I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 9648 
To establish, maintain, and expand frequent, reliable, interconnected electric 
bus rapid transit service to expand racial, economic, and environmental 
justice. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 21, 2022 
Ms. BUSH (for herself, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia, Mr. 
CARSON, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Mrs. CAROLYN B. MALONEY of New York, 
Mr. GRIJALVA, Mrs. HAYES, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. BOWMAN, Mr. HUFFMAN, 
Mr. PAYNE, Mr. LIEU, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Mr. RASKIN, Mr. 
JONES, Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. 
KHANNA, Mr. MICHAEL F. DOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. DESAULNIER, 
Mr. AUCHINCLOSS, Mr. CASTEN, Mr. LEVIN of Michigan, Mr. WELCH, 
Mr. LARSEN of Washington, Ms. MCCOLLUM, Ms. KAPTUR, Mr. BEYER, 
Mr. TONKO, Ms. MENG, Ms. SA´NCHEZ, Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN, Mr. 
TAKANO, Mr. CLEAVER, Mr. BRENDAN F. BOYLE of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
COHEN, Ms. PINGREE, Mr. NADLER, Ms. BARRAGA´N, Ms. JAYAPAL, Ms. 
WILSON of Florida, Ms. JACKSON LEE, Ms. NEWMAN, Ms. DEAN, Ms. 
ADAMS, Ms. DEGETTE, Mr. EVANS, Ms. MATSUI, Ms. LEE of California, 
Mr. SCHIFF, Ms. STANSBURY, Mr. LYNCH, Mr. SMITH of Washington, 
Mr. BUTTERFIELD, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, 
and Ms. ROSS) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure 
A BILL 
To establish, maintain, and expand frequent, reliable, inter-
connected electric bus rapid transit service to expand 
racial, economic, and environmental justice. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Bus Rapid Transit 
Act’’. 
SEC. 2. BUS RAPID TRANSIT PROGRAM. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.—Not later than 120 days after 
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Trans-
portation, acting through the Administrator of the Federal 
Transit Administration, shall establish a program to pro-
vide grants to eligible public entities for the design and 
implementation of covered bus rapid transit systems. 
(b) APPLICATION.—To be eligible for a grant under 
this section, an eligible public entity shall submit to the 
Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, 
and containing such information as the Secretary may re-
quire. 
(c) USE OF FUNDS.—An eligible public entity receiv-
ing a grant under this section may use such grant for— 
(1) the design and implementation of a covered 
bus rapid transit system, including the design, ac-
quisition, operations, maintenance, construction, and 
leasing of required supporting facilities, and integra-
tion and improvement of other connected or nearby 
bus corridors, bicycle infrastructure, and pedestrian 
infrastructure; 
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(2) procuring and installing charging infra-
structure and renewable energy to power charging 
infrastructure; 
(3) the redesign, retrofit, renovation, update, 
and repair of existing bus systems to bring such sys-
tems up to the standard of covered bus rapid transit 
systems; 
(4) training current employees to effectively op-
erate, maintain, or otherwise adapt to new tech-
nologies relating to a covered bus rapid transit sys-
tem and associated charging equipment; 
(5) operating costs to increase service fre-
quencies on bus rapid transit routes that otherwise 
conform with this Act; 
(6) reducing or eliminating fares as part of eli-
gible projects; and 
(7) public engagement and participatory plan-
ning processes that meaningfully incorporate input 
from community members impacted by the covered 
bus rapid transit systems, including representatives 
from local labor organizations and other community 
groups, including those described subsection (d)(4). 
(d) REQUIREMENTS.—As a condition of accepting a 
grant under this section, an eligible public entity (other 
than a Tribal authority) shall— 
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(1) agree to take steps, in consultation with 
community groups and tenant advocates, to secure 
existing housing in neighborhoods receiving benefits 
from such grant, including through the use of rent 
control, rent stabilization, or other methods to sta-
bilize existing residents and prevent gentrification 
residential displacement; 
(2) ensure safety for covered bus rapid transit 
systems funded by such a grant by employing Elec-
tric 
Vehicle 
Infrastructure 
Training 
Program 
(EVITP)-certified electricians for the installation 
and maintenance of the electric components of the 
charging infrastructure; 
(3) provide to the Secretary in the application 
for such a grant information on what such steps the 
entity will take and how the entity will carry out the 
activities described in paragraph (1); 
(4) develop transit-oriented development plans 
for the area located around station stops that in-
clude new affordable housing or public housing; 
(5) provide to the Secretary a public engage-
ment, outreach, and education plan that illustrates 
the grantee’s commitment to meeting the mobility 
needs of the entire community that will be served by 
the covered bus rapid transit system, including 
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strategies to incorporate input from local labor orga-
nizations and other community groups, including en-
vironmental advocates, racial justice advocates, ten-
ant advocates, youth advocates, transit advocates, 
and disability rights advocates; and 
(6) certify that the covered bus rapid transit 
system funded by such grant shall operate on an ei-
ther flat-fare or fare-free basis. 
(e) PROHIBITION IN IMPACT ON FARES.—As a condi-
tion on receipt of a grant under this section, an eligible 
public entity shall certify to the Secretary that the fares 
for riding the covered bus rapid transit system— 
(1) shall not increase solely due to the improve-
ments carried out with funds provided under this 
section; and 
(2) shall not increase for any reason for at least 
1 year after the completion of the project funded 
under this section. 
(f) PRIORITY FOR ECONOMICALLY DISADVANTAGED 
COMMUNITIES.—In carrying out the program under this 
section, the Secretary shall prioritize projects located in 
economically disadvantaged communities. 
SEC. 3. SPECIAL RULES FOR TRIBES. 
(a) SET-ASIDE.—Contingent on sufficient qualifying 
applicants for grants under this Act that are Tribal au-
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thorities, the Secretary shall ensure that 5 percent of such 
grants are awarded to such applicants. 
(b) CRITERIA FOR CONSIDERATION AS COVERED BUS 
RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM.—With respect to a grants pro-
vided to a Tribal authority, notwithstanding section 
5(2)(A), a transit system for which funds are provided 
under this Act shall be considered a covered bus rapid 
transit system by meeting 4 of the criteria listed in section 
5(2)(A)(x) and 7 of the criteria listed in section 
5(2)(A)(xi). 
SEC. 4. FUNDING REQUIREMENTS. 
(a) FEDERAL SHARE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Federal share of a 
grant under this Act shall not exceed 85 percent. 
(2) PROJECTS
IN
ECONOMICALLY
DISADVAN-
TAGED COMMUNITIES.—Notwithstanding paragraph 
(1), the Federal share for a project located in and 
benefitting an economically disadvantaged commu-
nity may be up to 100 percent if the Secretary de-
termines that— 
(A) the project is part of an approved 
transportation plan required under sections 
5303 and 5304 of title 49, United States Code; 
and 
(B) the applicant has, or will have— 
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(i) the legal, financial, and technical 
capacity to carry out the project, including 
the safety and security aspects of the 
project; 
(ii) satisfactory continuing control 
over the use of the equipment or facilities; 
and 
(iii) the technical and financial capac-
ity to maintain new and existing equip-
ment and facilities. 
(b) PROHIBITION ON USE OF FUNDS.—None of the 
funds made available by this Act may be used to employ 
or otherwise enter into a contract for local, State, or Fed-
eral law enforcement officers or fare collectors who are 
armed. 
(c) SPECIAL RULE.—No financial assistance under 
chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, may be used 
for an automated vehicle providing public transportation 
unless the recipient of such assistance that proposes to 
deploy an automated vehicle providing public transpor-
tation certifies to the Secretary that the deployment does 
not eliminate or reduce the frequency of existing public 
transportation service. 
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(d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated $60,000,000,000 total for 
fiscal years 2024 through 2028 to carry out this Act. 
SEC. 5. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) ELIGIBLE PUBLIC ENTITY.—The term ‘‘eli-
gible public entity’’ means a local, Tribal, or State 
governmental authority, including metropolitan plan-
ning organizations, transit agencies, port authorities, 
and regional entities, or multiple adjacent authori-
ties submitting a joint application. 
(2) COVERED BUS RAPID TRANSIT SYSTEM.— 
The term ‘‘covered bus rapid transit system’’ means 
a publicly owned bus rapid transit system that— 
(A) has— 
(i) dedicated, physically separated 
right of ways that run at least 2 miles; 
(ii) all buses added to operation are 
battery powered electric vehicles and any 
existing operational buses meet applicable 
2010 emissions standards; 
(iii) accessibility for all customers, in-
cluding those who are physically, visually, 
or hearing-impaired, as well as those with 
temporary disabilities, the elderly, children, 
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parents with strollers, and other load-car-
rying passengers; 
(iv) buses aligned in the central verge 
of the roadway for at least 75 percent of 
the route; 
(v) all buses, routes, and stations in 
corridor follow single unifying brand of en-
tire bus rapid transit system; 
(vi) functioning real-time and up-to- 
date static passenger information corridor- 
wide that is available during all hours of 
operation; 
(vii) physical transfer points inte-
grated with other public transit; 
(viii) safe and accessible pedestrian 
design at each station, with a continuous 
walking path network along the entire cor-
ridor; 
(ix) service frequency no less than 6 
buses per hour on all routes; 
(x) at least 5 elements out of— 
(I) off board fare collection; 
(II) traffic signal priority; 
(III) turns prohibited across the 
busway; 
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