AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 237
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. ( Effective from passage ) Not later than July 1, 2026, the 1
Department of Transportation shall increase the frequency of service 2
and number of runs on the Shore Line East rail line to a level comparable 3
to the level of service and number of runs that existed prior to the 4
reduction in service due to the COVID-19 public health emergency and 5
the civil preparedness emergency declared by the Governor on March 6
10, 2020. In establishing such level of service, the department shall 7
consider ridership data, connectivity with other rail lines and public 8
transportation services, workforce commuting patterns, employer 9
hiring activity and feedback and the demands of seasonal tourism. The 10
goal of such increase in service and number of runs shall be to reduce 11
the waiting times for passengers and increase the reliability of service 12
on the Shore Line East rail line. 13
Sec. 2. (Effective from passage) In conjunction with any state-wide study 14
on bus service undertaken by the Department of Transportation in the 15
calendar year ending December 31, 2026 , the department shall include 16
in such study an assessment of the feasibility of increasing the frequency 17
of service on the bus transit route between the Naugatuck Valley region 18
and the city of New Haven at peak times and any recommendations to 19
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ensure such service meets the demand of the traveling public and 20
reduces waiting times for passengers. Not later than thirty days 21
following the completion of any such state -wide study on bus service, 22
the department shall submit the results of such state -wide study to the 23
joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of 24
matters relating to transportation, in accordance with the provisions of 25
section 11-4a of the general statutes. 26
Sec. 3. Section 13b -38h of the general statutes is repealed and the 27
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 28
(a) The Department of Transportation shall provide for changes in 29
fares for mass transportation by land in accordance with the provisions 30
of this section and shall not be required to conform to the procedures in 31
chapter 54. 32
(b) Prior to adopting any [change] increase in fares for mass 33
transportation by land, the department shall (1) give notice of the 34
proposed fare [change] increase, its amount and the date and time it is 35
proposed to take effect by advertising, at least once, in one or more 36
newspapers having [general] circulation in all areas [of the state ] that 37
[may] would be affected by such [change in fares ] proposed fare 38
increase, and (2) in such notice, provide information on the date, time 39
and place a public hearing is to be held on such proposed [change] fare 40
increase. Such notice shall be provided at least fifteen days prior to such 41
public hearing. The department shall, at least fifteen days prior to such 42
public hearing, send a copy of such notice to the chairpersons and 43
ranking members of the joint standing committees of the General 44
Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to transportation and 45
finance and to the Connecticut Public Transportation Council, 46
established under section 13b -212b. A public hearing on the proposed 47
fare [change] increase shall be held at such date, time and place as will 48
be convenient for public attendance. 49
(c) When the department is required to hold a public hearing 50
regarding a proposed major service change to commuter rail service in 51
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accordance with the Federal Transit Administration Title VI Circular 52
4702.1B, as amended from time to time, the department shall, at least 53
fifteen days prior to such public hearing, provide notice of such public 54
hearing to the chairpersons and ranking members of the joint standing 55
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 56
relating to transportation and finance and to the Connecticut Public 57
Transportation Council. 58
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026) (a) The Department of Education 59
shall administer a grant program to provide grants to local and regional 60
boards of education for the purchase of passes for the use of state-owned 61
or state-controlled bus public transportation services and distribution of 62
such passes, without cost, to students who are enrolled in grades nine 63
to twelve, inclusive, of a public school under the jurisdiction of such 64
local or regional board of education. Applications for grants shall be 65
filed with the department at such time and in such manner as the 66
department prescribes. The department may develop guidelines and 67
grant criteria as it deems necessary to administer such grant program. 68
(b) Each local or regional board of education receiving a grant award 69
under this section shall submit, at such time and in such form as the 70
department prescribes, any reports and financial statements required by 71
the department. If the department finds that any grant awarded 72
pursuant to this section is being used for purposes that are not in 73
conformity with the purposes of this section, the department may 74
require the repayment of the grant to the state. 75
(c) Not later than July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the 76
Department of Education shall submit a report, in accordance with the 77
provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes, to the joint standing 78
committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters 79
relating to education and transportation. Such report shall include, but 80
need not be limited to, the amount of grants awarded during the prior 81
year and an assessment of the impact of the grant program on student 82
outcomes. 83
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Sec. 5. (NEW) (Effective July 1, 2026 ) (a) For the purposes of this 84
section, "veteran" and "armed forces" ha ve the same meaning s as 85
provided in section 27-103 of the general statutes. 86
(b) The Department of Veterans Affairs shall purchase passes for the 87
use of state-owned or state-controlled bus public transportation services 88
and distribute such passes, without cost, to veterans in the state. 89
Applications for such passes shall be filed with the department at such 90
time and in such manner as the department prescribes. The department 91
may develop guidelines and criteria as it deems necessary to distribute 92
such passes. 93
(c) Not later than July 1, 2027, and annually thereafter, the 94
Department of Veterans Affairs shall submit a report, in accordance 95
with the provisions of section 11 -4a of the general statutes, to the joint 96
standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of 97
matters relating to veterans' affairs and transportation. Such report shall 98
include, but need not be limited to, the amount of passes purchased and 99
distributed during the prior year and an assessment of the impact of the 100
distribution of such passes to veterans. 101
Sec. 6. Section 7-273l of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes is 102
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 103
2026): 104
(a) As used in this section, "urbanized area" has the same meaning as 105
provided in 49 USC 5302(24), as amended from time to time, and "rural 106
area" has the same meaning as provided in 49 USC 5302(17), as amended 107
from time to time. 108
(b) Each transit district established under this chapter or any special 109
act may (1) impose service charges and user fees on persons using transit 110
systems operated by such district, and (2) apply for funding from the 111
Department of Transportation in accordance with the provisions of this 112
section to finance the construction, acquisition, purchase, lease or 113
operation of a mass transit system and related programs authorized 114
under section 7-273b. Commencing with the fiscal year ending June 30, 115
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1984, and each fiscal year thereafter, the commissioner shall distribute 116
such funds to each transit district located in an urbanized area or a rural 117
area in the same manner as the formula specified under 49 USC 5307, as 118
amended from time to time, or 49 USC 5311, as amended from time to 119
time. Any municipality providing transit service that is not part of a 120
transit district may either establish a transit district under the provisions 121
of this chapter to assume operating control of such service or negotiate 122
an agreement with the Department of Transportation to administer the 123
operation of such service. In the latter case, the department shall provide 124
financial assistance to such municipality according to the formula 125
specified in this section. As a condition of receiving any funds under this 126
subsection, a transit district or municipality shall meet eligibility criteria 127
established by the commissioner, including, but not limited to, deriving 128
a portion of operating costs from service charges, user fees, federal or 129
local subsidies and sources other than from state subsidies. 130
(c) The Commissioner of Transportation shall provide an operating 131
subsidy to any transit district that discounts the lawful charge to use the 132
transit systems operated by such transit district for (1) veterans, as 133
defined in section 27-103, (2) persons who are sixty -five years of age or 134
older, (3) persons with disabilities, and (4) persons who are eighteen 135
years of age or younger, provided the amount of any such discount shall 136
be not more than fifty per cent of such lawful charge. Such operating 137
subsidy shall be provided for the purposes of offsetting revenue losses 138
incurred by such transit district as a result of providing such discounts. 139
The commissioner shall establish eligibility criteria, an application 140
process and reporting requirements for transit districts to receive such 141
operating subsidy. 142
[(c)] (d) The Commissioner of Transportation shall adopt regulations, 143
in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, to implement the 144
purposes of this section. 145
Sec. 7. Subsection (d) of section 4 -186 of the 2026 supplement to the 146
general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 147
thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 148
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(d) The provisions of this chapter shall not apply: (1) To procedures 149
followed or actions taken concerning the lower Connecticut River 150
conservation zone described in chapter 477a and the upper Connecticut 151
River conservation zone described in chapter 477c, (2) to the 152
administrative determinations authorized by section 32 -9r concerning 153
manufacturing facilities in distressed municipalities, (3) to the rules 154
made pursuant to section 9 -436 for use of paper ballots , [and] (4) to 155
guidelines established under section 22a -227 for development of a 156
municipal solid waste management plan, and (5) to changes in fares for 157
mass transportation by land made in accordance with the provisions of 158
section 13b-38h, as amended by this act. 159
Sec. 8. ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) The sum of three million dollars is 160
appropriated to the Department of Education from the General Fund, 161
for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, for the grant program 162
established pursuant to section 4 of this act. 163
Sec. 9. ( Effective July 1, 2026 ) The sum of one million dollars is 164
appropriated to the Department of Veterans Affairs from the General 165
Fund, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2027, for the purchase and 166
distribution of passes for the use of state-owned or state-controlled bus 167
public transportation services pursuant to section 5 of this act. 168
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 October 1, 2026 13b-38h
Sec. 4 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 5 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 6 July 1, 2026 7-273l
Sec. 7 October 1, 2026 4-186(d)
Sec. 8 July 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 9 July 1, 2026 New section

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TRA Joint Favorable Subst.
APP Joint Favorable