PRIA, Government Policy, Made Personal

Summary

The Comptroller General may audit the Corporation whenever federal money under this law is used to run it or has been invested in it. The Comptroller General can set the audit rules, inspect all books and records, and must tell Congress as needed about how safe those federal funds and guarantees are. The Comptroller General may also suggest ways to save money and run programs better. The Association must send Congress an annual report within 150 days after the Corporation’s fiscal year ends. The report must say how well the Corporation is meeting the goals in section 716(a); explain any differences from the final system plan’s financial projections; list how much federal money was provided and how it was used; show projected financial needs and likely funding sources; and say whether the Corporation can become self-sustaining without more federal funds than allowed by section 716(f). The Association must also monitor and report on the Corporation’s policies for operations, cost control, and marketing. Within 90 days after November 1, 1978, the Association had to break each policy area into parts, pick measures to track them, identify data problems and fixes, and send methods to Congress. Using those measures, the Association must report each part’s effect on revenue and expenses, its profit or loss impact, management’s efforts to reduce losses, the results, and any other needed information. The first monitoring report is due at the end of the first calendar quarter after that 90‑day period, then at the end of the first quarter each year, with method updates at least once a year and faster reports if updates are significant.

Title 45, §747

Railroads, Source: USLM XML via OLRC

(a)Audit

(1)The Comptroller General of the United States is authorized to audit the programs, activities, and financial operations of the Corporation for any period during which (A) Federal funds provided pursuant to this chapter are being used to finance any portion of its operations, or (B) Federal funds have been invested therein pursuant to this chapter. Any such audit may be conducted under such rules and regulations as the Comptroller General may prescribe. The Comptroller General shall report to the Congress at such times and to such extent as he considers necessary to keep the Congress informed on the security of such Federal funds and guarantees and, to the extent appropriate, make recommendations for achieving greater economy, efficiency, and effectiveness in such programs, activities, and operations.

(2)For the purpose of any audit conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, the Comptroller General, or a designated representative of the Comptroller General, shall have access to and the right to examine all books, accounts, records, reports, files, and other papers, items, or property belonging to or in use by the Corporation.

(b)Report

The Association shall prepare and submit an annual report to Congress on the performance of the Corporation in order to keep the Congress informed as to matters which may affect the quality of rail services in the region and which may affect the security of Federal funds referred to in subsection (a) of this section. Each such report shall be submitted within 150 days after the end of the fiscal year of the Corporation. Each such report shall include an evaluation of— (1)

(2)the amounts and causes of deviations, if any, from the financial projections of the final system plan;

(3)the amount of Federal funds made available to the Corporation and a clear description of the uses of such funds;

(4)the projected financial needs of the Corporation;

(5)the projected sources from which such financial needs are likely to be met; and

(6)the ability of the Corporation to become financially self-sustaining without requiring Federal funds in excess of those authorized by section 716(f) of this title.

(c)Monitoring of Corporation

(1)The Association shall also report to the Congress, in accordance with this subsection, on the policies of the Corporation and the results of such policies with respect to operations, cost containment, and marketing.

(2)Within 90 days after November 1, 1978, the Association shall (A) subdivide each such policy area into constituent parts or groups of parts which are specific and significant, (B) identify the most appropriate indicia to reflect accurately such parts or groups of parts, and (C)(i) determine any and all deficiencies in data used to compute the values of such indicia including consistency and clarity of definitions, timeliness of data entry, editing and validation of input data, and processing, and (ii) outline the efforts of the Association and Corporation to correct the deficiencies and the results of such efforts. On or before the end of such 90-day period, the Association shall submit to the Congress such methodological information and additional information which the Association deems necessary or appropriate to further the purpose of this subchapter.

(3)Using such indicia, the Association shall report on (A) the relationship of each constituent part or groups of parts to the Corporation’s revenue and capital and operating expenses, (B) the extent to which such parts or group of parts contributes to profits or losses, (C) the efforts of management to contain or reduce the contribution of such part or group of parts to losses, (D) the results of such efforts, and (E) such other information as the Association deems necessary or appropriate.

(4)The Association shall (A) transmit to the Congress the first such monitoring report pursuant to paragraph (3) at the end of the first calendar quarter which begins after the end of the 90-day period for preparation and submission of the methodological information pursuant to paragraph (2), (B) report such monitoring information to the Congress at the end of the first quarter of each calendar year thereafter, (C) update methodological and monitoring information periodically as the Association deems necessary or appropriate, but in no case less frequently than once a year, and (D) where the results of such updating are statistically significant or relevant to Congressional policymaking, report them and the reasons for their significance at the end of the calendar quarter in which the updating occurred.

Notes & Related Subsidiaries

Editorial Notes

Amendments

1978—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 95–565 added subsec. (c).

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Conrail Funding Studies; Reports to Congress; Recommendations for Financially Self-Sustaining Rail System; Availability of Recommendations; Publication in Federal Register; Comments on Reports; Recommendations by Secretary on Future Structure and Operations by Corporation; Immunity From Antitrust Laws; Analysis of Effects on Corporation and Employees of Alternative Changes in Labor Agreements and Related Operational Changes; Projections on Benefits, Changes, Savings, and Increased Revenues Pub. L. 96–448, title VII, § 703(a)–(d), Oct. 14, 1980, 94 Stat. 1962, directed the United States Railway Association and the Consolidated Rail Corporation, not later than Apr. 1, 1980 (which probably should have been Apr. 1, 1981) to each submit a report to Congress analyzing the impact, upon the Corporation, rail service in the region, railroad employees, the economy of the region, other rail carriers in the region and elsewhere, and the Federal budget, of no further Federal funding for the Corporation, continued Federal funding of the rail system of the Corporation as then structured, and future Federal funding of the Corporation to the extent necessary to preserve rail service in the region which could be self-supporting, without undue interim disruption of operations, required publication of these reports in the Federal Register, directed the Interstate Commerce Commission, not later than

May 1, 1981, to submit to Congress its comments on the report of the Association, the Secretary of Transportation, and the Corporation, directed the Secretary of Transportation, not later than Apr. 1, 1981, to submit to Congress his recommendations with respect to the future structure and operations of the Corporation, and not later than

May 1, 1981, to submit to Congress his comments and recommendations with respect to the reports of the Association and Corporation, provided that the antitrust laws as defined in section 791(a)(3) of this title not apply to any action of the Association or Secretary of Transportation prior to

May 1, 1981, directed the Corporation, not later than Mar. 15, 1981 to submit to Congress an analysis of the effects upon the Corporation and its employees of alternative changes in labor agreements and related operational changes, including an analysis of any Federal funding that would be required, and directed the Corporation, not later than Jan. 15, 1981, to submit to the Association its projections of the benefits to the Corporation of the Staggers Rail Act of 1980, Pub. L. 96–448, Oct. 14, 1980, 94 Stat. 1895, its projections of changes needed in the structure of the rail system of the Corporation, including properties which might be abandoned or transferred, and other projections of potential savings or increased revenues to the Corporation. Termination of Reporting RequirementsFor termination, effective

May 15, 2000, of provisions in subsecs. (b) and (c)(4)(B) of this section relating to the requirement that the Association submit annual reports to Congress, see section 3003 of Pub. L. 104–66, as amended, set out as a note under section 1113 of Title 31, Money and Finance, and the 11th and 12th items on page 195 of House Document No. 103–7. Abolition of United States Railway Association and

Transfer of Functions

and Securities See section 1341 of this title. Applicability of National Environmental Policy ActApplication of National Environmental Policy Act to actions of Commission not affected by title VI of Pub. L. 94–210, see section 619 of Pub. L. 94–210, set out as a note under section 791 of this title.

§747 Protection of Federal Funds