Federal Railroad Administration

Federal Railroad Administration emergency railroad rehabilitation and repair For necessary expenses to repair and rebuild freight rail lines of regional and short line railroads or a State entity damaged by floods that occurred between and including September 1996 and March 1998, $9,800,000, to be awarded to the States subject to the discretion of the Secretary on a case-by-case basis: Provided, That funds provided under this heading shall be available for rehabilitation of railroad rights-of-way, bridges, and other facilities which are part of the general railroad system of transportation, and primarily used by railroads to move freight traffic: Provided further, That railroad rights-of-way, bridges, and other facilities owned by class I railroads are not eligible for funding under this heading unless the rights-of-way, bridges, or other facilities are under contract lease to a class II or class III railroad under which the lessee is responsible for all maintenance costs of the line: Provided further, That railroad rights-of-way, bridges, and other facilities owned by passenger railroads, or by tourist, scenic, or historic railroads are not eligible for funding under this heading: Provided further, That these funds shall be available only to the extent an official budget request, for a specific dollar amount, that includes designation of the entire amount as an emergency requirement as defined in the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended, is transmitted by the President to the Congress: Provided further, That the entire amount is designated by Congress as an emergency requirement pursuant to section 251(b)(2)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, as amended: Provided further, That all funds made available under this heading are to remain available until September 30, 1998.