Responsible Rail and Deterring Deficiency Act

Responsible Rail and Deterring Deficiency Act - Declares that the Congress determines that a certain California high-speed train project would not be adequately served by continuation of federal assistance.

Directs the Federal Railroad Administration (FRA), based upon that determination, to exercise its right under the grant agreement (entered into between the FRA and the California High Speed Rail Authority numbered FR-HSR-0009-10-01-05 on December 5, 2012) to suspend any further financial assistance for the project until: (1) the California High Speed Rail Authority certifies to the FRA that it has access to state funds, or other non-federal funds, in the amounts specified in the grant agreement and such funds are available to meet the Authority's financial obligations under that agreement; or (2) September 30, 2017.

Prohibits the FRA from amending, supplementing, or otherwise changing the terms of the grant agreement until the requirements for suspension of federal assistance have been met.

[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3893 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 3893

  To provide for the suspension of Federal funding for the California 
    High Speed Rail Project until sufficient non-Federal funds are 
                               available.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 16, 2014

   Mr. Denham (for himself, Mr. Calvert, Mr. Cook, Mr. LaMalfa, Mr. 
     Valadao, Mr. Rohrabacher, Mr. Campbell, Mr. Gary G. Miller of 
  California, Mr. Hunter, Mr. McCarthy of California, Mr. Nunes, Mr. 
    Issa, Mr. McClintock, Mr. Royce, and Mr. McKeon) introduced the 
 following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation 
                           and Infrastructure

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To provide for the suspension of Federal funding for the California 
    High Speed Rail Project until sufficient non-Federal funds are 
                               available.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Responsible Rail and Deterring 
Deficiency Act''.

SEC. 2. SUSPENSION OF FEDERAL FUNDING.

    (a) Congressional Determination.--The Congress determines that--
            (1) the purposes of the statute under which the Project is 
        authorized would not be adequately served by continuation of 
        Federal financial assistance for the Project; and
            (2) the Authority may be unable to--
                    (A) meet the contributory match percentage 
                identified in Attachment 1, section 5, of the grant 
                agreement; and
                    (B) complete the Project according to the Project 
                schedules included in Attachment 3 or Attachment 3A of 
                the grant agreement.
    (b) Suspension Requirement.--Based on the determination made under 
subsection (a), not later than 5 days after the date of enactment of 
this Act the Federal Railroad Administration shall exercise its right 
under Attachment 1, section 23, of the grant agreement to suspend any 
further financial assistance for the Project under the grant agreement 
until--
            (1) the Authority certifies in writing to the Federal 
        Railroad Administration that--
                    (A) it has access to State funds, or other non-
                Federal funds, in the amounts specified in Attachment 
                1, section 5, of the grant agreement;
                    (B) those State or other non-Federal funds are free 
                and clear of any legal challenge or other hindrance to 
                the expenditure of the funds by the Authority; and
                    (C) the funds are or will be available at the time 
                necessary to meet the Authority's financial obligations 
                as described in the grant agreement; or
            (2) September 30, 2017.
    (c) Changes to Agreement Prohibited.--Until the conditions 
described in subsection (b) have been met, the Federal Railroad 
Administration shall not amend, supplement, or otherwise change the 
terms of the grant agreement.
    (d) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Authority.--The term ``Authority'' means the California 
        High Speed Rail Authority.
            (2) Grant agreement.--The term ``grant agreement'' means 
        the Federal Railroad Administration's grant/cooperative 
        agreement with the Authority numbered FR-HSR-0009-10-01-05 made 
        on December 5, 2012.
            (3) Project.--The term ``Project'' has the meaning given 
        that term in the grant agreement.
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