Think Differently Transportation Act

Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the bill (H.R. 6248) to require Amtrak to report to Congress information on Amtrak compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 with respect to trains and stations, as amended.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that Members have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and include extraneous material into the Record on H.R. 6248.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am proud to see my bill, the Think Differently Transportation Act, come to the House floor.

This is yet another item to pass the House that builds off the work that we began when I was county executive in New York State, in Dutchess County, New York, the ThinkDIFFERENTLY initiative.

ThinkDIFFERENTLY is a call to action to break down barriers and create opportunities for those living with intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities.

The Think Differently Transportation Act does just that. The bill requires that Amtrak submit to Congress and the President an annual report with an expected timeline for bringing Amtrak trains and stations into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Amtrak stations and trains should be fully accessible for all Americans of every ability and fully compliant with Federal law.

The ADA was passed in 1990 and established a 20-year timeframe for intercity rail stations to be accessible to those with disabilities. As of July 2023, sadly, Amtrak has only brought 30 percent of the 385 stations it is responsible for into ADA compliance. This is simply unacceptable and creates far too many barriers for every person of every ability, making this bill necessary.

The Think Differently Transportation Act is a strong bipartisan bill that allows Congress to have appropriate oversight of Amtrak to ensure it complies with its obligations under the law.

The bill is an important step forward that Congress can take to address accessibility barriers to travel by rail.

I also wish to take this time to acknowledge the original co-lead of this bill, the late Congressman Don Payne, Jr., who, as we know, passed away last month. It was an immense pleasure to work with him, and I would like to think that the passage of this bill would act as some small honor to him and his legacy to helping individuals with disabilities.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this legislation, and I reserve the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague across the aisle for her leadership. I too wish Representative Payne, for many reasons, would still be here to at least celebrate this important next step.

There are far too many barriers in the lives of those living with intellectual, physical, and developmental disabilities. They shoulder a 70 percent unemployment rate. Access to transportation and the ability to move around, as every American would hope to, creates such enormous barriers to opportunities.

This Think Differently Transportation Act will help to ensure that Amtrak follows the basic expectation that the ADA sets into law, through regular reporting to both Congress and the President on Amtrak's progress, or lack thereof, toward ADA compliance for its trains and stations and all those they serve.

This bill represents an important step toward improving Amtrak's service for customers of every ability.

Mr. Speaker, I urge support of the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to support the Think Differently Transportation Act. It is a bipartisan bill that will advance accessibility on Amtrak services. I am sure my words will not be as eloquent as those of Mr. Payne had he been here to speak on this bill himself.

Amtrak received $22 billion in the bipartisan infrastructure law to buy new equipment, invest in station accessibility, and make improvements in the backlog of capital projects and operating needs.

Congress set specific directions for how Amtrak can use its BIL funds.

With regard to station accessibility, the BIL states that Amtrak funds are to be used to make all the stations Amtrak serves accessible.

The bill we are considering today would require Amtrak to report annually to Congress on accessibility status, improvements, and plans at the more than 500 stations Amtrak serves, not just the ones where it has the responsibility to make accessibility a priority under the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Thanks to the BIL, Amtrak is investing in new equipment and new stations. We need assurances that these investments will take into account people with disabilities, as required by the ADA. This bill helps to do just that.

Mr. Speaker, I urge all my colleagues to support the Think Differently Transportation Act and to think differently about transportation so it is more accessible.

Mr. Speaker, in closing, I would like to say, again, that I support this bill, and I thank the sponsors of it. I wish Mr. Payne were here to see it pass, and I encourage my colleagues to vote in favor.

Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.