U.S. Code > Title 49 Transportation > SUBTITLE V—RAIL PROGRAMS (§§ 20101—28505) > PART C—PASSENGER TRANSPORTATION (§§ 24101—24910) > CHAPTER 243—AMTRAK (§§ 24301—24316) > § 24315. Reports and audits

§ 24315. Reports and audits

(a) Amtrak Annual Operations Report.— Not later than February 15 of each year, Amtrak shall submit to Congress a report that—
(1) for each route on which Amtrak provided intercity rail passenger transportation during the prior fiscal year, includes information on—
(A) ridership;
(B) passenger-miles;
(C) the short-term avoidable profit or loss for each passenger-mile;
(D) the revenue-to-cost ratio;
(E) revenues;
(F) the United States Government subsidy;
(G) the subsidy not provided by the United States Government; and
(H) on-time performance;
(2) provides relevant information about a decision to pay an officer of Amtrak more than the rate for level I of the Executive Schedule under section 5312 of title 5; and
(3) specifies—
(A) significant operational problems Amtrak identifies; and
(B) proposals by Amtrak to solve those problems.
(b) Amtrak General and Legislative Annual Report.—
(1) Not later than February 15 of each year, Amtrak shall submit to the President and Congress a complete report of its operations, activities, and accomplishments, including a statement of revenues and expenditures for the prior fiscal year. The report—
(A) shall include a discussion and accounting of Amtrak’s success in meeting the goal of section 24902 (b) [1] of this title; and
(B) may include recommendations for legislation, including the amount of financial assistance needed for operations and capital improvements, the method of computing the assistance, and the sources of the assistance.
(2) Amtrak may submit reports to the President and Congress at other times Amtrak considers desirable.
(c) Secretary’s Report on Effectiveness of This Part.— The Secretary of Transportation shall prepare a report on the effectiveness of this part in meeting the requirements for a balanced transportation system in the United States. The report may include recommendations for legislation. The Secretary shall include this report as part of the annual report the Secretary submits under section 308 (a) of this title.
(d) Independent Audits.— An independent certified public accountant shall audit the financial statements of Amtrak each year. The audit shall be carried out at the place at which the financial statements normally are kept and under generally accepted auditing standards. A report of the audit shall be included in the report required by subsection (a) of this section.
(e) Comptroller General Audits.— The Comptroller General may conduct performance audits of the activities and transactions of Amtrak. Each audit shall be conducted at the place at which the Comptroller General decides and under generally accepted management principles. The Comptroller General may prescribe regulations governing the audit.
(f) Availability of Records and Property of Amtrak and Rail Carriers.— Amtrak and, if required by the Comptroller General, a rail carrier with which Amtrak has made a contract for intercity rail passenger transportation shall make available for an audit under subsection (d) or (e) of this section all records and property of, or used by, Amtrak or the carrier that are necessary for the audit. Amtrak and the carrier shall provide facilities for verifying transactions with the balances or securities held by depositories, fiscal agents, and custodians. Amtrak and the carrier may keep all reports and property.
(g) Comptroller General’s Report to Congress.— The Comptroller General shall submit to Congress a report on each audit, giving comments and information necessary to inform Congress on the financial operations and condition of Amtrak and recommendations related to those operations and conditions. The report also shall specify any financial transaction or undertaking the Comptroller General considers is carried out without authority of law. When the Comptroller General submits a report to Congress, the Comptroller General shall submit a copy of it to the President, the Secretary, and Amtrak at the same time.
(h) Access to Records and Accounts.— A State shall have access to Amtrak’s records, accounts, and other necessary documents used to determine the amount of any payment to Amtrak required of the State.

[1] See References in Text note below.