Baby Changing on Board Act

The bill would amend title 49 of the U.S. Code to require that all "covered passenger rail trains" — those owned and operated by Amtrak and solicited for purchase after the bill's enactment — include a baby changing table in at least one restroom in every car, including in restrooms that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. It would also require signage clearly indicating both the presence of a changing table in a restroom and the changing table itself.

The requirement would not apply to trains Amtrak already owns, nor to trains Amtrak operates but does not own. It creates a new, freestanding section of rail law rather than modifying an existing accommodation standard, and it takes effect going forward for future procurement rather than retrofitting the current fleet.

Amtrak, as the entity responsible for procuring and equipping its trains, and Amtrak passengers traveling with infants, who would gain access to baby changing tables on newly purchased train cars. Manufacturers bidding on future Amtrak rail car contracts would also need to build in compliant restroom fixtures.

Parents traveling by train with young children would gain a basic accommodation — a safe, dedicated surface for diaper changes — that many current Amtrak cars lack. Because the requirement applies only to newly solicited trains, the practical effect would phase in gradually as Amtrak replaces or expands its fleet rather than immediately.

Amtrak would need to incorporate baby changing table and signage requirements into specifications for future rail car procurement solicitations. Because the requirement applies only to trains solicited for purchase after enactment, existing cars would be unaffected until Amtrak issues new purchase solicitations, at which point manufacturers would need to build compliant restrooms, including in ADA-compliant restrooms, into their designs.