Rural Commuter Microtransit Pilot Grant.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 1098

Short Title: Rural Commuter Microtransit Pilot Grant. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Reives and G. Brown (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Appropriations, if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 30, 2026
*H1098-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO CREATE A R URAL COMMUTER MICROT RANSIT PILOT GRANT 2
PROGRAM. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. The Department of Transportation, Division of Integrated Mobility, 5
shall establish the Rural Commuter Microtransit Pilot Grant Program for the purpose of providing 6
public transportation in rural counties. 7
SECTION 2. The following definitions apply in this act: 8
(1) Rural county. – A county with 250 people or fewer per square mile. 9
(2) Rural microtransit. – A public car or shuttle service operating in a rural county. 10
(3) Service operation. – The loading and unloading of passengers in a rural 11
county. 12
SECTION 3. The following entities shall be eligible to receive a program grant: 13
(1) Counties. 14
(2) Regional councils of government. 15
(3) Municipalities with agreements with rural county governments or regional 16
councils of government. 17
(4) Regional transit authorit ies with agreements with rural county governments 18
or regional councils of government. 19
SECTION 4. The following are the eligible uses for the program grant: 20
(1) Rural microtransit system that addresses workforce mobility and commuter 21
needs in rural areas d uring peak hours and must include a minimum twenty 22
percent (20%) employer contribution. 23
(2) General use microtransit during off -peak hours including on -demand shuttle 24
use for the elderly, families with children, and individuals with disabilities 25
that prioritizes medical appointments and grocery shopping. 26
SECTION 5. A program grant must include a minimum fifty percent (50%) local 27
match which can take the form of reimbursements to local citizens. 28
SECTION 6. The Division shall establish procedures and adopt rules for allocating 29
grant funds that evaluate need, scalability, feasibility, and community partnerships. 30
SECTION 7. There is appropriated from the Highway Fund to the Department of 31
Transportation, Division of Integrated Mobility, for the 2026 -2027 fiscal year the sum of thirty 32
million dollars ($30,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the purposes of this act. 33
SECTION 8. This act becomes effective July 1, 2026. 34