CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION Senate Joint Resolution No. 30Introduced by Senator McGuire(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Friedman)(Coauthors: Senators Beall, Cannella, Dodd, Galgiani, Leyva, Pan, Roth, and Wiener)August 09, 2018 Relative to the Amtrak National Network. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSJR 30, as introduced, McGuire. Amtrak National Network.This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to support the retention of, and investment in, the Amtrak National Network of passenger trains, specifically the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief, and the Sunset Limited, as vital components of the states rail program and would urge Amtrak management to invest in the Amtrak National Network from its annual capital grant in reasonable proportion to the revenue generated by Amtrak trains.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO Bill TextWHEREAS, Amtrak was created in 1971, after years of downgrading and neglect of passenger trains by the major United States rail carriers, with the explicit purpose to provide uniform and rising standards of service for all United States citizens; andWHEREAS, Over the last one-half centurydespite political attempts to kill the service, the hostility of host rail carriers, starvation of capital investment, and chronic equipment shortagesridership has steadily increased while operating costs have more and more been covered at the fare box; andWHEREAS, With the demise of small town airports and the elimination of bus service, Amtrak National Network trains are often the only form of public transportation available to thousands of small communities nationwide, and are a vital link between urban and rural America; andWHEREAS, Amtrak National Network interstate trains, together with the regional state supported services and local commuter services, form the basis of a national passenger train network; andWHEREAS, In the face of crumbling and overcrowded highway infrastructure, rising fuel prices, environmental degradation, crowded airports, and a rising death toll on the nations highways, passenger trains offer a modern, environmentally sensitive, convenient, safe, efficient, productive and relaxing way for Americans to travel from place to place, while providing good paying, meaningful employment to thousands of workers; andWHEREAS, The current Amtrak management led by President and CEO Richard H. Anderson, formerly the head of Delta and Northwest Airlines, is in the process of closing dozens of small town train stations, downgrading food service and various amenities aboard many trains, while threatening to eliminate other trains completely; andWHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump has proposed to cut federal funding to Amtrak in his federal budget proposal; andWHEREAS, The Amtrak National Network of long distance trains generates a third of Amtrak revenue but has received a tiny fraction of investment from Amtraks annual capital grant for the past two decades; andWHEREAS, Amtrak National Network trains operate over 1,600 route miles in the State of California; andWHEREAS, California would lose Amtrak passenger rail connectivity between north and south if these trains ceased to operate; andWHEREAS, Amtrak proposes to eliminate through service between Los Angeles and Chicago, known as the Southwest Chief, and substitute bus service for part of the route, and may propose to ask the states for money to operate the residual services; andWHEREAS, Elimination of the Amtrak National Network trains will cause overhead costs to be added to Californias corridor rail services; andWHEREAS, The Legislature views the Amtrak National Network as a federal program and does not approve of breaking up the Amtrak National Network into corridors and requiring states to pay for the service, and Californians should not have to pay twice for less service; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature urges Congress and the President of the United States to support the retention of, and investment in, the Amtrak National Network of passenger trains, specifically the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief, and the Sunset Limited, as vital components of the states rail program; and be it furtherResolved, That the Legislature urges Amtrak management to invest in the Amtrak National Network from its annual capital grant in reasonable proportion to the revenue generated by Amtrak trains; and be it furtherResolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, to President and CEO Richard H. Anderson of Amtrak, to Secretary Elaine L. Chao of the United States Department of Transportation, and to the author for appropriate distribution.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION Senate Joint Resolution No. 30Introduced by Senator McGuire(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Friedman)(Coauthors: Senators Beall, Cannella, Dodd, Galgiani, Leyva, Pan, Roth, and Wiener)August 09, 2018 Relative to the Amtrak National Network. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTSJR 30, as introduced, McGuire. Amtrak National Network.This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to support the retention of, and investment in, the Amtrak National Network of passenger trains, specifically the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief, and the Sunset Limited, as vital components of the states rail program and would urge Amtrak management to invest in the Amtrak National Network from its annual capital grant in reasonable proportion to the revenue generated by Amtrak trains.Digest Key Fiscal Committee: NO
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20172018 REGULAR SESSION
Senate Joint Resolution No. 30
Introduced by Senator McGuire(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Friedman)(Coauthors: Senators Beall, Cannella, Dodd, Galgiani, Leyva, Pan, Roth, and Wiener)August 09, 2018
Introduced by Senator McGuire(Principal coauthor: Assembly Member Friedman)(Coauthors: Senators Beall, Cannella, Dodd, Galgiani, Leyva, Pan, Roth, and Wiener)
August 09, 2018
Relative to the Amtrak National Network.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SJR 30, as introduced, McGuire. Amtrak National Network.
This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to support the retention of, and investment in, the Amtrak National Network of passenger trains, specifically the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief, and the Sunset Limited, as vital components of the states rail program and would urge Amtrak management to invest in the Amtrak National Network from its annual capital grant in reasonable proportion to the revenue generated by Amtrak trains.
This measure would urge the Congress and the President of the United States to support the retention of, and investment in, the Amtrak National Network of passenger trains, specifically the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief, and the Sunset Limited, as vital components of the states rail program and would urge Amtrak management to invest in the Amtrak National Network from its annual capital grant in reasonable proportion to the revenue generated by Amtrak trains.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Amtrak was created in 1971, after years of downgrading and neglect of passenger trains by the major United States rail carriers, with the explicit purpose to provide uniform and rising standards of service for all United States citizens; and
WHEREAS, Over the last one-half centurydespite political attempts to kill the service, the hostility of host rail carriers, starvation of capital investment, and chronic equipment shortagesridership has steadily increased while operating costs have more and more been covered at the fare box; and
WHEREAS, With the demise of small town airports and the elimination of bus service, Amtrak National Network trains are often the only form of public transportation available to thousands of small communities nationwide, and are a vital link between urban and rural America; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak National Network interstate trains, together with the regional state supported services and local commuter services, form the basis of a national passenger train network; and
WHEREAS, In the face of crumbling and overcrowded highway infrastructure, rising fuel prices, environmental degradation, crowded airports, and a rising death toll on the nations highways, passenger trains offer a modern, environmentally sensitive, convenient, safe, efficient, productive and relaxing way for Americans to travel from place to place, while providing good paying, meaningful employment to thousands of workers; and
WHEREAS, The current Amtrak management led by President and CEO Richard H. Anderson, formerly the head of Delta and Northwest Airlines, is in the process of closing dozens of small town train stations, downgrading food service and various amenities aboard many trains, while threatening to eliminate other trains completely; and
WHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump has proposed to cut federal funding to Amtrak in his federal budget proposal; and
WHEREAS, The Amtrak National Network of long distance trains generates a third of Amtrak revenue but has received a tiny fraction of investment from Amtraks annual capital grant for the past two decades; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak National Network trains operate over 1,600 route miles in the State of California; and
WHEREAS, California would lose Amtrak passenger rail connectivity between north and south if these trains ceased to operate; and
WHEREAS, Amtrak proposes to eliminate through service between Los Angeles and Chicago, known as the Southwest Chief, and substitute bus service for part of the route, and may propose to ask the states for money to operate the residual services; and
WHEREAS, Elimination of the Amtrak National Network trains will cause overhead costs to be added to Californias corridor rail services; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature views the Amtrak National Network as a federal program and does not approve of breaking up the Amtrak National Network into corridors and requiring states to pay for the service, and Californians should not have to pay twice for less service; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Senate and the Assembly of the State of California, jointly, That the Legislature urges Congress and the President of the United States to support the retention of, and investment in, the Amtrak National Network of passenger trains, specifically the California Zephyr, the Coast Starlight, the Southwest Chief, and the Sunset Limited, as vital components of the states rail program; and be it further
Resolved, That the Legislature urges Amtrak management to invest in the Amtrak National Network from its annual capital grant in reasonable proportion to the revenue generated by Amtrak trains; and be it further
Resolved, That the Secretary of the Senate transmit copies of this resolution to the President and Vice President of the United States, to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, to the Majority Leader of the Senate, to each Senator and Representative from California in the Congress of the United States, to President and CEO Richard H. Anderson of Amtrak, to Secretary Elaine L. Chao of the United States Department of Transportation, and to the author for appropriate distribution.