Educational transit access

AN ACT Relating to creating the educational transit access grant 1
program to reduce the cost of public transportation for community and 2
technical college students; adding a new section to chapter 47.66 3
RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature believes that reducing the 6
cost of transportation for community and technical college students 7
is essential to their educational success. It is the intent of the 8
legislature to assist public transit agencies to develop partnerships 9
with local community and technical colleges defined in RCW 10
28B.50.030, in order to establish pilot programs to assist in 11
lowering this cost of transportation.12
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 47.66 13
RCW to read as follows: 14
(1) The department shall establish an educational transit access 15
grant program to provide funds to public transit agencies for pilot 16
programs with local community or technical colleges, as defined in 17
RCW 28B.50.030. The pilot programs must provide free or reduced 18
transit fares for, at minimum, students enrolled in a degree-seeking 19
or certificate-seeking program at these institutions.20
H-3387.1
HOUSE BILL 2727
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2026 Regular Session
By Representatives Taylor, Entenman, Parshley, Lekanoff, Gregerson,
Ryu, Ortiz-Self, Zahn, Morgan, Reed, Thomas, Scott, Pollet, Obras,
and Fosse
Read first time 02/04/26. Referred to Committee on Transportation.
p. 1 HB 2727
(2) To be eligible to receive a grant, the transit agency must 1
submit a written proposal to the department that provides, at 2
minimum: 3
(a) The pilot program's goals and objectives, with measurable 4
metrics; 5
(b) A description of how the pilot program will lower the cost of 6
public transit for students; 7
(c) A written commitment to participate in the pilot program from 8
the partnering community or technical college; and 9
(d) A preliminary plan, in collaboration with the partnering 10
community or technical college, detailing how the program will be 11
sustained, once the pilot program is complete. 12
(3) The department shall conduct a call for proposals no later 13
than 60 days after the effective date of this section.14
(4) The department shall submit a report, in partnership with the 15
relevant transit agency, to the transportation committees of the 16
legislature, within six months of the completion of a pilot project 17
funded under this section, detailing the outcomes of the particular 18
pilot project, including methods by which future pilot projects could 19
be improved. 20
(5) For the purposes of this section, "transit agency" or 21
"agency" means a city transit system under RCW 35.58.2721 or chapter 22
35.95A RCW, a county public transportation authority under chapter 23
36.57 RCW, a metropolitan municipal corporation transit system under 24
chapter 36.56 RCW, a public transportation benefit area under chapter 25
36.57A RCW, an unincorporated transportation benefit area under RCW 26
36.57.100, or any special purpose district formed to operate a public 27
transportation system. 28
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. This act takes effect July 1, 2026.29
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p. 2 HB 2727