Freedom to Move Act
Bill: H.R.2287 | Sponsor: Rep. Pressley, Ayanna (D-MA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Freedom to Move Act
This bill directs the Department of Transportation to award competitive five-year grants (Freedom to Move Grants) to states, local governments, transit agencies, and non-profit organizations in both rural and urban areas to cover the lost fare revenue for fare-free public transportation and improve public transportation.
Grants shall be used to support (1) implementing a fare-free transit program; and (2) efforts to improve public transportation, particularly in underserved communities, such as costs associated with efforts to provide more safe, frequent, and reliable bus service, including bus stop safety and accessibility improvements, and pedestrian and bike shelters.

To direct the Secretary of Transportation to carry out a grant program 
to support efforts to provide fare-free transit service, and for other 
                               purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom to Move Act''.

SEC. 2. PURPOSE.

    The purposes of this Act are--
            (1) to invest in State, county, and local municipalities 
        efforts to provide fare-free public transportation; and
            (2) to support State, county, and local municipalities in 
        improving and expanding access to safe, accessible, and 
        reliable mass transit systems in order to improve the 
        livability of communities.

SEC. 3. FINDINGS.

     Congress finds the following:
            (1) Increasing access to safe, reliable, and affordable 
        public transit systems, including buses, light rail, and 
        subways can help increase community livability and mobility to 
        critical services such as education, jobs, and healthcare.
            (2) The cost of transit fares can act as a challenging 
        economic barrier for low-income individuals and families who 
        are most likely to rely on public transportation to access 
        critical services and must spend larger parts of their 
        household budget on transportation services. Removing economic 
        barriers to safe, reliable, and affordable public transit, can 
        help to increase social and economic mobility by increasing 
        access to education, training, and employment.
            (3) Individuals with disabilities are twice as likely as 
        those without disabilities to have inadequate access to safe, 
        affordable, and reliable transportation. Reports have found 
        that of the nearly 2 million people with disabilities who are 
        unable to leave their homes, nearly 30 percent is due to lack 
        of adequate transportation.
            (4) As the senior population continues to grow, an 
        increasing number of elderly adults depend on public transit to 
        access medical care and other vital services. Additionally, the 
        percentage of 13 to 34-year-olds without a driver's license 
        continues to grow. Taken together, these trends show the 
        unprecedented urgency of investing in and improving our public 
        transit systems.
            (5) According to the Department of Transportation, 
        transportation accounts for 29 percent of greenhouse gas 
        emissions in the United States. Public transportation, however, 
        produces significantly lower greenhouse gas emissions per 
        passenger mile than by private vehicles. Increasing public 
        transit ridership and moving more people to and from critical 
        services with fewer vehicles on the road can reduce greenhouse 
        gas emissions.
            (6) Eliminating transit fares and significantly reducing 
        economic barriers to public transit will help to reduce the 
        need for fare evasion policies that disproportionately 
        criminalize low-income individuals and people of color.

SEC. 4. GRANTS TO SUPPORT FARE-FREE TRANSIT.

    (a) In General.--Not later than 360 days after the date of 
enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall award grants (which shall be 
known as ``Freedom to Move Grants'') to eligible entities, on a 
competitive basis, to cover the lost fare revenue for fare-free public 
transportation and improve public transportation.
    (b) Application.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this 
section, an eligible entity shall submit to the Secretary an 
application at such time, in such manner, and containing such 
information as the Secretary may require, including, at a minimum, the 
following:
            (1) A description of how the eligible entity plans to 
        implement fare free transit access.
            (2) A description of how the entity will work to expand and 
        improve bus service, which may include--
                    (A) a bus network redesign;
                    (B) how such redesign will prioritize consistent 
                and reliable service for low-income and historically 
                underserved communities;
                    (C) how such redesign will prioritize connectivity 
                to critical services and improve community livability; 
                and
                    (D) how the eligible entity will meaningfully 
                consult with community, community leaders, local 
                stakeholders and advocates, including transit advocates 
                and disability advocates, local education agencies and 
                institutions of higher education, community developers, 
                labor unions, public housing agencies and workforce 
                development boards, while facilitating such redesign.
            (3) A description of how the eligible entity will 
        meaningfully partner and collaborate with community, community 
        leaders, local stakeholders and advocates, including transit 
        advocates and disability advocates, local education agencies 
        and institutions of higher education, community developers, 
        labor unions, public housing agencies and workforce development 
        boards to support outreach efforts to increase awareness of 
        fare-free bus and transit programs.
            (4) A description of the eligible entity's equity 
        evaluation examining any transit and mobility gaps within the 
        current transit system and how the eligible entity plans to 
        significantly improve these gaps, including--
                    (A) the average commute times for driver commuters 
                and non-driver commuters;
                    (B) public transit ridership rates disaggregated by 
                mode of transportation and demographic group (youth 
                (including youth involved in the foster care system), 
                seniors, individuals with disabilities, and low-income 
                status); and
                    (C) average length of bus routes and average delay 
                times.
            (5) A description of the eligible entity's current fare 
        evasion enforcement policies, including--
                    (A) the cost of the fine and whether the infraction 
                is considered a civil offense or a criminal offense 
                punishable by imprisonment;
                    (B) the number of individuals charged with 
                violating a fare evasion policy, disaggregated by age, 
                race, gender, and disability status; and
                    (C) how the eligible entity plans to eliminate fare 
                evasion policies and end the criminalization of 
                individuals evading fares.
            (6) An estimate of additional costs as a result of 
        increased ridership, including--
                    (A) fuel;
                    (B) personnel;
                    (C) maintenance; and
                    (D) other operational costs.
            (7) Information and statistics on assaults on transit 
        employees and a description of trainings and policies to 
        protect employees, which may include de-escalation training.
    (c) Duration.--Grants awarded under this section shall be for a 5-
year period.
    (d) Selection of Eligible Entities.--In carrying out the program 
under this section, the Secretary shall award grants to eligible 
entities located in both rural and urbanized areas.
    (e) Uses of Funds.--An eligible entity that receives a grant under 
this section shall use such grant to support--
            (1) implementing a fare-free transit program; and
            (2) efforts to improve public transportation, particularly 
        in underserved communities, including costs associated with 
        efforts to provide more safe, frequent, and reliable bus 
        service, including--
                    (A) bus stop safety and accessibility improvements;
                    (B) pedestrian and bike shelters;
                    (C) signage;
                    (D) painted bus lanes;
                    (E) signal priority systems;
                    (F) street redesign;
                    (G) operational costs to meet demands of increased 
                ridership, including hiring and training of personnel; 
                and
                    (H) conducting a bus network redesign.
    (f) Definitions.--In this section:
            (1) Eligible entities.--In this section, the term 
        ``eligible entity'' means--
                    (A) a State, county, local municipality;
                    (B) a transit agency;
                    (C) a private nonprofit organization engaged in 
                public transportation in rural areas; or
                    (D) a partnership between entities described in 
                subparagraphs (A) through (D).
            (2) Underserved community.--The term ``underserved 
        community'' means--
                    (A) a community not served by existing bus routes 
                or infrequent service; and
                    (B) a community located in an area within a census 
                tract that is identified as--
                            (i) a low-income community; and
                            (ii) a community of color.
            (3) Low-income individuals.--The term ``low-income 
        individuals'' means an individual whose family income is at or 
        below 150 percent of the poverty line (as that term is defined 
        in section 673(2) of the Community Service Block Grant Act (42 
        U.S.C. 9902(2)), including any revision required by that 
        section) for a family of the size involved.
            (4) Foster care youth.--The term ``foster care youth''--
                    (A) means children and youth whose care and 
                placement are the responsibility of the State or Tribal 
                agency that administers a State or Tribal plan under 
                part B or E of title IV of the Social Security Act (42 
                U.S.C. 621 et seq. and 670 et seq.), without regard to 
                whether foster care maintenance payments are made under 
                section 472 of such Act (42 U.S.C. 672) on behalf of 
                such children and youth; and
                    (B) includes individuals who were age 13 or older 
                when their care and placement were the responsibility 
                of a State or Tribal agency that administered a State 
                or Tribal plan under part B or E of title IV of the 
                Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 621 et seq. and 670 et 
                seq.) and who are no longer under the care and 
                responsibility of such a State or Tribal agency, 
                without regard to any such individual's subsequent 
                adoption, guardianship arrangement, or other form of 
                permanency outcome.
            (5) Public transportation.--The term ``public 
        transportation''--
                    (A) means regular, continuing shared-ride surface 
                transportation services that are open to the general 
                public or open to a segment of the general public 
                defined by age, disability, or low income; and
                    (B) does not include--
                            (i) intercity passenger rail transportation 
                        provided by the entity described in chapter 243 
                        of title 49, United States Code, (or a 
                        successor to such entity);
                            (ii) intercity bus service;
                            (iii) charter bus service;
                            (iv) school bus service;
                            (v) sightseeing service;
                            (vi) courtesy shuttle service for patrons 
                        of one or more specific establishments; or
                            (vii) intra-terminal or intra-facility 
                        shuttle services.
    (g) Report.--
            (1) In general.--Not later than 3 years after the date on 
        which funds are made available to carry out this section, the 
        Secretary shall collect data from eligible entities receiving a 
        grant under this section on the progress of meeting the targets 
        described in the application of such entity.
            (2) Requirements.--The report required under paragraph (1) 
        shall--
                    (A) collect data on demographics of communities 
                served under this Act, disaggregated and cross-
                tabulated by--
                            (i) race
                            (ii) ethnicity;
                            (iii) sex; and
                            (iv) household median income; and
                    (B) progress towards significantly closing transit 
                equity gaps as described in subsection (b)(4).
    (h) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be 
appropriated to carry out this section $5,000,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2022 through 2026.
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