. 21, 2018.
The Department handles nearly all infrastructure crisscrossing the country. Downsizing the Federal Government, a project aimed at lowering taxes and boosting federal efficiency, said the Department should be privatized to save money, reduce congestion and spur innovation.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REPORTS HARMONIZATION ACT
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill
(S. 3367) to amend certain transportation-related reporting requirements to improve congressional oversight, reduce reporting burdens, and promote transparency, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read the title of the bill.
The text of the bill is as follows
S. 3367
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 ``Department of Transportation Reports Harmonization Act''.
SEC. 2. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF CHARGES AND FEES FOR
ATTENDANCE AT UNITED STATES MERCHANT MARINE
ACADEMY.
Section 51314(b) of title 46, United States Code, is amended by striking ``shall notify Congress of'' and inserting ``shall present at the next meeting of the Board of Visitors, and post on a publicly available website,''.
SEC. 3. PUBLIC AVAILABILITY OF INFORMATION ON ALIGNING
FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEWS.
Section 310(f)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``, and make publicly available on the Department of Transportation website,'' after ``House of Representatives''.
SEC. 4. REPORTING ON THE NORTHEAST CORRIDOR.
(a) Northeast Corridor Safety Committee Report.--Section 24905(e) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by striking paragraph (3).
(b) Contents of Grant Requests.--
(1) In general.--Section 24319(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(A) in paragraph (2), by striking ``; and'' and inserting a semicolon;
(B) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(C) by adding at the end the following:
``(4) describe the status of efforts to improve safety and security on the Northeast Corridor main line, including a description of any efforts to implement recommendations of relevant railroad safety advisory committees.''.
(2) Rule of construction.--Nothing in this subsection or an amendment made by this subsection shall affect a grant request made under section 24319 of title 49, United States Code, before the date of enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. HIGHWAY SAFETY PROGRAMS REPORT TO CONGRESS.
(a) DOT Reports.--Section 402 of title 23, United States Code, is amended by striking subsection (n) and inserting the following:
``(n) Public Transparency.--The Secretary shall publicly release on its website information that contains each State's performance with respect to the State's highway safety plan under subsection (k) and performance targets set by the States in such plans. Such information shall be posted on the website within 45 calendar days of approval of a State's highway safety plan.''.
(b) GAO Report.--
(1) In general.--The Comptroller General of the United States shall conduct a review of the highway safety programs under section 402 of title 23, United States Code. In carrying out the review, the Comptroller General shall review States' progress in achieving safety performance targets, including how States are utilizing grants and problems encountered in achieving such targets.
(2) Submission.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit a report to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate and Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of Representatives that contains the results of the study conducted under paragraph (1), including any recommendations for improvements to State activities and the Secretary of Transportation's administration of the highway safety programs.
SEC. 6. CESSATION OF CERTAIN ADVISORY COUNCILS AND ADVISORY
COMMITTEES.
(a) Northeast Corridor Safety Committee.--Section 24905(e) of title 49, United States Code, as amended by this Act, is further amended by striking paragraph (2) and inserting the following:
``(2) Sunset.--The Committee established under this subsection ceases to exist on the date that the Secretary determines positive train control, as required by section 20157, is fully implemented along the Northeast Corridor.''.
(b) National Rail Cooperative Research Program Oversight Committee.--Section 24910(c) of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:
``(3) Sunset.--The advisory board established under this subsection ceases to exist effective January 1, 2019.''.
SEC. 7. TECHNICAL AMENDMENTS TO RAIL IMPROVEMENT GRANTS.
(a) Redesignation.--Subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating sections 24401 through 24408 as sections 22901 through 22908, respectively;
(2) by redesignating chapter 244 as chapter 229;
(3) by moving chapter 229, as redesignated, to appear at the end of part B;
(4) in the table of chapters--
(A) by striking the item relating to chapter 244; and
(B) by inserting after the item relating to chapter 227 the following:
``Chapter 229. Rail Improvement Grants....................22901'';....
and
(5) by amending the table of sections for chapter 229, as redesignated, to read as follows:
``CHAPTER 229--RAIL IMPROVEMENT GRANTS
``Sec.
``22901. Definitions.
``22902. Capital investment grants to support intercity passenger rail services.
``22903. Project management oversight.
``22904. Use of capital grants to finance first-dollar liability of grant project.
``22905. Grant conditions.
``22906. Authorization of appropriations.
``22907. Consolidated rail infrastructure and safety improvements.
``22908. Restoration and enhancement grants.''.
(b) Technical and Conforming Amendments.--
(1) Technical amendments.--Chapter 229 of title 49, United States Code, as redesignated, is amended--
(A) in section 22902, as redesignated--
(i) in subsection (c)(3)(A)--
(I) in the matter preceding clause (i), by inserting ``of'' after ``other modes''; and
(II) in clause (vi) by striking ``environmentally'' and inserting ``environmental''; and
(ii) in subsection (k), by striking ``state rail plan'' and inserting ``State rail plan''; and
(B) in section 22905(e)(1), as redesignated--
(i) by striking ``government authority'' and inserting
``governmental authority''; and
(ii) by striking ``section 5302(11) and (6), respectively, of this title'' and inserting ``section 5302''.
(2) Conforming amendments.--Chapter 229 of title 49, United States Code, as redesignated, is amended--
(A) in section 22901(2)(D), as redesignated, by striking
``24404'' and inserting ``22904'';
(B) in section 22904, as redesignated, by striking
``24402'' and inserting ``22902'';
(C) in section 22905(e)(1), as redesignated, by striking
``24102(4) of this title'' and inserting ``24102'';
(D) in section 22907, as redesignated--
(i) in subsection (c)(2), by striking ``24401(2)'' and inserting ``22901(2)''; and
(ii) in subsection (k), by striking ``of sections 24402, 24403, and 24404 and the definition contained in 24401(1)'' and inserting ``under sections 22902, 22903, and 22904, and the definition contained in section 22901(1)''; and
(E) in section 22908, as redesignated--
(i) in subsection (a), in the matter preceding paragraph
(1), by striking ``24401(1)'' and inserting ``22901(1)''; and
(ii) in subsection (i)(3), by striking ``24405'' and inserting ``22905''.
(3) Additional conforming amendments.--
(A) Subtitle v.--Subtitle V of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(i) in part C--
(I) in section 24102(7)(D)(ii), by striking ``chapter 244'' and inserting ``chapter 229'';
(II) in section 24103, by inserting ``or chapter 229'' after ``this part'' each place it appears;
(III) in section 24711(c)(3), by striking ``24405'' and inserting ``22905''; and
(IV) in section 24911(i), by striking ``24405'' and inserting ``22905''; and
(ii) in part D, in section 26106(e)(3), by striking ``24405 of this title'' and inserting ``22905''.
(B) Railroad safety enhancement act of 2008.--The Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (division B of Public Law 110-432) is amended--
(i) in section 301(c) (49 U.S.C. 24405 note), by striking
``24405(a)'' and inserting ``22905(a)''; and
(ii) in section 502(a)(4)(I) (49 U.S.C. 26106 note), by striking ``24405'' and inserting ``22905''.
(C) FAST act.--The Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act (Public Law 114-94; 129 Stat. 1312) is amended--
(i) in section 11102, by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Conforming Provision for Redesignation of Applicable Section.--Any amounts authorized under this section for grants or project management oversight under section 24407 of such title shall be deemed to refer to grants or project management oversight under section 22907 of such title on or after the date of enactment of the Department of Transportation Reports Harmonization Act.'';
(ii) in section 11104, by adding at the end the following:
``(c) Conforming Provision for Redesignation of Applicable Section.--Any amounts authorized under this section for grants or project management oversight under section 24408 of such title shall be deemed to refer to grants or project management oversight under section 22908 of such title on or after the date of enactment of the Department of Transportation Reports Harmonization Act.'';
(iii) in section 11308(a)(4)(I), by striking ``24405'' and inserting ``22905''; and
(iv) in section 11401(b)(5), by striking ``chapter 244'' and inserting ``chapter 229''.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Titus) each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Florida.
General Leave
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members may have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material on S. 3367.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the gentleman from Florida?
There was no objection.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, S. 3367 enhances transparency for certain Department of Transportation reports, eliminates or sunsets certain advisory boards, and makes technical amendments to the rail improvement grants.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. TITUS. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Mr. Speaker, this bill makes changes to reporting requirements for the Department of Transportation, requiring various agencies to be more transparent to the public by making some of these reports available on DOT's website. Those would include the Northeast Corridor Safety Committee report and some Federal environmental reviews.
The bill also requires that any changes in fees or charges for attending the Merchant Marine Academy be posted publicly online as well.
The bill makes the results of State performance targets set in the State highway safety plans publicly available and directs GAO to review States' progress in achieving these performance targets, including how States are utilizing grants and problems that may be encountered in achieving their targets.
The review will be important to Congress when considering the next reauthorization of the surface transportation bill.
Finally, this bill sunsets the Northeast Corridor Safety Committee and the National Rail Cooperative Research Program Oversight Committee upon full completion of positive train control along the Northeast Corridor, and it makes technical changes in reorganizing the rail improvement grant section under title 49.
It does a lot of good things to improve transparency, both for the public and for Congress.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. MAST. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Mast) that the House suspend the rules and pass the bill, S. 3367.
The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds being in the affirmative, the ayes have it.
Mr. MASSIE. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX, further proceedings on this motion will be postponed.
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