Legislation Search

H.R. 3449: Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act

This bill, titled the Stronger Communities through Better Transit Act, aims to improve public transportation infrastructure in the United States. It proposes the establishment of a program under the authority of the Secretary of Transportation that would make grants available to eligible recipients for operating support costs, particularly to enhance mobility and environmental sustainability in public transit services.

Key Provisions

Grant Program: The Secretary of Transportation shall create a program for making grants to eligible areas including urbanized areas, states, and Indian Tribes. The funding is to be allocated based on recent historical data from the National Transit Database.
Funding Allocation: Each urbanized area will receive a grant amount equal to 50% of its average annual operating costs from the prior three years. Remaining funds will be distributed based on all reported operating costs from these areas. No single recipient can receive more than 80% of the average operating costs in any given year.
Eligible Projects: Grants can be used for various operational costs to improve public transit, including:
- Reducing waiting times between transit services
- Expanding transit service areas and operational hours
- Improving service reliability and reducing travel times
- Implementing technology for customer safety and real-time information
- Enhancing connectivity among transportation modes and integrating payment systems
- Conducting service planning and demographic analysis for transit needs.
Focus on Underserved Communities: The bill requires that the majority of grant funds are used for projects that benefit underserved communities and areas experiencing persistent poverty. This is intended to improve access to transit for populations in need.
Federal Funding Share: The federal contribution for projects is capped at 50% but can increase to 80% for projects in areas of persistent poverty or for Indian Tribes, where it could be 100%. This allows greater support for regions that may struggle to afford transit improvements.
Reporting Requirements: Recipients of the grants must report on service usage and community needs, ensuring that the projects meet the demands of both existing transit users and potential riders.
Timeframe and Appropriations: The bill authorizes $20 billion annually through fiscal years 2025 to 2028 to support these efforts.

Measurement of Access

The Secretary of Transportation is tasked with creating a system for measuring access to jobs and essential services through public transportation, which will help in assessing the adequacy of transit services and identifying areas for improvement.

Compliance and Oversight

A comprehensive review by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) is also mandated to report on the effectiveness of the program four years after its establishment, specifically regarding service enhancements and access improvements for marginalized communities.

Funding Authorization and Scope

The scope of the bill reflects a significant push for increased public transit funding and operational support aimed at modernizing transportation systems and addressing the needs of communities reliant on public transit for access to jobs and services.

Relevant Companies

CSX (CSX Corporation): This company operates freight rail transport and may be indirectly impacted by improved public transit leading to shifts in transportation demand.
NiSource Inc. (NI): Utility companies like NiSource may see increased demand for energy and infrastructure services as public transit improvements are made.
Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (BRK.B): Owns a diverse array of businesses, some of which may engage in public infrastructure and transportation, potentially leading to new business opportunities or partnerships.

This is an AI-generated summary of the bill text. There may be mistakes.

Actions

2 actions

Date	Action
May. 15, 2025	Introduced in House
May. 15, 2025	Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Corporate Lobbying

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Potentially Relevant Congressional Stock Trades

Estimated excess return of the underlying stock since the transaction

Politician	Stock	Transaction	Filed	Traded
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Jun 10, 2025	May 19, 2025	+1.65%
Markwayne Mullin R / Senate	CSX CSX Corp	Purchase $15,001 - $50,000	Jun 11, 2025	May 13, 2025	+2.55%
Jefferson Shreve R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION	Sale $15,001 - $50,000	Jun 22, 2025	May 12, 2025	+2.68%
Jefferson Shreve R / House	NI NISOURCE INC COMMON STOCK	Sale $50,001 - $100,000	Jun 22, 2025	May 12, 2025	-2.31%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	May 12, 2025	Apr 23, 2025	+3.95%
Bruce Westerman R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	May 12, 2025	Apr 21, 2025	-0.34%
Jefferson Shreve R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION	Purchase $15,001 - $50,000	May 08, 2025	Apr 17, 2025	+1.59%
Tommy Tuberville R / Senate	CSX CSX Corp	Sale (Full) $15,001 - $50,000	May 15, 2025	Apr 15, 2025	+3.09%
Dan Newhouse R / House	NI NISOURCE INC COMMON STOCK	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	May 16, 2025	Apr 11, 2025	-12.67%
Bruce Westerman R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	May 12, 2025	Apr 08, 2025	-1.00%
Robert Bresnahan R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Apr 28, 2025	Apr 08, 2025	-1.00%
Markwayne Mullin R / Senate	CSX CSX Corp	Sale (Full) $15,001 - $50,000	May 12, 2025	Apr 08, 2025	-1.00%
Jefferson Shreve R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION	Sale $15,001 - $50,000	Apr 11, 2025	Mar 13, 2025	+1.03%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Apr 10, 2025	Mar 12, 2025	+0.88%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Apr 10, 2025	Mar 06, 2025	-1.40%
Robert Bresnahan R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Mar 27, 2025	Feb 25, 2025	-1.36%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Mar 06, 2025	Feb 25, 2025	-1.36%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Mar 06, 2025	Feb 19, 2025	+0.84%
Markwayne Mullin R / Senate	BRK Bershire Hathaway Cdr [Cad Hedged]	Sale (Partial) $15,001 - $50,000	Feb 27, 2025	Feb 13, 2025	-
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Sale $1,000,001 - $5,000,000	Feb 06, 2025	Jan 22, 2025	-2.83%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Feb 06, 2025	Jan 17, 2025	-2.80%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Dec 05, 2024	Nov 15, 2024	-11.87%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Nov 08, 2024	Oct 14, 2024	-12.58%
Ro Khanna D / House	NI NISOURCE INC. HYBRID 11/30/2054	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Jun 05, 2024	May 13, 2024	+19.54%
Ro Khanna D / House	NI NISOURCE INC. HYBRID 11/30/2054	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Jun 05, 2024	May 13, 2024	+19.54%
Dan Newhouse R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION - COMMON STOCK	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Apr 25, 2024	Apr 10, 2024	-27.46%
Dan Newhouse R / House	NI NISOURCE INC COMMON STOCK	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Apr 25, 2024	Apr 10, 2024	+25.65%
Tommy Tuberville R / Senate	CSX CSX Corporation - Common Stock	Sale (Full) $15,001 - $50,000	Apr 15, 2024	Mar 12, 2024	-32.84%
John R. Curtis R / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Dec 15, 2023	Dec 04, 2023	-37.88%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Nov 08, 2023	Oct 31, 2023	-37.92%
Tommy Tuberville R / Senate	CSX CSX Corporation - Common Stock	Sale (Partial) $1,001 - $15,000	Nov 16, 2023	Oct 16, 2023	-37.34%
Markwayne Mullin R / Senate	CSX CSX Corporation - Common Stock	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Nov 01, 2023	Oct 03, 2023	-40.01%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Purchase $1,001 - $15,000	Nov 08, 2023	Oct 02, 2023	-37.21%
Markwayne Mullin R / Senate	CSX CSX Corporation - Common Stock	Purchase $15,001 - $50,000	Oct 12, 2023	Sep 13, 2023	-30.77%
Ro Khanna D / House	CSX CSX CORPORATION CMN	Sale $1,001 - $15,000	Sep 06, 2023	Aug 29, 2023	-30.88%