Legislation that would address concerns about behind closed doors decision making at Amtrak has been reintroduced in Congress.
U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-NE) announced Wednesday that the Amtrak Transparency Act that would increase the rail company’s accountability and transparency, had been reintroduced in the Senate.
“For too long Amtrak has been allowed to operate behind closed doors, awarding six-figure bonuses to executives despite struggling performance. My bill will pull back the curtain. The American people have a right to know how their hard-earned tax dollars are being spent,” Fischer, a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, said.
According to Fischer’s office, Amtrak’s Board of Directors holds closed-door meetings despite being taxpayer funded. The meetings are not open to the public and Amtrak fails to publish minutes or transcripts, the law makers office said in a statement. The entities actions are especially concerning given reports recently that Amtrak gave its top executives large bonuses despite financial losses and decreased ridership.
Fischer said her legislation would require representatives from state-sponsored and long-distance routs and Amtrak passenger groups to attend board meetings, require Amtrak to comply with federal open meeting requirements, require disclosure to Congress of any bonuses exceeding $50,000 to any Amtrak employee, and mandate the disclosure of vendor agreements and associated costs over $250,000.
The bill was read twice on the Senate floor and then referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.