HR 9898

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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 23, 2026

Mr. Cleaver (for himself, Mr. Bell, Mr. Carson, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. Chu, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Frost, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Ivey, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. Watson Coleman, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for free public transportation for individuals who are recently released from incarceration.

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 “Transportation for Reentry Act”.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) Access to free public transportation services increases the access that an individual recently released from prison has to a reliable mode of transportation.

(2) Access to a reliable mode of transportation—

(A) promotes the successful reintegration of a returning individual into the community;

(B) reduces the likelihood of recidivism;

(C) increases the ability of a returning individual to access community services; and

(D) helps a returning individual to follow up on referrals from their release plans and to meet initial parole requirements (if applicable).

SEC. 3. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION REENTRY SERVICE.

(a) Public Transportation Reentry Service.—Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: “Sec. 5341. Public transportation reentry service

“(a) In General.—

“(1) Reentry service.—To be eligible for financial assistance under section 5307 or 5311, a covered recipient shall carry out a reentry service program to provide free public transportation to returning individuals.

“(2) Duration.—A covered recipient shall provide the reentry service described in paragraph (1) to a returning individual for a 1-year period beginning on the release date of the returning individual.

“(b) Requirements.—In carrying out this section, a covered recipient shall—

“(1) create a system for returning individuals to enroll in the reentry service under this section;

“(2) instruct transportation staff on the operation of the reentry service;

“(3) collect data on the number of returning individuals who use the reentry service and the frequency of use; and

“(4) develop a system to ensure compliance with the 1-year period described in section (a)(2).

“(c) Reimbursement.—

“(1) Direct costs.—The Secretary may reimburse a covered recipient for the cost of providing to returning individuals the reentry service under this section.

“(2) Indirect costs.—The reimbursement that a covered recipient receives may include the costs incurred from the following:

“(A) Development of the reentry service.

“(B) Implementation of the reentry service.

“(C) Operational costs of the reentry service.

“(D) Engagement with technical assistance providers.

“(E) Training on the implementation of the reentry service.

“(F) Outreach to prisons and to the returning individual populations.

“(G) Other uses integral to the successful implementation of the reentry service.

“(d) Regulations.—Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue regulations necessary to carry out this section, including regulations that—

“(1) promote the coordination of providing technical assistance to a covered recipient;

“(2) promote the marketing of the reentry service to ensure that incarcerated and returning individual populations are aware of the reentry service; and

“(3) clarify the treatment of a returning individual who resides in different locations, including in different States, during the 1-year period described in subsection (a)(2).

“(e) Reporting.—

“(1) Covered recipient.—For each year in which a covered recipient receives funds under this section, such recipient shall submit to the National Transit Database an annual report that details the following:

“(A) The number of returning individuals who used the reentry service.

“(B) The number of trips taken.

“(C) An estimate of revenue forgone.

“(D) Any other information that the Secretary determines appropriate.

“(2) Federal transit administration.—For each such year, the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration shall summarize the data reported under paragraph (1) and submit to Congress a report on such data.

“(f) Definitions.—In this section:

“(1) Returning individual.—The term ‘returning individual’ means an individual who has been incarcerated for a period of not less than 1 year in Federal or State prison.

“(2) Covered recipient.—The term ‘covered recipient’ means a recipient of financial assistance under section 5307 or 5311.”.

(b) Clerical Amendment.—The analysis for chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

“5341. Public transportation reentry service.”.

(c) Authorizations.—Section 5338 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and

(2) by inserting after subsection (d) the following:

“(e) Public Transportation Reentry Service.—There shall be available from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund to carry out section 5341 $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.”.

(d) Eligibility as Capital Project.—Section 5302(4) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1) in subparagraph (M) by striking “or” at the end;

(2) in subparagraph (N) by striking the period and inserting “; or”; and

(3) by adding at the end the following:

“(O) operating, planning, and outreach costs described in section 5341.”.

(e) Report.—Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on implementation of section 5341 of title 49, United States Code, (as added by this section) that includes—

(1) details of the implementation and outcome of the program under such section; and

(2) the impact that providing returning individuals with access to the reentry service under such section has had on recidivism rates of participating returning individuals and on the reentry of such individuals into the community.

(f) Conforming Amendments.—

(1) Urbanized area formula grant.—Section 5307(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(A) in subparagraph (K), by striking “and” at the end; and

(B) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

“(M) will comply with section 5341; and”.

(2) Formula grants for rural areas.—Section 5311 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(k) Grant Recipient Requirement.—A recipient may receive a grant in a fiscal year only if the recipient certifies to the Secretary that such recipient will comply with section 5341.”. <all>