§718 Review by Congress

Summary

The Board of Directors must send the Association’s final system plan to both Houses of Congress and to the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. If neither House passes a resolution saying it rejects the plan during the first 60 calendar days of a continuous session of Congress after it is sent, the plan is treated as approved. If either House does pass a disapproval resolution in that period, the Association, with help from the Secretary and the Office, must make a revised final plan and send it back to Congress for the same 60-day review. The law says two special timing rules: continuity of a Congress session ends only if it adjourns sine die; and any days when either House is adjourned more than 3 days to a specific date are not counted in the 60-day total. The supplemental report dated September 18, 1975, and the errata supplement dated December 1, 1975, are treated as part of the final plan and approved as modified. The Association may, on a State’s petition or on its own within 20 days after February 5, 1976 (with notice to Congress and publication in the Federal Register), make further designations of rail properties to improve service or help the Corporation operate efficiently. Those extra designations are treated as part of the final plan, cannot be reviewed by any court, and labor agreements under section 778 may be renegotiated if needed to implement them.