December 11, 2025
Mr. Van Hollen (for himself, Mr. Fetterman, Ms. Blunt Rochester, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Warren, Ms. Alsobrooks, Mr. Markey, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Booker, and Mr. Blumenthal) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
To authorize urbanized area formula grants for service improvement and safety and security enhancement, 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 Moving Transit Forward Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Urbanized area formula grants for service improvement and safety and security enhancement
(a) In general
Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 5307 the following:
5308. Urbanized area formula grants for service improvement and safety and security enhancement
(a) General authority
The Secretary may make grants under this section for—
(1)
operating costs of equipment and facilities for use in public transportation in an urbanized area, if such costs increase or support the quality, frequency, or geographic availability of service;
(2)
planning of service adjustments to increase the quality, frequency, or geographic availability of service;
(3)
capital projects or operating costs to increase the security of an existing or planned public transportation system, including costs of law enforcement or security personnel; or
(4)
capital projects for safety risk mitigations that are identified and recommended by the safety committee of a recipient under section 5329.
(b) Apportionments
(1) In general
The Secretary shall apportion the amounts made available for each fiscal year to carry out this section so that each urbanized area is entitled to receive an amount equal to the amount apportioned under this section multiplied by a ratio equal to the urbanized area’s operating expenses for the most recent year reported to the Secretary under section 5335, divided by the total operating expenses attributable to all urbanized areas.
(2) Additional amounts
Amounts apportioned to each urbanized area shall be added to amounts apportioned to that urbanized area under section 5336 and made available for eligible activities under this section in accordance with the requirements of section 5307, except as modified under this section.
(c) Grant requirements
(1) Certifications
(A) Grants for operating costs of equipment and facilities to increase or support service
A recipient of assistance for operating costs under subsection (a)(1) shall certify to the Secretary that the recipient will—
(i)
utilize the operating assistance to increase or support the total level of vehicle revenue service provided by the recipient; and
(ii)
ensure that the amount of non-Federal expenditures for operating expenses for each of the fiscal years for which the recipient proposes to use the operating assistance to increase or support vehicle revenue service is not less than the amount of non-Federal expenditures of the recipient for operating expenses for the most recent fiscal year.
(B) Grants for capital projects or operating costs to increase security
A recipient of assistance for capital projects or operating costs under subsection (a)(3) shall certify to the Secretary that the recipient will ensure that the amount of non-Federal expenditures for security expenses of the recipient for each of the fiscal years for which the recipient proposes to use assistance to increase the security of an existing or planned public transportation system is not less than the amount of non-Federal expenditures for security expenses of the recipient for the most recent fiscal year.
(2) Other programs or plans
Operating assistance under this section is not required to be included in a transportation improvement program, metropolitan transportation plan, statewide transportation improvement program, or statewide transportation plan under section 5303 or 5304.
(3) Prohibition
Operating assistance under subsection (a)(1) and assistance for planning under subsection (a)(2) shall not be made available for transitioning fixed route public transportation service provided as of the date of receipt of funds to services offered by a third-party contract provider providing on-demand service.
(4) Other amounts
Notwithstanding section 5307(a)(1)(D), an urbanized area may use not more than 10 percent of the apportionment for the area under section 5336 as if such amounts were made available originally under this section.
(d) Government share of costs for operating expenses
(1) In general
A grant under this section for operating expenses shall be for 80 percent of the net project cost of the project.
(2) Additional matching amounts
A recipient of a grant under this section for operating expenses may provide additional local matching amounts beyond the amount required under paragraph (1).
(b) Technical and conforming amendment
The table of sections for chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 5307 the following: