Department of Transportation Reports Harmonization Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, this bill makes changes to reporting requirements for the Department of Transportation, requiring various agencies to be more transparent to the public by making some of these reports available on DOT's website. Those would include the Northeast Corridor Safety Committee report and some Federal environmental reviews.

The bill also requires that any changes in fees or charges for attending the Merchant Marine Academy be posted publicly online as well.

The bill makes the results of State performance targets set in the State highway safety plans publicly available and directs GAO to review States' progress in achieving these performance targets, including how States are utilizing grants and problems that may be encountered in achieving their targets.

The review will be important to Congress when considering the next reauthorization of the surface transportation bill.

Finally, this bill sunsets the Northeast Corridor Safety Committee and the National Rail Cooperative Research Program Oversight Committee upon full completion of positive train control along the Northeast Corridor, and it makes technical changes in reorganizing the rail improvement grant section under title 49.

It does a lot of good things to improve transparency, both for the public and for Congress.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill, and I yield back the balance of my time.

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