No Frankenrail Act of 2024

HR 9308, the "No Frankenrail Act of 2024," prohibits federal funding for California's high-speed rail project unless at least one mile of rail is completed. It directly affects the California High-Speed Rail Authority and the Federal Railroad Administration, which manage the project that has received over $2.5 billion in federal funds since 2009. The bill blocks new federal funds for this "covered project" (defined as any high-speed rail project receiving funds before 2014) until the Secretary of Transportation certifies at least one mile of rail is built. This action stems from the project's significant cost overruns ($33 billion projected to $128 billion) and lack of completed infrastructure since its 2009 start. The bill does not terminate existing funding but halts future disbursements until the completion milestone is met.