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[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3661 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. 3661
To increase access to higher education and center-based Head Start
programs by providing public transit grants.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
January 15, 2026
Ms. Blunt Rochester (for herself and Mr. McCormick) introduced the
following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on
Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To increase access to higher education and center-based Head Start
programs by providing public transit grants.
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 ``Promoting Advancement Through
Transit Help to Education Act'' or the ``PATH to Education Act''.
SEC. 2. INCREASING ACCESS TO EDUCATION THROUGH PUBLIC TRANSIT GRANTS.
Chapter 53 of title 49, United States Code, is amended--
(1) in section 5307, by adding at the end the following:
``(i) Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help to Education
Grants.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Center-based head start program.--The term
`center-based Head Start program' means a center-based
Head Start program, including a center-based Early Head
Start program, under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831
et seq.).
``(B) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible
institution' means--
``(i) a community college;
``(ii) a minority-serving institution;
``(iii) a Head Start agency, including an
Early Head Start agency, that operates a
center-based Head Start program;
``(iv) an area career and technical
education school, as defined in section 3 of
the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302); or
``(v) a rural-serving institution of higher
education, as defined in section 861 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161q).
``(C) Eligible recipient.--The term `eligible
recipient' means a public transportation provider that
is eligible for assistance under this section in
partnership with 1 or more eligible institutions.
``(D) Minority-serving institution.--The term
`minority-serving institution' means an eligible
institution under section 371(a) of the Higher
Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1067q(a)).
``(2) Authority.--The Secretary may make grants under this
subsection to eligible recipients to enable those eligible
recipients to carry out projects described in paragraph (3) to
better connect students with transportation to eligible
institutions.
``(3) Eligible projects.--An eligible recipient receiving a
grant under this subsection shall use grant funds to carry out
1 or more of the following activities to better connect
students with transportation to 1 or more eligible institutions
that are served by the eligible recipient partnership:
``(A) Adding bus or rail stops or routes and
complementary paratransit service that serve eligible
institution campuses and connect to surrounding areas
or other cities.
``(B) Increasing the frequency of service or
adjusting the time of bus, rail, or paratransit routes
to--
``(i) allow students of an eligible
institution to get to and from their classes;
and
``(ii) allow participants in a center-based
Head Start program, and their families, to get
to and from the Head Start program.
``(C) Operating costs for service described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B), if such costs are eligible
under this section.
``(4) Application.--
``(A) In general.--An eligible recipient that
desires a grant under this subsection shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require, including information on the
extent to which the proposed projects using grant funds
will improve the availability of transit access for
students of eligible institutions and participants, and
families of participants, in center-based Head Start
programs.
``(B) Priority.--In awarding grants under this
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to an
eligible recipient whose partnership includes an
eligible institution with respect to which more than 25
percent of students enrolled in that eligible
institution receive a Federal Pell Grant under section
401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070a).'';
(2) in section 5311--
(A) in subsection (c)--
(i) in paragraph (1)(A), by striking
``and'';
(ii) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking the
period at the end and inserting ``; and''; and
(iii) by and at the end the following:
``(C) there shall be set aside to carry out
subsection (k)--
``(i) for fiscal year 2027, $1,000,000;
``(ii) for fiscal year 2028, $2,000,000;
``(iii) for fiscal year 2029, $3,000,000;
``(iv) for fiscal year 2030, $4,000,000;
and
``(v) for fiscal year 2031, $5,000,000.'';
and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(k) Promoting Advancement Through Transit Help to Education
Grants.--
``(1) Definitions.--In this subsection:
``(A) Center-based head start program.--The term
`center-based Head Start program' means a center-based
Head Start program, including a center-based Early Head
Start program, under the Head Start Act (42 U.S.C. 9831
et seq.).
``(B) Eligible institution.--The term `eligible
institution' means--
``(i) a community college;
``(ii) a minority-serving institution;
``(iii) a Head Start agency, including an
Early Head Start agency, that operates a
center-based Head Start program;
``(iv) an area career and technical
education school, as defined in section 3 of
the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical
Education Act of 2006 (20 U.S.C. 2302); or
``(v) a rural-serving institution of higher
education, as defined in section 861 of the
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1161q).
``(C) Eligible recipient.--The term `eligible
recipient' means a public transportation provider that
is eligible for assistance under this section in
partnership with 1 or more eligible entities.
``(2) Authority.--The Secretary may make grants under this
subsection to eligible recipients to enable those eligible
recipients to carry out projects described in paragraph (3) to
better connect students with transportation to eligible
institutions.
``(3) Eligible projects.--An eligible recipient receiving a
grant under this subsection shall use grant funds to carry out
1 or more of the following activities to better connect
students with transportation to 1 or more eligible institutions
that are served by the eligible recipient partnership:
``(A) Adding bus or rail stops or routes and
complementary paratransit service that serve eligible
institution campuses and connect to surrounding areas
or other cities.
``(B) Increasing the frequency of service or
adjusting the time of bus, rail, or paratransit routes
to--
``(i) allow students of an eligible
institution to get to and from their classes;
and
``(ii) allow participants in a center-based
Head Start program, and their families, to get
to and from the Head Start program.
``(C) Operating costs for service described in
subparagraphs (A) and (B), if such costs are eligible
under this section.
``(4) Application.--
``(A) In general.--An eligible recipient that
desires a grant under this subsection shall submit an
application to the Secretary at such time, in such
manner, and containing such information as the
Secretary may require, including information on the
extent to which the proposed projects using grant funds
will improve the availability of transit access for
students of eligible institutions and participants, and
families of participants, in center-based Head Start
programs.
``(B) Priority.--In awarding grants under this
subsection, the Secretary shall give priority to an
eligible recipient whose partnership includes an
eligible institution with respect to which more than 25
percent of students enrolled in that eligible
institution receive a Federal Pell Grant under section
401 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C.
1070a).''; and
(3) in section 5336(h)--
(A) by redesignating paragraphs (3) through (5) as
paragraphs (4) through (6), respectively;
(B) by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
``(3) there shall be set aside to carry out section
5307(i)--
``(A) for fiscal year 2027, $1,000,000;
``(B) for fiscal year 2028, $2,000,000;
``(C) for fiscal year 2029, $3,000,000;
``(D) for fiscal year 2030, $4,000,000; and
``(E) for fiscal year 2031, $5,000,000.'';
(C) in paragraph (4), as so redesignated, by
striking ``and (2),'' and inserting ``, (2), and
(3),''; and
(D) in paragraph (5), as so redesignated, by
striking ``and (4)'' and inserting ``(4), and (5)''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
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