GENERAL STATEMENT The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) is requesting in FY 1980 a total of $1,671,110,000 in budget authority, including Amtrak, and 1,696 permanent positions, including 716 positions for the Alaska Railroad. The request for FY 1980 is an increase of $53,729,000 in budget authority and 10 positions over the FY 1979 level (including proposed supplementals). Comparisons by appropriation for fiscal years 1978-1980 are shown below: तो लोलोको Excludes 3 positions and $73,500 transferred to the Department of Labor for contract compliance activities. 2/ Includes $335,000 pay increase supplemental. Includes $570,000 pay increase supplemental. Includes $250 million proposed for separate transmittal, proposed 5/ Includes $35 million program supplemental. 6/ Includes $119 million program supplemental. In FY 1980, proposals for regulatory reform and deregulation of the railroad industry are essential goals of the Administration's intercity freight transportation policies. Focus on these activities constitutes a major effort of the FY 1980 budget request. These additional responsibilities will primarily affect the Office of Policy and Program Development and the Office of Federal Assistance. At the end of FY 1979 we propose to shift existing positions from the Special Projects Staff currently assigned to the Immediate Office of the Administrator (10 positions) and from the Office of Planning and Budget Development (1 position) to provide sufficient manpower for carrying out these additional responsibilities with 7 positions to be assigned to the Office of Policy and Program Development and 4 positions to the Office of Federal Assistance. These adjustments are reflected in the following tables. In addition to the 1,696 positions requested for FRA activities, continuation of 70 of the existing 74 allocation positions for other DOT administrations is requested to supplement FRA goals and objectives by providing expertise in specific program areas for engineering, external auditing and rapid transit interface. Table II Development of FY 1980 Increases in Budget Authority |