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To increase access to higher education and center-based Head Start programs by providing public transit grants.
Summary
This bill would establish grant programs for public transportation providers to improve access to higher education institutions and Head Start programs. The grants could be used for adding or expanding bus and rail routes to college campuses, increasing service frequency, and covering operating costs. Priority would be given to projects involving institutions where more than 25 percent of students receive Federal Pell Grants, a measure of financial need. The bill sets aside $1 million to $5 million annually from 2027 through 2031 to fund these transit access programs.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
1 cosponsor
- Sen. McCormick, David [R-PA] (R-PA)
Actions (2)
- Jan 15, 2026 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. · senate
- Jan 15, 2026 Introduced in Senate
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Full text
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 15, 2026
Ms. Blunt Rochester (for herself and Mr. McCormick) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
A BILL
To increase access to higher education and center-based Head Start programs by providing public transit grants.
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 “Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help to Education Act” or the “PATH to Education Act”.
SEC. 2. INCREASING ACCESS TO EDUCATION THROUGH PUBLIC TRANSIT GRANTS.
Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—
(1) in section 5307, by adding at the end the following:
“(i) Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help to Education Grants.—
“(1) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Center-based head start program.—The term ‘center-based Head Start program’ means a center-based Head Start program, including a center-based Early Head Start program, under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.).
“(B) Eligible institution.—The term ‘eligible institution’ means—
“(i) a community college;
“(ii) a minority-serving institution;
“(iii) a Head Start agency, including an Early Head Start agency, that operates a center-based Head Start program;
“(iv) an area career and technical education school, as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302); or
“(v) a rural-serving institution of higher education, as defined in section 861 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161q).
“(C) Eligible recipient.—The term ‘eligible recipient’ means a public transportation provider that is eligible for assistance under this section in partnership with 1 or more eligible institutions.
“(D) Minority-serving institution.—The term ‘minority-serving institution’ means an eligible institution under section 371(a) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
“(2) Authority.—The Secretary may make grants under this subsection to eligible recipients to enable those eligible recipients to carry out projects described in paragraph (3) to better connect students with transportation to eligible institutions.
“(3) Eligible projects.—An eligible recipient receiving a grant under this subsection shall use grant funds to carry out 1 or more of the following activities to better connect students with transportation to 1 or more eligible institutions that are served by the eligible recipient partnership:
“(A) Adding bus or rail stops or routes and complementary paratransit service that serve eligible institution campuses and connect to surrounding areas or other cities.
“(B) Increasing the frequency of service or adjusting the time of bus, rail, or paratransit routes to—
“(i) allow students of an eligible institution to get to and from their classes; and
“(ii) allow participants in a center-based Head Start program, and their families, to get to and from the Head Start program.
“(C) Operating costs for service described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), if such costs are eligible under this section.
“(4) Application.—
“(A) In general.—An eligible recipient that desires a grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including information on the extent to which the proposed projects using grant funds will improve the availability of transit access for students of eligible institutions and participants, and families of participants, in center-based Head Start programs.
“(B) Priority.—In awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible recipient whose partnership includes an eligible institution with respect to which more than 25 percent of students enrolled in that eligible institution receive a Federal Pell Grant under section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a).”;
(2) in section 5311—
(A) in subsection (c)—
(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking “and”;
(ii) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
(iii) by and at the end the following:
“(C) there shall be set aside to carry out subsection (k)—
“(i) for fiscal year 2027, $1,000,000;
“(ii) for fiscal year 2028, $2,000,000;
“(iii) for fiscal year 2029, $3,000,000;
“(iv) for fiscal year 2030, $4,000,000; and
“(v) for fiscal year 2031, $5,000,000.”; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
“(k) Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help to Education Grants.—
“(1) Definitions.—In this subsection:
“(A) Center-based head start program.—The term ‘center-based Head Start program’ means a center-based Head Start program, including a center-based Early Head Start program, under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831 et seq.).
“(B) Eligible institution.—The term ‘eligible institution’ means—
“(i) a community college;
“(ii) a minority-serving institution;
“(iii) a Head Start agency, including an Early Head Start agency, that operates a center-based Head Start program;
“(iv) an area career and technical education school, as defined in section 3 of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302); or
“(v) a rural-serving institution of higher education, as defined in section 861 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161q).
“(C) Eligible recipient.—The term ‘eligible recipient’ means a public transportation provider that is eligible for assistance under this section in partnership with 1 or more eligible entities.
“(2) Authority.—The Secretary may make grants under this subsection to eligible recipients to enable those eligible recipients to carry out projects described in paragraph (3) to better connect students with transportation to eligible institutions.
“(3) Eligible projects.—An eligible recipient receiving a grant under this subsection shall use grant funds to carry out 1 or more of the following activities to better connect students with transportation to 1 or more eligible institutions that are served by the eligible recipient partnership:
“(A) Adding bus or rail stops or routes and complementary paratransit service that serve eligible institution campuses and connect to surrounding areas or other cities.
“(B) Increasing the frequency of service or adjusting the time of bus, rail, or paratransit routes to—
“(i) allow students of an eligible institution to get to and from their classes; and
“(ii) allow participants in a center-based Head Start program, and their families, to get to and from the Head Start program.
“(C) Operating costs for service described in subparagraphs (A) and (B), if such costs are eligible under this section.
“(4) Application.—
“(A) In general.—An eligible recipient that desires a grant under this subsection shall submit an application to the Secretary at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require, including information on the extent to which the proposed projects using grant funds will improve the availability of transit access for students of eligible institutions and participants, and families of participants, in center-based Head Start programs.
“(B) Priority.—In awarding grants under this subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to an eligible recipient whose partnership includes an eligible institution with respect to which more than 25 percent of students enrolled in that eligible institution receive a Federal Pell Grant under section 401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1070a).”; and
(3) in section 5336(h)—
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) as paragraphs (4) through (6), respectively;
(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
“(3) there shall be set aside to carry out section 5307(i)—
“(A) for fiscal year 2027, $1,000,000;
“(B) for fiscal year 2028, $2,000,000;
“(C) for fiscal year 2029, $3,000,000;
“(D) for fiscal year 2030, $4,000,000; and
“(E) for fiscal year 2031, $5,000,000.”;
(C) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by striking “and (2),” and inserting “, (2), and
(3),”; and
(D) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by striking “and (4)” and inserting “(4), and (5)”. <all>
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