H.R. 6451 — VA Transit Act

This section establishes a pilot program to be carried out by the Secretary of Transportation, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs and not later than one year after enactment, under which the Secretary awards grants to eligible recipients (i.e., state or local governmental entities or Tribes or Tribal governmental entities) for eligible public transportation projects that expand, modify, retain, establish, or operate services providing veterans access to facilities or organizations serving veterans (e.g., Department of Veterans Affairs facilities, VA-funded organizations, or those proven to serve a significant number or percentage of local veterans). Grants are subject to requirements under 49 U.S.C. §5307 (urbanized areas) or §5311 (rural areas), must be equitably distributed across geographic regions including rural and Tribal communities, awarded in at least five eligible locations (i.e., rural areas or urbanized areas with populations under 200,000), and may be allocated to subrecipients (e.g., state or local governmental authorities, private nonprofits, or public transportation operators). Grant applications must describe proposed services, sites served, frequency and hours of operation, estimated veteran ridership, and the applicant's legal, technical, and financial capacity. Each grant recipient must publicize and conduct outreach to veterans on funded services. The pilot program terminates five years after commencement. Not later than 90 days thereafter, grant recipients must report to the Secretary on project outcomes (e.g., effects on service coverage and quality, accessibility improvements, ridership changes including for veterans, vehicle types used, and increased use of veteran-serving facilities). Not later than 180 days after receiving those reports, the Secretary must report pilot results to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.