Freedom to Move Act

This section establishes the official short title of the Act as the 'Freedom to Move Act.' This title provides a common and easily recognizable name for referring to the legislation.

This section outlines the dual purposes of the Act: first, to invest in efforts by state, county, and local municipalities to provide fare-free public transportation; and second, to support these entities in improving and expanding access to safe, accessible, and reliable mass transit systems to improve the livability of communities. This sets the guiding principles for the entire grant program.

This provision directs the Secretary of Transportation to establish a competitive grant program, to be known as 'Freedom to Move Grants,' within 360 days of the Act's enactment. These grants are specifically designed to cover the lost fare revenue for public transportation systems that implement fare-free service, and to support broader improvements to public transportation.

This section details the extensive information eligible entities must submit in their grant applications. Requirements include plans for implementing fare-free access, expanding and improving bus service (prioritizing low-income and underserved communities), meaningful community consultation, an equity evaluation of transit gaps, current fare evasion enforcement policies (and plans to eliminate criminalization), estimated costs from increased ridership, and information on transit employee protection and training.

This provision specifies how grant funds can be used. Eligible uses include implementing a fare-free transit program and improving public transportation, particularly in underserved communities. This encompasses costs associated with providing safer, more frequent, and reliable bus service, such as bus stop safety and accessibility improvements, pedestrian and bike shelters, signage, painted bus lanes, signal priority systems, street redesign, operational costs for increased ridership (e.g., hiring and training personnel), and conducting bus network redesigns.

This section defines critical terms for the Act. 'Eligible entities' include states, counties, local municipalities, transit agencies, private nonprofits, or partnerships thereof. An 'underserved community' is defined as one with unserved or infrequent bus routes, located in a low-income community and a community of color. 'Low-income individuals' are those with family income at or below 150 percent of the poverty line. 'Foster care youth' includes current and former foster children. 'Public transportation' is defined as regular, shared-ride surface transportation open to the general public, explicitly excluding intercity rail/bus, school bus, charter, sightseeing, courtesy, or intra-terminal shuttle services.

This provision mandates that the Secretary of Transportation collect data from grant recipients and report on their progress in meeting the targets described in their applications. This report must be submitted within three years of funds being made available. It specifically requires data on the demographics of communities served (disaggregated and cross-tabulated by race, ethnicity, sex, and household median income) and progress towards significantly closing transit equity gaps as identified in the applications.

This section authorizes the appropriation of $5,000,000,000 (five billion dollars) for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2030 to carry out the grant program. This establishes the potential funding level for the 'Freedom to Move Grants' program over a five-year period, totaling $25 billion.