HouseH.R. 8128119th Congress
Same-Day Paratransit Innovation Act
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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8128 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8128
To foster greater deployment of same-day paratransit services for
individuals with disabilities and to establish minimum standards for
paratransit technology, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
March 26, 2026
Ms. Simon introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To foster greater deployment of same-day paratransit services for
individuals with disabilities and to establish minimum standards for
paratransit technology, 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 ``Same-Day Paratransit Innovation
Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) Mobility access is a fundamental pillar of
independence, equity, and dignity for individuals with
disabilities, enabling access to daily necessities and the
opportunity to participate in a well-rounded, connected life
that would otherwise be out of reach.
(2) According to the Department of Transportation Bureau of
Transportation Statistics (BTS), an estimated 18,600,000
Americans have travel-limiting disabilities that could
necessitate reliance on paratransit services to access
employment, education, healthcare, and community life, yet they
face significant and ongoing barriers to achieve mobility,
equity, and inclusion.
(3) Over 80 percent of the young adults with disabilities
surveyed by the National Aging and Disability Transportation
Center (NADTC) stated that they're often held back from
activities because of lack of transportation or inability to
drive, resulting in them feeling isolated, frustrated, and even
trapped without reliable same-day transit, with access barriers
compounded by income level, vehicle ownership, and strict or
outdated eligibility and scheduling policies.
(4) The Census Bureau projects that almost 1 in 4 Americans
will be aged 65 or older and the number of people over age 85
will triple by 2060, thereby increasing already constrained
paratransit demand.
(5) The transportation provisions of the Americans with
Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) only require that complementary
paratransit be operated on a next-day basis, requiring riders
with disabilities to know and schedule all trips at least 24
hours in advance and leaving no flexibility to adjust to last
minute or day-of changes in plans.
(6) The lack of flexible, same-day transportation options
hinders the lives and opportunities of persons with
disabilities, negatively impacting their independence and
participation in civic life and contributing to the 10 percent
unemployment rate among working-age Americans with disabilities
in July 2025, as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
(7) Technological advancements and product offerings now
allow transit agencies to schedule and provide same-day
paratransit services through dynamic trip matching, real-time
route optimization, and the integration of multiple service
providers through API or related mechanisms, all accessible
through user-friendly mobile applications.
(8) In 2023, the Federal Transit Administration published a
Dear Colleague letter to the transit industry extolling the
benefits and opportunities for deploying same-day paratransit
using existing formula funding.
(9) Whereas, same-day paratransit has been proven to
improve transit agency cost and service efficiencies,
highlighted by MBTA's RIDE Flex program, which saw total trips
increase by 53 percent and operational spend decrease by 6
percent over 3 years with the integration of a same-day
service, per the Federal Transit Administration's Transit
Cooperative Research Program (TCRP).
(10) Congress recognizes the urgent need to modernize and
expand same-day paratransit options through formula funding to
incentivize transit agencies to provide same-day paratransit
services that foster innovation and empower individuals with
disabilities to choose the mobility solution that best fits
their needs.
SEC. 3. ACCESSIBILITY INNOVATION SAME-DAY PARATRANSIT.
(a) In General.--Section 5310(d) of title 49, United States Code,
is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``except that a grant
for a capital project directly related to the provision of
same-day paratransit services shall be in an amount equal to 90
percent of the net capital costs of the project, as determined
by the Secretary.'' after ``Secretary''; and
(2) by amending paragraph (2) to read as follows:
``(2) Operating assistance.--A grant made under this
section for operating assistance may not exceed an amount equal
to--
``(A) 50 percent of the net operating costs of the
project, as determined by the Secretary;
``(B) 70 percent of the net operating costs of a
project to provide same-day paratransit service in
compliance with the minimum standards established by
the Administrator; or
``(C) 80 percent of the net operating costs of a
project to provide same-day paratransit service in
compliance with the minimum standards established by
the Administrator and using vehicles operated
exclusively by personnel employed by the recipient for
same-day paratransit service.''.
(b) Urbanized Area Formula Grants.--Section 5307(d) of title 49,
United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ``, except that a grant
for a capital project directly related to the provision of
same-day paratransit services shall be in an amount equal to 90
percent of the net capital costs of the project, as determined
by the Secretary.'' after ``the project''; and
(2) by amending paragraph (2), to read as follows:
``(2) Operating assistance.--A grant made under this
section for operating assistance may not exceed an amount equal
to--
``(A) 50 percent of the net operating costs of the
project, as determined by the Secretary; or
``(B) 70 percent of the net operating costs of a
project to provide same-day paratransit service in
compliance with the minimum standards established by
the Administrator; or
``(C) 80 percent of the net operating costs of a
project to provide same-day paratransit service in
compliance with the minimum standards established by
the Administrator and using vehicles operated
exclusively by personnel employed by the recipient for
same-day paratransit service.''.
(c) Formula Grants for Rural Areas.--Section 5311(g) of title 49,
United States Code, is amended--
(1) in paragraph (1)(A), by inserting ``, except that a
grant for a capital project directly related to the provision
of same-day paratransit services shall be in an amount equal to
90 percent of the net capital costs of the project, as
determined by the Secretary.'' after ``Secretary''; and
(2) by amending paragraph (2), to read as follows:
``(2) Operating assistance.--
``(A) A grant made under this section for operating
assistance may not exceed an amount equal to--
``(i) 50 percent of the net operating costs
of the project, as determined by the Secretary;
``(ii) 70 percent of the net operating
costs of a project to provide same-day
paratransit service in compliance with the
minimum standards established by the
Administrator; or
``(iii) 80 percent of the net operating
costs of a project to provide same-day
paratransit service in compliance with the
minimum standards established by the
administrator, as determined by the secretary
and using vehicles operated exclusively by
personnel employed by the recipient for same-
day paratransit service.
``(B) Exception.--A State described in section
120(b) of title 23 shall receive a Government share of
the net operating costs equal to 62.5 percent of the
Government share provided for under paragraph
(1)(B).''.
SEC. 4. PARATRANSIT SOFTWARE AND TECHNOLOGY MINIMUM STANDARDS.
(a) In General.--Section 5310 of title 49, United States Code, is
amended by adding at the end--
``(j) Paratransit Software Minimum Standards.--
``(1) In general.--No later than 1 year after enactment of
this Act, the Administrator shall issue minimum standards for
Americans with Disabilities (ADA) paratransit software and
technologies procured pursuant to this section.
``(2) Standards.--The Administrator shall consider the
following in developing the guidance described in the
subsection (a):
``(A) Accessibility of applications including
compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
2.1 (WCAG 2.1) or any subsequent version of such
Guidelines.
``(B) Cybersecurity of applications including
compliance with System and Organization Controls 2 (SOC
2) and ISO 27001, and any successor standard.
``(C) Data storage on cloud infrastructure located
in the United States.
``(D) Integration of multiple service providers--
including but not limited to paratransit operated by a
transit agency or contractor, taxis, and transportation
networking companies (TNC)--through API or related
mechanisms, and the ability to move trips between
service providers.
``(E) Real-time route optimization and dynamic trip
scheduling, with the ability to utilize some of the
extra capacity on ADA paratransit fleet to provide
same-day paratransit service.
``(F) Ability to book on digital booking interfaces
that can integrate all service providers.
``(G) Data sharing and agency portal systems,
including an open API to enable integration to third
party systems while protecting personally identifiable
information of riders and capable, if approved by the
recipient, of providing the recipient with the ability
to share data with their metropolitan planning
organization, State, and local government access to
anonymized data for transportation planning, real time
operations data, and rules.
``(H) Safeguards necessary to ensure that all data
generated by the provision of service or paid for by
the recipient is owned by the recipient and cannot be
withheld or limited, nor may the provider condition
access to such data, in any manner.
``(I) Such other considerations as the
Administrator determines necessary to advance the needs
of riders, transit agencies and providers, and that
ensure that investments are future-proofed to
accommodate emerging technological and operational
developments.
``(3) Stakeholder consultation.--In developing the minimum
standards described in paragraph (1), the Administrator shall
consult with relevant stakeholders including--
``(A) transit agencies and transit industry
associations;
``(B) paratransit riders with disabilities;
``(C) organizations representing riders with
disabilities;
``(D) United States Access Board;
``(E) labor organizations representing frontline
public transportation workers;
``(F) transit technology providers;
``(G) for-hire transportation providers; and
``(H) cybersecurity experts.
``(4) Limitation.--Beginning not later than 1 year after
final minimum standards are published by the Administrator, no
funds awarded under section 5307 or 5310 shall be used to
acquire or utilize third-party software for the provision of
paratransit services that does not meet the minimum standards
established under paragraph (1).
``(5) Final standards.--Beginning not later than 2 years
after final minimum standards are published by the
Administrator, no funds awarded under section 5311 shall be
used to acquire or utilize third-party software for the
provision of paratransit services that does not meet the
minimum standards established under paragraph (1).''.
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