I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 336 
To provide transit benefits to Federal employees who use the services of 
digital transportation companies within the national capital region, and 
for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 5, 2017 
Mr. MEADOWS
(for himself, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mrs. COMSTOCK, Mr. 
SCHWEIKERT, and Mr. BEYER) introduced the following bill; which was 
referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the 
Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, for a period to be sub-
sequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of 
such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide transit benefits to Federal employees who use 
the services of digital transportation companies within 
the national capital region, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE; FINDINGS. 
(a) SHORT TITLE.—This Act may be cited as the 
‘‘Transit Benefits Modernization Act’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
Authority (‘‘WMATA’’) provides approximately 2.3 
million Metrorail and Metrobus trips per year across 
the National Capital Region to Federal employees, 
commuters, and millions of visitors to the Nation’s 
capital. 
(2) Approximately 40 percent of WMATA peak- 
hour commuters are Federal employees. 
(3) WMATA began building its rail system in 
1969, currently serves 91 stations, and has 117 
miles of track. 
(4) 
The 
Federal 
Transit 
Administration 
(‘‘FTA’’) and the National Transportation Safety 
Board have found significant safety concerns result-
ing from a backlog of deferred maintenance. 
(5) WMATA has designed a plan, called 
SafeTrack, in an effort to address this backlog of 
deferred maintenance. 
(6) SafeTrack would close the system earlier on 
weekends and expand weekday maintenance by re-
ducing the number of rails in use at certain stations 
from two to one. 
(7) The plan includes 15 ‘‘Safety Surges’’ with 
around-the-clock single tracking or segment shut-
downs that will impact rush hour commutes. 
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(8) FTA’s review of SafeTrack’s first two 
‘‘safety surge’’ areas found a number of defects in 
the plan’s execution. 
(9) SafeTrack is scheduled to conclude in 
March 2017. 
(10) During SafeTrack, WMATA is encour-
aging customers to utilize other commuting options, 
including ride-sharing services. 
(11) WMATA has indicated that service disrup-
tions will continue to occur following SafeTrack as 
routine maintenance is needed. 
(12) The Federal Government, which is nega-
tively affected when employees cannot easily com-
mute to and from work, has an interest in assisting 
employees with alternate commuting options. 
SEC. 2. PROVIDING A FRINGE TRANSIT BENEFIT FOR USE 
OF TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES. 
For purposes of section 132(a) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986, the use of a transportation network 
company by Federal employees as provided for in this Act 
shall be treated as a fringe benefit which qualifies as a 
qualified transportation fringe for the period established 
in section 3(a) of this Act. 
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