Congress funds free transit for low-income riders, ends fare-evasion arrests
H.R. 4719 — Freedom to Move Act · Filed by Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) · 26 cosponsors · Introduced Jul 23, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a $5 billion annual federal grant program (2026–2030) to help states, counties, cities, and transit agencies eliminate fares on public buses and improve transit service. Eligible entities must apply competitively, describing how they will implement fare-free transit, redesign bus networks to prioritize low-income and underserved communities, eliminate fare-evasion criminalization, and measure equity outcomes. Grants cover lost fare revenue and operational costs from increased ridership, with a 5-year award period per grantee.
Why we flagged it
The bill's core mechanism is a competitive grant program funding fare-free transit and service improvements in underserved communities, with explicit equity mandates and criminalization-elimination requirements. It is a direct public investment in mobility access, not a regulatory or tax measure.
What the text implies
- Fare elimination may shift transit agency revenue models; grantees must absorb lost fare revenue through federal grants, creating dependency on continued appropriations and potential service cuts if funding lapses.
- Criminalization elimination (Section 3(a)(5)) requires grantees to end fare-evasion prosecution; this may reduce local revenue from fines and alter enforcement practices, with unclear long-term fiscal impact on transit agencies.
The full analysis lists 4 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
State and local transit agencies; County and municipal governments; Rural nonprofit transit operators