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H.R. 9898House119th Congress (2025-2027)In Committee

Transportation for Reentry Act

Sponsored by Emanuel CleaverRep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Introduced July 23, 2026

AI-Generated Summary

Updated July 30, 2026 at 11:12 AM UTC

The Transportation for Reentry Act adds a new program to the federal transit law that gives people who have been released from prison free public transportation for one year after release. It applies to any transit agency that receives federal assistance and aims to help former inmates get to jobs, services, and parole appointments, which lawmakers say can lower recidivism. The program is funded with $40 million per year for five years.

Key Provisions

  • Creates a "Public Transportation Reentry Service" that provides free rides to individuals released from incarceration for a 1‑year period.
  • Transit agencies that receive federal funds (under sections 5307 or 5311) must set up enrollment, staff training, and data‑collection systems for the service.
  • The Secretary of Transportation may reimburse agencies for direct costs and a range of indirect costs such as program development, outreach, and training.
  • Allocates $40 million annually from the Mass Transit Account for fiscal years 2027‑2031 to fund the program.
  • Requires agencies to submit annual usage and cost reports to the National Transit Database, and the Federal Transit Administration must summarize this data for Congress.
  • Mandates the Secretary to issue regulations within one year to guide implementation, marketing, and coordination of the service.
  • Defines a "returning individual" as someone incarcerated for at least one year and ties grant eligibility to compliance with the new service requirements.

Legislative Activity

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

July 23, 2026

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

July 23, 2026

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

July 23, 2026

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued July 23, 2026

I

119th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 9898

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

July 23, 2026

Mr. Cleaver (for himself, Mr. Bell, Mr. Carson, Mr. Carter of Louisiana, Ms. Chu, Ms. Crockett, Mr. Evans of Pennsylvania, Mrs. Foushee, Mr. Frost, Mr. Garcia of California, Mr. Ivey, Mr. Jackson of Illinois, Ms. Jayapal, Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Tlaib, Mrs. Watson Coleman, and Ms. Wilson of Florida) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure

A BILL

To amend title 49, United States Code, to provide for free public transportation for individuals who are recently released from incarceration.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Transportation for Reentry Act.

2.

Findings

Congress finds the following:

(1)

Access to free public transportation services increases the access that an individual recently released from prison has to a reliable mode of transportation.

(2)

Access to a reliable mode of transportation—

(A)

promotes the successful reintegration of a returning individual into the community;

(B)

reduces the likelihood of recidivism;

(C)

increases the ability of a returning individual to access community services; and

(D)

helps a returning individual to follow up on referrals from their release plans and to meet initial parole requirements (if applicable).

3.

Public transportation reentry service

(a)

Public transportation reentry service

Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

5341.

Public transportation reentry service

(a)

In general

(1)

Reentry service

To be eligible for financial assistance under section 5307 or 5311, a covered recipient shall carry out a reentry service program to provide free public transportation to returning individuals.

(2)

Duration

A covered recipient shall provide the reentry service described in paragraph (1) to a returning individual for a 1-year period beginning on the release date of the returning individual.

(b)

Requirements

In carrying out this section, a covered recipient shall—

(1)

create a system for returning individuals to enroll in the reentry service under this section;

(2)

instruct transportation staff on the operation of the reentry service;

(3)

collect data on the number of returning individuals who use the reentry service and the frequency of use; and

(4)

develop a system to ensure compliance with the 1-year period described in section (a)(2).

(c)

Reimbursement

(1)

Direct costs

The Secretary may reimburse a covered recipient for the cost of providing to returning individuals the reentry service under this section.

(2)

Indirect costs

The reimbursement that a covered recipient receives may include the costs incurred from the following:

(A)

Development of the reentry service.

(B)

Implementation of the reentry service.

(C)

Operational costs of the reentry service.

(D)

Engagement with technical assistance providers.

(E)

Training on the implementation of the reentry service.

(F)

Outreach to prisons and to the returning individual populations.

(G)

Other uses integral to the successful implementation of the reentry service.

(d)

Regulations

Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this section, the Secretary shall issue regulations necessary to carry out this section, including regulations that—

(1)

promote the coordination of providing technical assistance to a covered recipient;

(2)

promote the marketing of the reentry service to ensure that incarcerated and returning individual populations are aware of the reentry service; and

(3)

clarify the treatment of a returning individual who resides in different locations, including in different States, during the 1-year period described in subsection (a)(2).

(e)

Reporting

(1)

Covered recipient

For each year in which a covered recipient receives funds under this section, such recipient shall submit to the National Transit Database an annual report that details the following:

(A)

The number of returning individuals who used the reentry service.

(B)

The number of trips taken.

(C)

An estimate of revenue forgone.

(D)

Any other information that the Secretary determines appropriate.

(2)

Federal Transit Administration

For each such year, the Administrator of the Federal Transit Administration shall summarize the data reported under paragraph (1) and submit to Congress a report on such data.

(f)

Definitions

In this section:

(1)

Returning individual

The term returning individual means an individual who has been incarcerated for a period of not less than 1 year in Federal or State prison.

(2)

Covered recipient

The term covered recipient means a recipient of financial assistance under section 5307 or 5311.

.

(b)

Clerical amendment

The analysis for chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:

5341. Public transportation reentry service.

.

(c)

Authorizations

Section 5338 of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

by redesignating subsection (e) as subsection (f); and

(2)

by inserting after subsection (d) the following:

(e)

Public transportation reentry service

There shall be available from the Mass Transit Account of the Highway Trust Fund to carry out section 5341 $40,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.

.

(d)

Eligibility as capital project

Section 5302(4) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(1)

in subparagraph (M) by striking or at the end;

(2)

in subparagraph (N) by striking the period and inserting ; or; and

(3)

by adding at the end the following:

(O)

operating, planning, and outreach costs described in section 5341.

.

(e)

Report

Not later than 5 years after the date of enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit to Congress a report on implementation of section 5341 of title 49, United States Code, (as added by this section) that includes—

(1)

details of the implementation and outcome of the program under such section; and

(2)

the impact that providing returning individuals with access to the reentry service under such section has had on recidivism rates of participating returning individuals and on the reentry of such individuals into the community.

(f)

Conforming amendments

(1)

Urbanized area formula grant

Section 5307(c)(1) of title 49, United States Code, is amended—

(A)

in subparagraph (K), by striking and at the end; and

(B)

by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(M)

will comply with section 5341; and

.

(2)

Formula grants for rural areas

Section 5311 of title 49, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

(k)

Grant recipient requirement

A recipient may receive a grant in a fiscal year only if the recipient certifies to the Secretary that such recipient will comply with section 5341.

.