House passes bill to stop FTA funding for CRRC rail cars

The U.S. House of Representatives this week approved a bill designed to eliminate loopholes allowing federal funds to be used to procure American transit rail cars from manufacturers controlled by state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including the China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. (CRRC).

H.R. 3317, known as the Rolling Stock Protection Act, was introduced by Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford (R-Ark.). The bill would ensure that all public transportation agencies are prohibited from using Federal Transit Administration funds to procure transit rail rolling stock from SOEs, specifically the Chinese government.

While the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 prohibited transit agencies from using FTA funds to procure rolling stock from SOEs, the FTA exempted transit agencies that had such contracts in place, according to a House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee press release.

H.R. 3317 would eliminate that exemption for those four agencies and stipulates that public transportation agencies are prohibited from using FTA funds to enter new contracts with China Railway Rolling Stock Corp. or any other SOE.

"I want to thank Highways and Transit Subcommittee Chairman Rick Crawford for introducing the Rolling Stock Protection Act and working to ensure strengthen our domestic supply chain and ensure that FTA funds are not going to Communist Chinese-controlled manufacturers," said Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Chairman Sam Graves (R-Mo.).

Meanwhile, the House also passed H.R. 6248, the Think Differently Transportation Act, which was introduced by U.S. Rep. Marc Molinaro (R-N.Y.). The bill would require Amtrak to annually report to Congress and the president on American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance for Amtrak-served stations pursuant to a December 2020 settlement agreement between Amtrak and the Department of Justice.

"Thirty years after the Americans with Disabilities Act passed, Amtrak still has work to do to become ADA compliant," said Molinaro. "My bipartisan bill forces their hand to ensure all trains and stations are accessible for individuals with disabilities."