WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tom Carper (D-Del.), former Amtrak Board Member and Chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works, commended the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for both including his legislation to permanently ban smoking on Amtrak as part of their respective surface transportation bills.
Senator Carper originally authored legislation in the 116th Congress that would codify the existing Amtrak policy prohibiting smoking along with Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-D.C.) in the House of Representatives.
“In 2021, smoking has no place in enclosed public spaces like train cars,” said Senator Carper. “As a near-daily Amtrak rider, I have supported their policy prohibiting smoking and even introduced legislation with Congresswoman Norton to make that policy federal law. Now, I’m pleased to see that both the Senate Commerce Committee and House Transportation and Infrastructure have included our legislation in their surface transportation reauthorization bills. I think we can all agree that it’s time to ban smoking on passenger rail.”
“While Amtrak deserves our thanks and praise for implementing its own policy banning smoking on trains, my bill with Senator Carper to codify that ban will ensure the policy cannot be reversed,” Norton said.
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