Expanded Transit Service Act
Bill: S.2534 | Sponsor: Sen. Ossoff, Jon (D-GA)
Policy area: Transportation and Public Works

Summary:
Expanded Transit Service Act
This bill allows an urbanized area with 200,000 or more residents to use a portion of its Urbanized Area Formula Grants for operating expenses to increase the frequency and availability of public transportation. Under current law, the grants support various transit planning and related activities in urbanized areas; however, only areas with fewer than 200,000 residents may use funds for transit operating expenses.

To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide assistance for 
  increasing the frequency and availability of public transportation 
                    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 ``Expanded Transit Service Act''.

SEC. 2. URBANIZED AREA FORMULA GRANTS.

    Section 5307(a) of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in paragraph (1), by striking subparagraph (D) and 
        inserting the following:
                    ``(D) operating costs of equipment and facilities 
                for use in public transportation--
                            ``(i) in an urbanized area with a 
                        population of fewer than 200,000 individuals, 
                        as determined by the Bureau of the Census; or
                            ``(ii) as provided under paragraph (2), 
                        (3), or (4).''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(4) Exception for increasing the frequency and 
        availability of transit service.--
                    ``(A) In general.--A recipient in an urbanized area 
                with a population of not fewer than 200,000 individuals 
                may use not more than 10 percent of the amounts made 
                available to the recipient under this section for 
                operating costs that increase the frequency and 
                availability of public transportation service.
                    ``(B) Measurement.--Operating costs described in 
                subparagraph (A) shall be related to increasing or 
                maintaining the frequency and availability of public 
                transportation service as measured by a comparison of--
                            ``(i) the planned number of vehicle revenue 
                        hours of service provided by the recipient in 
                        the current fiscal year; to
                            ``(ii) the number of vehicle revenue hours 
                        of service provided by the recipient in--
                                    ``(I) the fiscal year preceding the 
                                first fiscal year in which the 
                                recipient uses amounts under this 
                                paragraph; or
                                    ``(II) a different fiscal year, as 
                                determined by the Secretary, in the 
                                case of emergency or disaster.
                    ``(C) Eligibility.--Eligible operating costs under 
                this paragraph include costs associated with--
                            ``(i) decreasing headways;
                            ``(ii) expanding service hours or days;
                            ``(iii) providing service to new routes; or
                            ``(iv) expanding routes.''.
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