In late 2011, Congress agreed to approve $1.43 billion in Amtrak funding for fiscal year (FY) 2012, $64 million less than Amtrak received in FY 2011. Within this funding, Congress also chose to zero-out any new spending for high-speed rail projects, and limit overtime pay on Amtrak to $35,000 per year, per employee.
The Rail Safety Improvement Act was passed in late 2008. Passage of the Act was spurred by the Chatsworth train disaster, which caused 25 deaths and 135 injuries. Now railroad companies are pushing hard to relax the law’s chief provision.
When you enroll in your health plan, you have benefits for certain services for medical, dental and vision coverage. However, as an enrolled health plan member, The National Railroad Plans also provide a health discount program(1) for certain health care services over and above what your health plan covers.
On December 23, 2011, President Barack Obama signed legislation extending a payroll
tax cut for two months. Specifically, the law provides a 2 month extension to the reduction in
employee payroll taxes. Obama acted after the House and Senate approved the tax cut
extension, which will maintain the Social Security tax at 4.2 percent.
Overtime.pdf
