S. 2961 — Introduced in Senate

II 113th CONGRESS 2d Session S. 2961 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES November 20, 2014 Mr. Begich introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Environment and Public Works A BILL To establish the Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation Act. 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) High-speed passenger rail technology, while not new in Europe and Asia, is a new transportation technology in the United States. Its design, development, construction, financing, funding, and operation require specific skills and expertise that are not abundant in the United States, and will require years to develop. (2) Unlike highways, mass transit, and aviation, high-speed rail requires unique and separated rights of way to operate and must be fully integrated with other passenger transportation system elements to be successful. (3) In order to ensure the proper development of high-speed intercity passenger rail service in the United States, it is critical that a dedicated office be established at the highest levels of the Federal Government to coordinate and facilitate the intricate relationships between— (A) various levels of government; and (B) the wide range of industrial interests that will be required to work together to make high-speed rail successful. (4) Resources for transportation infrastructure are in high demand. Many people contend that there are not enough resources to maintain the transportation system the Nation has built, let alone to build new modes of transportation such as high-speed intercity passenger rail. (5) The capacity of the current transportation system threatens the present and future competitiveness of the United States. Unless investments are made in new, faster, and more efficient transportation capacity, such as intercity high-speed passenger rail, it will be very difficult for the United States— (A) to rise out of its current economic condition; or (B) to regain its leadership role domestically and internationally. (6) Placing the development of a national system of intercity high-speed rail corridors that are highly integrated with other modes of transportation under the direct supervision of the Secretary of Transportation and delegating the day-to-day administration of such system to an Assistant Secretary will ensure an effective launch and the efficient operation of a new national transportation modality. (7) It is in the interest of the United States to expeditiously develop and deploy intercity high-speed passenger rail under the singularly focused direction of the Secretary of Transportation. 3. Definitions In this Act: (1) Assistant secretary The term Assistant Secretary means the head of the Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation. (2) Eligible participant The term eligible participant means— (A) a State that has participated in the process to develop and implement a cost allocation methodology under section 209(a) of the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008 (49 U.S.C. 24101 note); (B) a group consisting solely of States described in subparagraph (A); (C) an Interstate Compact consisting solely of States described in subparagraph (A); (D) a public agency established by 1 or more of the States described in subparagraph (A) that is responsible for providing intercity passenger rail service; or (E) any entity that seeks to perform services under a contract awarded pursuant to this Act by providing— (i) a description of how the entity intends to perform the covered services; and (ii) materials demonstrating the entity’s capability to perform the proposed services in accordance with the requirements under this Act. (3) Office The term Office means the Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation established within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation pursuant to section 4. (4) Program participant The term program participant means an eligible participant that has entered into an authorized procurement process under this Act. (5) Rail carrier The term rail carrier has the meaning given such term in section 10102(5) of title 49, United States Code. (6) Secretary The term Secretary means the Secretary of Transportation. (7) State The term State means each of the several States and the District of Columbia. 4. Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation (a) Establishment Not later than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish the Office of Planning for Future Intercity Transportation within the Office of the Secretary of Transportation. The Office shall be composed of the Office of High-Speed Rail Policy, the Office of High-Speed Planning, and the Office of High-Speed Rail Operations and Safety. (b) Assistant Secretary (1) Appointment The head of the Office shall be the Assistant Secretary for Intercity Transportation Planning, who shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate. (2) Duties The Assistant Secretary shall— (A) serve as the principal policy advisor to the Secretary and the Deputy Secretary on High-Speed Rail; and (B) assume responsibility for all activities of the Federal Government associated with high-speed rail that were previously delegated to the Administrator of the Federal Railroad Administration or otherwise authorized by Congress. (c) Functions Under the direction of the Assistant Secretary, the Office shall oversee the planning, development, construction, financing, funding, and operation of high-speed rail in selected corridors throughout the United States. (d) Feasibility study Not later than 2 years after the date on which the Office is established under this section, the Secretary shall submit to Congress the results of a feasibility study that identifies and prioritizes corridors that offer the best opportunity to provide point-to-point transportation service based on— (1) travel demand; (2) the total cost of construction and operation; and (3) expected passenger and other business revenue generated from the operation of transportation service. 5. Authorization of appropriations (a) In general There are authorized to be appropriated out of the Highway Trust Fund, for each of the fiscal years 2015, 2016, and 2017— (1) $20,000,000 to carry out the feasibility study required under section 4(d); and (2) $5,000,000 for administrative expenses incurred by the Office. (b) Contract authority (1) Feasibility study Amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a)(1) shall be available for the procurement of contract services to carry out such studies as the Secretary determines necessary to carry out section 4(d). (2) Other requirements Amounts appropriated pursuant to subsection (a)(2) shall be available for the procurement of contract services to carry out any other requirement under this Act.