S. 174 — Amtrak Transparency Act

This section revises meeting requirements for the Amtrak Board of Directors by (1) striking the phrase "in an open meeting" from subsection (a)(6); and (2) replacing subsection (e) with new provisions that (A) define a quorum as a majority of voting members serving on the Board, (B) require the Board to post notice of any meeting—including the anticipated agenda—on a publicly accessible website not later than 30 days before convening and to hold all meetings in compliance with open meeting requirements under the Government in the Sunshine Act (5 U.S.C. 552b), and (C) require the Board to convene, not less frequently than annually, a meeting inviting the head (or designee) of each state department of transportation for states traversed by an Amtrak long-distance route or state-supported route.

This section requires Amtrak to publicly disclose the amount of each discretionary bonus paid to any officer or non-bargaining unit employee.

This section requires Amtrak, upon request, to disclose to a state or the State-Amtrak Intercity Passenger Rail Committee any vendor agreement valued at $250,000 or more for services procured to implement a service on a state-supported route. (Thus, it increases state oversight of Amtrak's contracting for routes where states provide financial support under the Passenger Rail Investment and Improvement Act of 2008.)