Medium Transit Intensive Cities Authorization Act of 2026
- Bill Number
- H.R. 8785
- Origin Chamber
- House
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 2
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2026-05-13: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- Last Updated
- 2026-05-27T08:53:39Z
AI-Generated Summary
## Purpose This legislation amends existing federal law to create a new formula for distributing a portion of public transportation funds to medium-sized urbanized areas that demonstrate strong transit performance relative to larger cities.
## Key Provisions
- The bill, titled the Medium Transit Intensive Cities Authorization Act of 2026, modifies section 5336 of title 49, United States Code.
- It allocates 1.5 percent of certain unapportioned funds to urbanized areas with populations between 200,000 and 999,999.
- Apportionment uses a ratio based on how many of six performance categories each eligible area meets or exceeds the average for urbanized areas with populations of at least 1,000,000.
- The six performance categories are: passenger miles traveled per vehicle revenue mile; passenger miles traveled per vehicle revenue hour; vehicle revenue miles per capita; vehicle revenue hours per capita; passenger miles traveled per capita; and passengers per capita.
- Calculations rely on data from the national transit database.
- The Secretary of Transportation determines eligibility and averages using existing methods.
## Significant Changes to Existing Law
- Redesignates existing paragraphs in subsection (h) and inserts a new paragraph (4) for the 1.5 percent allocation.
- Adds a new subsection (k) that defines the medium-sized transit-intensive cities formula, including terms such as "eligible area" and "performance category."
- Updates cross-references in subsections (a) and (h) to account for the new allocation.
## Potential Impacts
- Government agencies: The Department of Transportation must update its apportionment processes and use national transit database data for the new calculations.
- Citizens: Medium-sized urban areas with high-performing transit systems may receive additional federal funding, potentially supporting improved service.
- No direct effects on international relations are outlined.
## Main Stakeholders Affected
- Transit agencies and operators in urbanized areas with populations of 200,000 to 999,999.
- The Federal Transit Administration and the Secretary of Transportation.
- State and local governments responsible for public transportation in those areas.
- Riders and residents in eligible medium-sized cities.
## Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- This represents a statutory change to federal funding formulas under title 49, directing a fixed percentage of resources based on performance metrics.
- It introduces no apparent constitutional issues and maintains existing administrative authority for the Department of Transportation.
- The measure creates a performance-based incentive within the existing transit funding framework without altering broader legal structures.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24]
Cosponsors (1)
Recent Actions
- 2026-05-13: Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.
- 2026-05-13: Introduced in House
- 2026-05-13: Introduced in House
Bill Versions
- Medium Transit Intensive Cities Authorization Act of 2026 — issued 2026-05-13 — PDF (4 pages)