SEC. 2. INCREASING ACCESS TO EDUCATION THROUGH 
PUBLIC TRANSIT GRANTS. 
Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(1) in section 5307, by adding at the end the 
following: 
‘‘(i) PROMOTING ADVANCEMENT THROUGH TRANSIT 
HELP TO EDUCATION GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) CENTER-BASED
HEAD
START
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘center-based Head Start 
program’ means a center-based Head Start pro-
gram, including a center-based Early Head 
Start program, under the Head Start Act (42 
U.S.C. 9831 et seq.). 
‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE
INSTITUTION.—The term 
‘eligible institution’ means— 
‘‘(i) a community college; 
‘‘(ii) a minority-serving institution; 
‘‘(iii) a Head Start agency, including 
an Early Head Start agency, that operates 
a center-based Head Start program; 
‘‘(iv) an area career and technical 
education school, as defined in section 3 of 
the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302); 
or 
‘‘(v) a rural-serving institution of 
higher education, as defined in section 861 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1161q). 
‘‘(C) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘eli-
gible recipient’ means a public transportation 
provider that is eligible for assistance under 
this section in partnership with 1 or more eligi-
ble institutions. 
‘‘(D) MINORITY-SERVING
INSTITUTION.— 
The term ‘minority-serving institution’ means 
an eligible institution under section 371(a) of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1067q(a)). 
‘‘(2) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may make 
grants under this subsection to eligible recipients to 
enable those eligible recipients to carry out projects 
described in paragraph (3) to better connect stu-
dents with transportation to eligible institutions. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—An eligible recipi-
ent receiving a grant under this subsection shall use 
grant funds to carry out 1 or more of the following 
activities to better connect students with transpor-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
tation to 1 or more eligible institutions that are 
served by the eligible recipient partnership: 
‘‘(A) Adding bus or rail stops or routes 
and complementary paratransit service that 
serve eligible institution campuses and connect 
to surrounding areas or other cities. 
‘‘(B) Increasing the frequency of service or 
adjusting the time of bus, rail, or paratransit 
routes to— 
‘‘(i) allow students of an eligible insti-
tution to get to and from their classes; and 
‘‘(ii) allow participants in a center- 
based Head Start program, and their fami-
lies, to get to and from the Head Start 
program. 
‘‘(C) Operating costs for service described 
in subparagraphs (A) and (B), if such costs are 
eligible under this section. 
‘‘(4) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible recipient 
that desires a grant under this subsection shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require, includ-
ing information on the extent to which the pro-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
posed projects using grant funds will improve 
the availability of transit access for students of 
eligible institutions and participants, and fami-
lies of participants, in center-based Head Start 
programs. 
‘‘(B) 
PRIORITY.—In 
awarding 
grants 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall give 
priority to an eligible recipient whose partner-
ship includes an eligible institution with respect 
to which more than 25 percent of students en-
rolled in that eligible institution receive a Fed-
eral Pell Grant under section 401 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a).’’; 
(2) in section 5311— 
(A) in subsection (c)— 
(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking 
‘‘and’’; 
(ii) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking 
the period at the end and inserting ‘‘; 
and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(C) there shall be set aside to carry out 
subsection (k)— 
‘‘(i) for fiscal year 2027, $1,000,000; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
‘‘(ii) for fiscal year 2028, $2,000,000; 
‘‘(iii) for fiscal year 2029, $3,000,000; 
‘‘(iv) for fiscal year 2030, $4,000,000; 
and 
‘‘(v) 
for 
fiscal 
year 
2031, 
$5,000,000.’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(k) PROMOTING ADVANCEMENT THROUGH TRANSIT 
HELP TO EDUCATION GRANTS.— 
‘‘(1) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection: 
‘‘(A) CENTER-BASED
HEAD
START
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘center-based Head Start 
program’ means a center-based Head Start pro-
gram, including a center-based Early Head 
Start program, under the Head Start Act (42 
U.S.C. 9831 et seq.). 
‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE
INSTITUTION.—The term 
‘eligible institution’ means— 
‘‘(i) a community college; 
‘‘(ii) a minority-serving institution; 
‘‘(iii) a Head Start agency, including 
an Early Head Start agency, that operates 
a center-based Head Start program; 
‘‘(iv) an area career and technical 
education school, as defined in section 3 of 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00006
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical 
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302); 
or 
‘‘(v) a rural-serving institution of 
higher education, as defined in section 861 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 
U.S.C. 1161q). 
‘‘(C) ELIGIBLE RECIPIENT.—The term ‘eli-
gible recipient’ means a public transportation 
provider that is eligible for assistance under 
this section in partnership with 1 or more eligi-
ble entities. 
‘‘(2) AUTHORITY.—The Secretary may make 
grants under this subsection to eligible recipients to 
enable those eligible recipients to carry out projects 
described in paragraph (3) to better connect stu-
dents with transportation to eligible institutions. 
‘‘(3) ELIGIBLE PROJECTS.—An eligible recipi-
ent receiving a grant under this subsection shall use 
grant funds to carry out 1 or more of the following 
activities to better connect students with transpor-
tation to 1 or more eligible institutions that are 
served by the eligible recipient partnership: 
‘‘(A) Adding bus or rail stops or routes 
and complementary paratransit service that 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00007
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
serve eligible institution campuses and connect 
to surrounding areas or other cities. 
‘‘(B) Increasing the frequency of service or 
adjusting the time of bus, rail, or paratransit 
routes to— 
‘‘(i) allow students of an eligible insti-
tution to get to and from their classes; and 
‘‘(ii) allow participants in a center- 
based Head Start program, and their fami-
lies, to get to and from the Head Start 
program. 
‘‘(C) Operating costs for service described 
in subparagraphs (A) and (B), if such costs are 
eligible under this section. 
‘‘(4) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—An eligible recipient 
that desires a grant under this subsection shall 
submit an application to the Secretary at such 
time, in such manner, and containing such in-
formation as the Secretary may require, includ-
ing information on the extent to which the pro-
posed projects using grant funds will improve 
the availability of transit access for students of 
eligible institutions and participants, and fami-
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00008
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
lies of participants, in center-based Head Start 
programs. 
‘‘(B) 
PRIORITY.—In 
awarding 
grants 
under this subsection, the Secretary shall give 
priority to an eligible recipient whose partner-
ship includes an eligible institution with respect 
to which more than 25 percent of students en-
rolled in that eligible institution receive a Fed-
eral Pell Grant under section 401 of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a).’’; 
and 
(3) in section 5336(h)— 
(A) 
by 
redesignating 
paragraphs 
(3) 
through (5) as paragraphs (4) through (6), re-
spectively; 
(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the 
following: 
‘‘(3) there shall be set aside to carry out section 
5307(i)— 
‘‘(A) for fiscal year 2027, $1,000,000; 
‘‘(B) for fiscal year 2028, $2,000,000; 
‘‘(C) for fiscal year 2029, $3,000,000; 
‘‘(D) for fiscal year 2030, $4,000,000; and 
‘‘(E) for fiscal year 2031, $5,000,000.’’; 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00009
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS
(C) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘and (2),’’ and inserting ‘‘, (2), and 
(3),’’; and 
(D) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, 
by striking ‘‘and (4)’’ and inserting ‘‘(4), and 
(5)’’. 
Æ 
VerDate Sep 11 2014 
21:03 Feb 04, 2026
Jkt 069200
PO 00000
Frm 00010
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H7099.IH
H7099
ssavage on LAPJG3WLY3PROD with BILLS