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CHAPTER 87 An Act to amend and reenact §§ 33.2-1526.3 and 33.2-3102 of the Code of Virginia and to amend and reenact the second enactment of Chapter 806 of the Acts of Assembly of 2024, relating to certain transit entities; funding and administration. [H 200] Approved April 6, 2026 Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia: 1. That §§ 33.2-1526.3 and 33.2-3102 of the Code of Virginia are amended and reenacted as follows: § 33.2-1526.3. Transit Ridership Incentive Program. A. The Board shall establish the Transit Ridership Incentive Program (the Program) to promote improved transit service [in] [urbanized] [areas] [of] across the Commonwealth [with] [a] [population] [in] [excess] [of] [100,000] [and] [to] [reduce] [barriers] [to] [transit] [use] [for] [low-income] [individuals] by encouraging the identification and establishment of routes of regional significance; supporting the establishment of programs to reduce the impact of fares on low-income individuals; encouraging innovative approaches to micromobility, paratransit, and other specialized transportation; and supporting local, regional, and state entities in improving the accessibility and safety of transit bus passenger facilities. B. [The] [goal] [of] [the] [Program] [shall] [be] [to] [encourage] [the] [identification] [and] [establishment] [of] [routes] [of] [regional] [significance,] [the] [development] [and] [implementation] [of] [a] [regional] [subsidy] [allocation] [model,] [implementation] [of] [integrated] [fare] [collection,] [establishment] [of] [bus-only] [lanes] [on] [routes] [of] [regional] [significance,] [and] [other] [actions] [and] [service] [determined] [by] [the] [Board] [to] [improve] [transit] [service.] [C.] The Board shall, in conjunction with the Transit Service Delivery Advisory Committee, establish guidelines for the implementation of the Program and review such guidelines, at a minimum, every [five] three years. [The] [funds] [in] [the] [Program] [shall] [be] [awarded] [such] [that] [on] [a] [five-year] [rolling] [average,] [the] [amount] [of] [funds] [awarded] [to] [each] [urbanized] [area] [shall] [be] [equal] [to] [a] [ratio] [of] [the] [population] [within] [the] [Commonwealth] [of] [such] [urbanized] [area] [compared] [to] [the] [total] [population] [within] [the] [Commonwealth] [of] [all] [eligible] [urbanized] [areas.] [The] [Board] [may] [through] [an] [affirmative] [vote] [of] [a] [majority] [of] [the] [members] [vote] [to] [waive] [this] [requirement] [for] [a] [period] [not] [to] [exceed] [two] [years] [when] [they] [find] [there] [is] [a] [need] [that] [justifies] [such] [waiver.] [D.] [Notwithstanding] [the] [provisions] [of] [this] [section,] [the] [Board] [shall] [use] [an] [amount] [not] [to] [exceed] [25] [percent] [of] [the] [funds] [available] [to] [support] [the] [establishment] [of] [programs] [to] [reduce] [the] [impact] [of] [fares] [on] [low-income] [individuals,] [including] [reduced-fare] [programs] [and] [elimination] [of] [fares.] [The] [restrictions] [in] [subsection] [A] [shall] [not] [apply] [to] [funds] [used] [pursuant] [to] [this] [subsection,] [nor] [shall] [the] [funds] [used] [pursuant] [to] [this] [subsection] [be] [used] [to] [calculate] [the] [rolling] [average] [described] [in] [subsection] [C.] [E.] [The] [Board] [shall] [use] [at] [least] [25] [percent] [of] [the] [funds] [available] [to] [support] [regional] [transit] [initiatives.] [The] [Board] [shall] [use] [its] [discretion] [in] [allocating] [the] [remaining] [funds] [available] [as] [authorized] [pursuant] [to] [this] [section] [and] [based] [on] [the] [programs] [and] [initiatives] [submitted] [during] [the] [application] [process.] [F.] [Notwithstanding] [the] [provisions] [of] [this] [section,] [the] [Board] [shall] [use] [an] [amount] [not] [to] [exceed] [30] [percent] [of] [the] [funds] [available] [to] [support] [local,] [regional,] [and] [state] [entities] [in] [improving] [the] [accessibility] [of] [transit] [bus] [passenger] [facilities] [and] [improving] [crime] [prevention] [and] [public] [safety] [for] [transit] [passengers,] [operators,] [and] [employees.] [The] [Board] [shall] [develop] [guidelines] [for] [applications,] [including] [relevant] [criteria] [and] [any] [requirement] [for] [matching] [funds,] [including] [any] [private] [grants] [and] [donations,] [for] [grants] [to] [any] [local,] [regional,] [or] [state] [public] [entity] [that] [supports] [a] [transit] [system.] [The] [restrictions] [in] [subsection] [A] [shall] [not] [apply] [to] [funds] [used] [pursuant] [to] [this] [subsection,] [nor] [shall] [the] [funds] [used] [pursuant] [to] [this] [subsection] [be] [used] [to] [calculate] [the] [rolling] [average] [described] [in] [subsection] [C.] [G.] C. The Board shall report annually by November 1 to the Governor and the General Assembly on the projects and services funded by the Program. The report shall, at a minimum, include an analysis of the performance of the funded projects, the performance of the identified routes of regional significance, transit ridership, efforts funded pursuant to [subsection] [D] the Program, and any other information the Board determines to be appropriate. § 33.2-3102. Virginia-specific requirements. [A.] Members of the Board of Directors of the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission for the Commonwealth of Virginia shall be appointed by the Governor of Virginia and subject to confirmation by the General Assembly. [B.] [The] [Secretary] [of] [Transportation,] [in] [coordination] [with] [the] [Northern] [Virginia] [Transportation] [Commission,] [shall] [engage] [his] [counterparts] [in] [Maryland] [and] [Washington,] [D.C.,] [and] [the] [appropriate] [officials] [in] [the] [federal] [government] [for] [the] [purpose] [of] [revising] [the] [Washington] [Metropolitan] [Area] [Transit] [Authority] [Compact] [of] [1966] [and] [implementing] [other] [reforms] [necessary] [to] [ensure] [the] [near-term] [and] [long-term] [viability] [of] [the] [Washington] [Area] [Metropolitan] [Transit] [Authority] [(WMATA).] [In] [doing] [so,] [the] [Secretary] [shall] [develop,] [propose,] [and] [seek] [agreement] [on] [reforms] [related] [to] [the] [following:] [(i)] [the] [legal] [and] [organizational] [structure] [of] [WMATA;] [(ii)] [the] [composition] [and] [qualifications] [of] [the] [WMATA] [Board] [of] [Directors] [and] [the] [length] [of] [terms] [of] [its] [members;] [(iii)] [labor] [costs] [and] [labor] [relations;] [(iv)] [measures] [necessary] [to] [resolve] [WMATA's] [unfunded] [pension] [liability] [and] [other] [postemployment] [benefits;] [(v)] [measures] [necessary] [to] [better] [ensure] [the] [safety] [of] [riders] [and] [employees,] [including] [safety] [in] [the] [event] [of] [a] [homeland] [security] [emergency] [in] [the] [national] [capital] [area;] [and] [(vi)] [financial] [and] [operational] [improvements] [necessary] [to] [ensure] [that] [WMATA's] [performance] [is] [at] [least] [as] [efficient] [as] [its] [closest] [comparable] [transit] [systems] [in] [the] [United] [States.] [The] [Secretary] [shall] [report] [to] [and] [consult] [quarterly] [beginning] [June] [30,] [2017,] [with] [the] [Chairmen] [of] [the] [House] [and] [Senate] [Transportation] [Committees] [regarding] [activity] [taken] [in] [accordance] [with] [this] [subsection.] 2. That the second enactment of Chapter 806 of the Acts of Assembly of 2024 is amended and reenacted as follows: 2. That the provisions of this act shall expire on July 1, [2027] 2028.
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