The Amtrak Transparency Act would broaden and formalize public access to certain Amtrak activities by amending the U.S. Code. The core changes focus on governance transparency for Amtrak’s Board of Directors, public disclosure of discretionary bonuses, and access to vendor contracts for state-supported services. Specifically, the bill requires board meeting notices and openness under the Government in the Sunshine Act, mandates an annual meeting with state transportation officials for states served by Amtrak routes, requires public disclosure of discretionary bonuses paid to Amtrak employees, and gives states or state-Amtrak committees the right to request disclosure of certain vendor agreements worth at least $250,000 related to state-supported routes. If enacted, these provisions would increase public visibility into Amtrak’s decisions, spending, and contracting.
Key Points
- 1Board meetings and openness: Replaces a prior open-meeting requirement with a framework requiring board meetings to follow the Government in the Sunshine Act, including public notice at least 30 days before meetings and adherence to open-meeting standards; establishes quorum rules (majority of voting members) for conducting business.
- 2Public notice: Board must post meeting announcements and anticipated agendas on a publicly accessible website at least 30 days before meetings.
- 3Annual state engagement: Requires the board to hold an annual meeting with the head of the Department of Transportation (or designee) from each State traversed by Amtrak’s long-distance or state-supported routes.
- 4Discretionary bonuses disclosure: Amtrak must publicly disclose the amount of each discretionary bonus paid to any officer or non-bargaining unit employee.
- 5Vendor contracts disclosure: Upon request, Amtrak must disclose to a State or the State-Amtrak Intercity Passenger Rail Committee any vendor agreement worth $250,000 or more for services tied to implementing a service on a State-supported route.