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Metro Accountability and Investment Act
5/11/2023, 3:46 PM
Summary of Bill HR 694
The bill aims to address the financial challenges facing WMATA by providing federal funding to help improve the safety, reliability, and efficiency of the transit system. It also includes provisions for increased oversight and accountability measures to ensure that the funds are being used effectively.
Additionally, the Metro Accountability and Investment Act seeks to establish a dedicated funding source for WMATA, which has been a long-standing issue for the transit agency. This dedicated funding would help to ensure the long-term sustainability of the transit system and prevent future financial crises. Overall, the Metro Accountability and Investment Act is aimed at improving the public transportation system in the Washington, DC area and ensuring that WMATA has the resources it needs to provide safe and reliable service to its riders.
Congressional Summary of HR 694
Metro Accountability and Investment Act
This bill reauthorizes for FY2022-FY2031 authority for the Department of Transportation (DOT) to provide grants to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) to finance in part the capital and preventive maintenance projects included in its Capital Improvement Program.
It conditions the availability of funds, in part, on the WMATA Board of Directors certifying to DOT that it has adopted and will keep certain resolutions in effect for the entire funding period, including (1) establishing an independent budget authority, procurement authority, and hiring authority for its Office of the General Inspector; (2) ensuring its Inspector General (IG) can obtain legal advice from a counsel reporting directly to the IG; (3) requiring the IG to submit recommendations for corrective action to the General Manager and the Board of Directors of WMATA; (4) requiring the IG to publish such recommendations on its website; (5) requiring the WMATA Board of Directors to provide written notification to Congress at least 30 days in advance of the removal of an IG; and (6) prohibiting the WMATA Board of Directors from removing its Inspector General without a 30-day written notification that documents specific reasons for removal, including an abuse of authority.
