Bill Summary
The "Train Furtherance of Outstanding Onboard Dining Act" (or "Train FOOD Act") is a piece of legislation aimed at improving the food and beverage services provided by Amtrak, the national passenger railroad service. This Act mandates Amtrak to establish an advisory committee within a year of its enactment to oversee the implementation of recommendations made by the Amtrak Food and Beverage Working Group.
Key provisions of the Act include:
1. **Annual Reporting**: Amtrak is required to submit an annual report to Congress detailing the progress on implementing the recommendations, including any that are deemed impractical or impossible to implement, along with justifications.
2. **Advisory Committee**: The committee will consist of representatives from Amtrak, labor organizations, passenger advocacy groups, and states funding Amtrak routes. This committee will assist in reviewing Amtrak's implementation process.
3. **Public Transparency**: The reports must be made available on Amtrak's public website to ensure transparency regarding the status of food and beverage service improvements.
4. **GAO Assessment**: The Government Accountability Office (GAO) is tasked with submitting a report to Congress two years after the enactment to evaluate Amtrak's progress in implementing the recommendations.
Overall, the legislation aims to enhance the quality of onboard dining for Amtrak passengers through structured oversight and accountability.
Possible Impacts
The "Train Furtherance of Outstanding Onboard Dining Act" (Train FOOD Act) can affect people in several ways:
1. **Enhanced Dining Experience for Passengers**: The establishment of an advisory committee and the requirement for Amtrak to implement recommendations for food and beverage services can lead to improved dining options for passengers. This could result in a more enjoyable travel experience, potentially attracting more customers to use Amtrak services.
2. **Increased Transparency and Accountability**: The annual reporting requirement means that Amtrak must provide updates on the implementation of the food service recommendations to Congress and make these reports publicly accessible. This transparency could empower passengers and stakeholders to advocate for better services and hold Amtrak accountable if improvements are not made.
3. **Impact on Amtrak Employees**: The involvement of labor organizations in the advisory committee can ensure that the perspectives and needs of Amtrak employees who prepare and provide food services are considered in the implementation of recommendations. This could lead to better working conditions, training, and job satisfaction for employees, ultimately affecting the quality of service they provide to passengers.
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 265 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 265
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require Amtrak to submit to
Congress an annual report with respect to the implementation of certain
recommendations of the Amtrak Food and Beverage Working Group for
improving the food and beverage service of Amtrak, and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 9, 2025
Mr. Cohen introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend title 49, United States Code, to require Amtrak to submit to
Congress an annual report with respect to the implementation of certain
recommendations of the Amtrak Food and Beverage Working Group for
improving the food and beverage service of Amtrak, 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 ``Train Furtherance of Outstanding
Onboard Dining Act'' or the ``Train FOOD Act''.
SEC. 2. OVERSIGHT OF IMPLEMENTATION BY AMTRAK OF RECOMMENDATIONS OF
AMTRAK FOOD AND BEVERAGE WORKING GROUP.
(a) Annual Amtrak Report.--Section 24321 of title 49, United States
Code, is amended--
(1) by redesignating subsection (d) as subsection (f); and
(2) by inserting after subsection (c) the following new
subsections:
``(d) Implementation Advisory Committee.--
``(1) Establishment.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the Train Furtherance of Outstanding Onboard
Dining Act, Amtrak shall establish an advisory committee to
provide internal review with respect to the implementation by
Amtrak of the recommendations contained in the report under
subsection (b).
``(2) Membership.--The advisory committee shall consist of
individuals representing--
``(A) Amtrak;
``(B) the labor organizations representing Amtrak
employees who prepare or provide on-board food and
beverage service;
``(C) nonprofit organizations representing Amtrak
passengers; and
``(D) States that are providing funding for State-
supported routes.
``(3) Termination.--The advisory committee shall terminate
on the date on which Amtrak submits the final report required
under subsection (e)(1).
``(e) Annual Implementation Status Report.--
``(1) Annual report.--Not later than 1 year after the date
of enactment of the Train Furtherance of Outstanding Onboard
Dining Act and annually thereafter until such time as all
recommendations contained in the report under subsection (b)
are implemented by Amtrak or determined by Amtrak to be
impractical or impossible to implement, Amtrak shall--
``(A) submit to the Committee on Commerce, Science,
and Transportation of the Senate and the Committee on
Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report on the status of the
implementation of each such recommendation; and
``(B) make the report available on a publicly
accessible website of Amtrak.
``(2) Report contents.--Each report under paragraph (1)
shall include--
``(A) a description of the progress made by Amtrak
in implementing each recommendation contained in the
report under subsection (b);
``(B) identification of each such recommendation
for which implementation is complete;
``(C) identification of each such recommendation
that Amtrak determines to be impractical or impossible
to implement;
``(D) for each recommendation identified under
subparagraph (C)--
``(i) the justification for the
determination that the recommendation is
impractical or impossible to implement; and
``(ii) if the justification is all, or in
part, attributable to insufficient funding, an
estimated cost of implementing the
recommendation;
``(E) a description of how, if at all, food and
beverage service of Amtrak has changed--
``(i) if in the initial report, since the
date of enactment of the Train Furtherance of
Outstanding Onboard Dining Act; and
``(ii) if in a subsequent report, since the
date on which the previous report was
finalized; and
``(F) comments submitted by the advisory committee
to Amtrak regarding the information included under
subparagraphs (A) through (E).''.
(b) GAO Report.--Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment
of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit
to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate
and the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure of the House of
Representatives a report describing the progress made by Amtrak in
implementing each recommendation contained in the report under section
24321(b) of title 49, United States Code.
<all>