Banning Smoking on Amtrak Act of 2019

Floor Speech

Mr. Speaker, H.R. 2726, the Banning Smoking on Amtrak Act of 2019, is commonsense legislation. I thank the gentlewoman from the District of Columbia (Ms. Norton) for her leadership on this bill.

Current Amtrak policy prohibits smoking on Amtrak trains, Thruway buses, and in stations. This prohibition includes smoking tobacco products and electronic smoking devices such as e-cigarettes.

H.R. 2726 seeks to codify Amtrak's internal policies prohibiting smoking, including electronic cigarettes, on its trains.

The bill is modeled after Congresswoman Norton's prior bill enacted into law in 2018 as part of the FAA Reauthorization Act that clarified the smoking ban on airplanes includes electronic cigarettes.

The Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure passed this bill by voice vote, and I urge my colleagues to support the bill.

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Mr. BOST. Mr. Speaker, obviously, from the conversations we have had here today, this is commonsense legislation.

You know, we have banned smoking and also know the problems we faced this last year with e-cigarettes, the reasons and concerns that are out there.

This is commonsense legislation that I believe a majority of our constituents are in agreement with. This just codifies into law the past practices of Amtrak.

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

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