Baby Changing on Board Act

Floor Speech

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Ms. UNDERWOOD. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of my bipartisan bill, the Baby Changing on Board Act. This is a simple, commonsense bill, and it is long overdue.

Every parent deserves the basic dignity of a clean, safe space to change their baby's diaper, no matter how they travel. Right now, many long-distance trains can go for hours without a single stop.

Families riding Amtrak shouldn't have to change their babies on the floor of a train car or in unsafe, unsanitary conditions. It is simply unacceptable, and it is avoidable.

Mr. Speaker, my bill ensures that every new Amtrak train includes a baby-changing table in at least one restroom per car, including ADA- compliant restrooms, because, let's be real, babies don't wait for layovers when they need to be changed.

Mr. Speaker, I will paint the picture: You are holding your baby in one arm, a diaper bag in the other, and probably some other stuff, too. You make your way to the restroom with your kids and your bags, only to realize there is no changing table. What are you supposed to do?

This is not a hypothetical. Millions of Americans ride Amtrak every year, so those trains should work for everyone, including families with young kids. Yet, on many of those trains, parents, usually moms, are forced to make an impossible choice: change their child on a dirty floor or seat, or just sit there and hope for the best.

Mr. Speaker, I have heard from families and parents in my northern Illinois community who rely on Amtrak, and they are tired of getting stuck in this impossible position on trains that don't have safe facilities for the littlest riders.

Since this is a safety issue for these children, it is a public health issue. Frankly, it is about dignity. These parents aren't asking for luxury. They are asking for a clean, flat surface and some basic respect.

Mr. Speaker, we all know diaper changes are not optional, which is why safe baby-changing stations shouldn't be optional, either.

The Baby Changing on Board Act is about building a country where every family has what they need to thrive. That starts with recognizing that caregiving matters, parenting matters, and infrastructure should actually support it.

This bill will not solve every challenge that parents face, but it is a meaningful step toward a more family-friendly future.

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleagues on both sides of the aisle for their support of this bill. In particular, I thank the gentleman from New Jersey (Mr. Van Drew) for working to introduce it with me. I urge everyone in this Chamber to vote ``yes.''

Let's make changing a diaper on a train a little less gross and a lot more humane.

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