SUPPORT-HIGH SPEED RAIL ACT

Illinois General Assembly - Full Text of HR0946

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HR0946 - 104th General Assembly

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HR0946
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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

2

WHEREAS, The United States Congress is the federal
3
legislative body responsible for enacting laws and
4
appropriating funds for the nation's transportation
5
infrastructure; and

6

WHEREAS, Congressman Seth Moulton (MA-06) reintroduced the
7
American High Speed Rail Act of 2026 in the United States House
8
of Representatives on May 26, 2026, co-led by Congresswoman
9
Suzan DelBene (WA-01) with 48 original cosponsors,
10
demonstrating broad congressional support for building a
11
world-class national high-speed passenger rail network; and

12

WHEREAS, The American High Speed Rail Act of 2026 would
13
authorize up to $41 billion annually over five years for
14
high-speed rail planning, construction, and new technologies,
15
representing a total federal investment of up to $205 billion
16
to build and expand a national high-speed rail system, with
17
incentives for $38 billion or more in additional non-federal
18
funding; and

19

WHEREAS, The bill establishes definitions for high-speed
20
rail as trains traveling at speeds of 186 miles per hour or
21
greater and higher-speed rail at 110 to 186 miles per hour, and
22
it creates robust frameworks for public-private partnerships

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to maximize the return on federal investment; and

2

WHEREAS, The American High Speed Rail Act of 2026 would
3
support equity, resilience, sustainability, and economic
4
development by prioritizing grant funding for regions
5
underserved by aviation, expanding transit-oriented
6
development incentives to grow affordable housing around rail
7
hubs, and directing the United States Department of
8
Transportation to fast-track performance-based safety
9
standards for advanced rail technologies; and

10

WHEREAS, Proponents of the legislation estimate that the
11
investment it authorizes could create millions of well-paying
12
American jobs, reduce carbon emissions, connect communities of
13
all sizes, and put the United States on par with rail systems
14
long established in Europe and Asia; and

15

WHEREAS, The State of Illinois has a strong stake in the
16
development of a national high-speed rail network, and the six
17
members of the Illinois congressional delegation who are proud
18
original cosponsors of the American High Speed Rail Act of
19
2026 are Congressman Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), representing
20
Chicago's South Side and South Suburbs, Congresswoman Delia C.
21
Ramirez (IL-03), representing Chicago's Northwest Side and
22
Near Western Suburbs, Congressman Jesus "Chuy" Garcia (IL-04),
23
representing Chicago's Southwest Side and Southwest Suburbs,

HR0946
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LRB104 22176 RMO 38430 r
1
Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06), representing the Western
2
Suburbs, Congressman Danny K. Davis (IL-07), representing
3
Chicago's West Side and Western Suburbs, and Congresswoman Jan
4
Schakowsky (IL-09), representing Chicago's North Shore and
5
Northern Suburbs; and

6

WHEREAS, Illinois is home to Chicago, the nation's rail
7
hub and one of the busiest passenger rail cities in North
8
America, with Union Station serving as the anchor for Amtrak's
9
national network and Metra's commuter rail system, making
10
Illinois a natural cornerstone of any future national
11
high-speed rail network; and

12

WHEREAS, The Illinois General Assembly, recognizing the
13
transformative potential of high-speed rail for the State's
14
economy and residents, enacted the High-Speed Railway
15
Commission Act, establishing the Illinois High Speed Rail
16
Commission to develop a comprehensive, statewide plan for a
17
high-speed rail line and feeder network connecting Chicago and
18
St. Louis, Missouri while also connecting the Illinois cities
19
of Rockford, Moline, Peoria, and Decatur, incorporating
20
existing Amtrak and Metra services and coordinating intercity
21
bus services to support a robust statewide rail network; and

22

WHEREAS, The Illinois High Speed Rail Commission,
23
supported by the Illinois Department of Transportation, is

HR0946
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LRB104 22176 RMO 38430 r
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conducting a ridership study and developing findings and
2
recommendations on governance structure, frequency of service,
3
and an implementation plan, representing a serious, active,
4
state-led planning effort that requires robust federal
5
partnership and funding to come to fruition; and

6

WHEREAS, Preliminary work by the Illinois High Speed Rail
7
Commission indicates that a high-speed rail network has the
8
potential to generate ridership many times greater than
9
current Amtrak service in Illinois, significantly reducing
10
travel times and per-passenger costs while unlocking
11
substantial economic activity by connecting workers,
12
businesses, and communities across the State far more
13
efficiently than existing transportation options; and

14

WHEREAS, Budgets are statements of priorities, and as the
15
wealthiest nation on Earth, the United States is more than
16
capable of investing in modern trains on high-speed tracks to
17
serve our people and our employers with clean, efficient
18
transportation, as so many of our global competitors have
19
already done, leaving the question before us to be not one of
20
means but of will; and

21

WHEREAS, The Chicago metropolitan area suffers from some
22
of the worst traffic congestion in the United States, costing
23
commuters and businesses billions of dollars annually in lost

HR0946
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1
time and productivity, and one of the most effective
2
strategies for relieving that congestion is investing in
3
high-speed rail that offers a faster alternative to driving,
4
pulling millions of cars off crowded expressways and arterial
5
roads and freeing them for the freight haulers, tradespeople,
6
and other drivers who have no choice but to drive, making the
7
entire regional transportation network function better for
8
everyone; and

9

WHEREAS, High-speed rail investment in Illinois would
10
generate thousands of construction and permanent jobs, spur
11
economic development in communities along rail corridors,
12
reduce highway and airport congestion, lower greenhouse gas
13
emissions, and improve quality of life for millions of
14
Illinois residents; and

15

WHEREAS, The Trump administration's federal budget
16
proposals will determine the scope and ambition of national
17
infrastructure investment for years to come, and robust
18
federal funding for high-speed rail is essential to
19
translating state-level planning into real infrastructure that
20
serves Americans across the country; therefore, be it

21

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
22
HUNDRED FOURTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that
23
we express our strong support for the American High Speed Rail

HR0946
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LRB104 22176 RMO 38430 r
1
Act of 2026, introduced by Congressman Seth Moulton and co-led
2
by Congresswoman Suzan DelBene, and we commend Illinois
3
congressional delegation members Congressman Jonathan L.
4
Jackson, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez, Congressman Jesus
5
"Chuy" Garcia, Congressman Sean Casten, Congressman Danny K.
6
Davis, and Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky for their leadership
7
as original cosponsors of this landmark legislation; and be it
8
further

9

RESOLVED, That we urge the United States Congress to
10
advance and pass the American High Speed Rail Act of 2026 and
11
to ensure that any federal surface transportation
12
reauthorization package includes substantial, dedicated
13
funding for high-speed and higher-speed rail development
14
nationwide; and be it further

15

RESOLVED, That we call upon the Trump administration to
16
include robust funding for high-speed rail in its federal
17
budget proposals in recognition of the immense economic,
18
environmental, and national competitiveness benefits that a
19
modern national rail network would provide to communities
20
across the United States, including those in Illinois; and be
21
it further

22

RESOLVED, That we affirm our support for the ongoing work
23
of the Illinois High Speed Rail Commission and the Illinois

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Department of Transportation in developing a statewide
2
high-speed rail plan, and we recognize that this state-level
3
planning effort represents the kind of serious, shovel-ready
4
groundwork that merits strong federal investment through
5
programs like those authorized by the American High Speed Rail
6
Act of 2026; and be it further

7

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be
8
delivered to the President of the United States, the Secretary
9
of the United States Department of Transportation, the Speaker
10
of the United States House of Representatives, the Majority
11
Leader of the United States Senate, and each member of the
12
Illinois congressional delegation.

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