HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4481

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, January 31, 2022.

The committee on Transportation to whom was referred the petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3526) of Adrian C. Madaro and others that the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority implement a low-income fare program to provide free or discounted transit fares for certain riders, reports recommending that the accompanying bill (House, No. 4481) ought to pass.

For the committee,

WILLIAM M. STRAUS.

        FILED ON: 1/31/2022

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 4481

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

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An Act relative to low income transit fares.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, in coordination with the secretary of health and human services, shall implement a low-income fare program that provides free or discounted transit fares to qualifying riders on all modes of transportation operated by the authority.

(b) In developing the low-income fare program, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority shall develop a stakeholder engagement plan and implementation analysis. The engagement plan shall ensure engagement with relevant stakeholders and provide opportunities for public input in geographically-diverse service areas of the authority. The analysis shall include, but not be limited to, an examination of: (i) the number of riders anticipated to benefit from the program; (ii) the average reductions of each fare, by mode; (iii) the overall impact on revenue to the system; (iv) partnership models for determining eligibility requirements and the verification method; and (v) estimated costs associated with the administration and marketing of the program. The implementation analysis shall be filed with the clerks of the senate and house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means and the joint committee on transportation not later than October 15, 2022.

SECTION 2. (a) Notwithstanding any general or special law to the contrary, (i) the regional transit authority council established in section 27 of chapter 161B of the General Laws, in coordination with the secretary of health and human services, may provide each regional transit authority with assistance to implement a low-income fare program that provides free or discounted transit fares to qualifying riders on all modes of transportation operated by each authority or (ii) a regional transit authority may provide a discounted pass program to be offered to public agencies and private entities including, but not limited to, organizations that provide a training program apprenticeship or pre-apprenticeship program sponsors, institutions of higher education, private employers, state or municipal agencies, or public or nonprofit social service providers.

(b) In developing the low-income fare program, each regional transit authority shall develop a stakeholder engagement plan and an implementation analysis. The engagement plan shall ensure engagement with relevant stakeholders and provide opportunities for public input in geographically-diverse service areas of the authority. The analysis shall include, but not be limited to, an examination of: (i) the number of riders anticipated to benefit from the program; (ii) the average reduction of each fare, by mode; (iii) the overall impact on revenue to the system;  (iv) partnership models for determining eligibility requirements and the verification method; (v) any estimated costs associated with the administration and marketing of the program; and (vi) consideration of a no-fare option if that would be cheaper to implement than a means-tested fare program.