Amtrak Transparency and Accountability for Passengers and Taxpayers Act

This bill makes Amtrak’s Board of Directors follow the federal open-meetings law so the public can see and understand what the board is doing. It also lays out clear times when meetings can be closed to protect sensitive matters. These include contract talks, union negotiations, private personnel issues, and confidential business information. If a personnel matter affects specific people, it can be discussed in public only if all of them ask for that in writing. The bill also says Amtrak doesn’t have to share information that could put riders or workers at risk, and it can still follow the law, honor contracts, and run normal business operations while meeting these rules.

Key points:

• Who is affected: Amtrak’s Board of Directors and the public who want insight into board decisions.
• What changes: Most board meetings must be open to the public, with exceptions for contract negotiations, labor talks, personnel matters (unless all involved request a public discussion), and confidential commercial information. Some notice and reporting rules don’t apply to those closed portions.
• Safety and operations: Nothing requires sharing information that could harm safety, and Amtrak can still comply with the law, keep contracts, and handle normal business needs.