I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4466 
To provide funding flexibility to the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit 
Authority, to grant authority to amend the Washington Metropolitan 
Area Transit Authority Compact, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 28, 2017 
Mr. BROWN of Maryland (for himself and Mr. RASKIN) introduced the fol-
lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and 
in addition to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, for 
a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the com-
mittee concerned 
A BILL 
To provide funding flexibility to the Washington Metropolitan 
Area Transit Authority, to grant authority to amend 
the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority 
Compact, 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. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘WMATA Flexible 
Funding and Safety Improvement Act’’. 
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TITLE I—OPERATING 
ASSISTANCE 
SEC. 101. FEDERAL OPERATING ASSISTANCE. 
Section 5307 of title 49, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(i) SPECIAL RULE.—The Secretary may make 
grants under this section to finance the operating cost of 
equipment and facilities for use in an urbanized area with 
a population of not fewer than 200,000 individuals, as de-
termined by the Bureau of the Census, for a public trans-
portation system that— 
‘‘(1) operates as an interstate compact agency 
by the terms of its enabling legislation; and 
‘‘(2) is an agency and instrumentality of 3 sig-
natories, which have enacted legislation— 
‘‘(A) to provide a dedicated source of rev-
enue to finance the operating costs of equip-
ment and facilities for use in public transpor-
tation; and 
‘‘(B) that results in the collection of local 
and State funds that cover at least 50 percent 
of such operating costs.’’. 
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TITLE II—WASHINGTON METRO-
POLITAN AREA TRANSIT AU-
THORITY COMPACT 
SEC. 201. DEFINITIONS. 
In this title, the following definitions apply: 
(1) COMPACT.—The term ‘‘Compact’’ means 
title III of the Washington Metropolitan Area Tran-
sit Regulation Compact, known as the Washington 
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Compact, con-
sented to by Congress under Public Law 89–774 (80 
Stat. 1324 et seq.). 
(2) DEADHEAD MILES.—The term ‘‘deadhead 
miles’’ means the movement of a transit vehicle 
without passengers aboard, which often occurs to 
and from a garage or to and from 1 route to an-
other. 
(3) METROACCESS.—The term ‘‘MetroAccess’’ 
means the paratransit service of the Transit Author-
ity for individuals whose disability prevents them 
from using a bus or rail facility. 
(4) SUPER-LATE TRIPS.—The term ‘‘super-late 
trips’’ means MetroAccess trips extending at least 
20 minutes past the delivery window. 
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(5) TRANSIT AUTHORITY.—The term ‘‘Transit 
Authority’’ means the Washington Metropolitan 
Area Transit Authority. 
SEC. 202. AUTHORITY FOR COMPACT AMENDMENTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The consent of Congress is hereby 
granted for the State of Maryland, the Commonwealth of 
Virginia, and the District of Columbia to amend the Com-
pact for the purposes described in this section. 
(b) SAFETY TASK FORCES.—The Compact may be 
amended to authorize the Transit Authority to establish 
and maintain— 
(1) the Jeanice McMillan Washington Metro-
politan Area Transit Authority Track Safety Task 
Force for the development of on-track safety stand-
ards for the Transit Authority, as provided by sec-
tion 203; and 
(2) the Thomasine Maria Smith Washington 
Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Bus Safety 
Task Force for the development of bus safety stand-
ards for the Transit Authority, as provided by sec-
tion 204. 
(c) METROACCESS REVIEW.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Compact may be 
amended— 
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(A) to direct the Inspector General for the 
Transit Authority, prior to the renewal of any 
private MetroAccess contract by the Transit 
Authority for the provision of demand response 
services, to conduct a review of the MetroAccess 
program and submit a report on the results of 
the review in accordance with this subsection; 
and 
(B) to include the prohibition set forth in 
paragraph (5). 
(2) CONTENTS.—In conducting the review, the 
Inspector General shall compare paratransit services 
provided under the MetroAccess program to similar 
programs carried out by at least 30 peer transit 
agencies across the United States, including systems 
that directly operate such services and systems that 
purchase transportation for such services. 
(3) SCOPE.—The Inspector General shall en-
sure that the scope of the review includes an exam-
ination of— 
(A) percentage of deadhead miles; 
(B) percentage of deadhead hours; 
(C) passengers per revenue mile; 
(D) average trip length; 
(E) cost per revenue mile; 
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(A) shall not renew the MetroAccess con-
tract that triggered the review; and 
(B) shall arrange to perform such services 
directly. 
(d) FLAT FARE, FREE TRANSFER PILOT PROGRAM; 
ABILITY-BASED FARES PROGRAM.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—The Compact may be 
amended to provide for, in accordance with the re-
quirements of this subsection— 
(A) a flat fare, free transfer pilot program; 
and 
(B) an ability-based fares program. 
(2) FLAT FARE, FREE TRANSFER PILOT PRO-
GRAM.— 
(A) IN
GENERAL.—Under the flat fare, 
free transfer pilot program authorized by para-
graph (1), not later than 90 days after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Transit Authority 
shall institute at each participating Metrorail 
station, and widely publicize, a 1-year flat fare 
consisting of— 
(i) a flat fare of $2.50 for all Metro-
rail trips originating from the participating 
Metrorail station; and 
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(ii) free transfers at the participating 
Metrorail station between Metrorail and 
Metrobus. 
(B) SELECTION OF PARTICIPATING MET-
RORAIL
STATIONS.—The Transit Authority 
shall select 3 Metrorail stations for participa-
tion in the pilot program, one of which shall be 
located in Maryland, one of which shall be lo-
cated in Virginia, and one of which shall be lo-
cated in the District of Columbia. 
(C) REPORT.— 
(i) IN
GENERAL.—The Transit Au-
thority shall develop a report on the results 
of the pilot program. 
(ii) CONTENTS.—In developing the re-
port, the Transit Authority shall exam-
ine— 
(I) bus and rail ridership at Met-
rorail stations participating in the 
pilot program, comparing data from 
the period of the pilot program to the 
2 previous years; and 
(II) ridership patterns at other 
nearby Metrorail stations compared to 
the 2 previous years. 
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(iii) SUBMISSION.—Not later that 90 
days after the termination of the pilot pro-
gram, the Transit Authority shall submit 
the report to the Governor of Maryland, 
the Governor of Virginia, the Mayor of the 
District of Columbia, the President of the 
Maryland Senate, the President of the Vir-
ginia Senate, the Speaker of the Maryland 
House of Delegates, the Speaker of the 
Virginia House of Delegates, and the 
Chairman of the Council of the District of 
Columbia. 
(iv) CONSIDERATION OF REPORT RE-
SULTS.—If the report indicates that there 
was significant ridership growth at partici-
pating Metrorail stations as a result of the 
pilot program, the Transit Authority shall 
consider system-wide implementation of a 
successor program that is based on the 
pilot program. 
(3) ABILITY-BASED FARES PROGRAM.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Under the ability-based 
fares program authorized by paragraph (1), not 
later than 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act, the Transit Authority shall imple-
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ment a fare system, to be known as the lifeline 
fare system, that takes into account the ability 
of a passenger to pay. 
(B) ELIGIBILITY.—The lifeline fare system 
shall provide a 50-percent discount for residents 
whose incomes are at least 200 percent below 
the Federal poverty level. 
SEC. 203. JEANICE MCMILLAN WASHINGTON METROPOLI-
TAN AREA TRANSIT AUTHORITY TRACK SAFE-
TY TASK FORCE. 
The amendments to the Compact referred to in sec-
tion 202(b)(1) are substantially as follows: 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT
OF TRACK SAFETY TASK 
FORCE.—There is established the Jeanice McMillan 
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Track 
Safety Task Force. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The Task force shall be responsible 
for reviewing the on-track safety program of the Transit 
Authority, including— 
‘‘(1) training and qualifications of employees of 
the Transit Authority affected by the program; 
‘‘(2) appropriate procedures for protecting em-
ployees of the Transit Authority engaged in work 
along the track right-of-way, including good faith 
challenge procedures; 
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‘‘(3) instructions to train operators; 
‘‘(4) relevant rules of the Transit Authority; 
‘‘(5) third rail safety; 
‘‘(6) illuminations; and 
‘‘(7) any additional related safety matters. 
‘‘(c) STANDARDS.—The Task Fore shall conduct the 
review in accordance with— 
‘‘(1) the best principles and practices found in 
Safety Management Systems and High Reliability 
Organizations identified in the report of the Transit 
Rail Advisory Committee entitled ‘Implementing 
Safety Management System Principles in Rail Tran-
sit Agencies’, dated May 20, 2011; and 
‘‘(2) recommendations detailing how processes, 
practices, tasks, and individual employee responsibil-
ities can support a strong safety culture, as reported 
in the report of the Transit Rail Advisory Com-
mittee entitled ‘Building Toward a Strong Safety 
Culture Within the Bus and Rail Transit Industry’, 
dated February 27, 2017. 
‘‘(d) MEMBERSHIP.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Task Force shall be 
composed of 4 members as follows: 
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‘‘(A) The Chairman of the Washington 
Metrorail Safety Commission (or the Chair-
man’s designee). 
‘‘(B) The Chief Safety Officer of the 
Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Author-
ity (or the Chief Safety Officer’s designee). 
‘‘(C) The Deputy Chief of Rail Safety and 
Facilities of the Washington Metropolitan Area 
Transit Authority (or the Deputy Chief’s des-
ignee). 
‘‘(D) The President of Amalgamated Tran-
sit Union, Local 689 (or the President’s des-
ignee). 
‘‘(2) CHAIR.—The Chairman of the Washington 
Metrorail Safety Commission (or the Chairman’s 
designee) shall be the Chair of the Task Force. 
‘‘(3) MEETINGS.—The Task Force shall meet 
at the call of the Chair, but in no event less than 
4 times per year. Any member of the Task Force 
may call a meeting of the Task Force if the member 
provides not fewer than 10 days written notice of 
the meeting to the other members. 
‘‘(4) COMPENSATION; EXPENSES.—The mem-
bers of the Task Force shall receive no salary or 
other compensation for their services, but the mem-
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